#140RVW
One of my mom’s favorite movies, it was never hard to convince anyone else in the house to watch it either, because it’s a fantastic comedy.
What’s more:
Celebrating its 30 year anniversary on March 30, 2014, Romancing the Stone stood out even in a year that birthed many classic adventure comedies like Ghostbusters & Beverly Hills Cop. While this may have drawn some criticism for the Raiders of the Lost Ark tone, I think that’s entirely unjustified; this is a comedy first, with a great worldly adventure story to keep it interesting.
The film was a big hit, so the story is probably well remembered; “hopeful” romantic novelist Joan Wilder is in possession of a treasure map belonging to her late brother-in-law, and must bring the map to Cartagena, Columbia in exchange for her kidnapped sister. Of course other parties are interested in the map, so misadventures ensue as Wilder enlists the help of dreamy shortcut small-timer Jack T. Colton.
Michael Douglas is very charismatic as Colton, but then he usually is. This is one of his most satisfying roles, as his world-weariness feels as genuine as his reawakened adventurous and romantic side.
As Joan Wilder, Kathleen Turner is outstanding. Her transformation from introverted bystander to strong treasure hunter works very well. This was actually only her third film, surprisingly. She’s terrific.
Helmed by the most successful underappreciated director alive, Robert Zemeckis, the movie was expected to flop. This was his first really big picture. Reportedly after the screening of a rough cut of the movie, Zemeckis was fired from Cocoon, which was to be his next film. When Stone became a sleeper hit, it enabled him to move forward with his preferred next project, Back to the Future.
The funny and sexy script was written by first-timer Diane Thomas. In a cruel twist of fate, she died shortly after the film’s sequel was released. The story goes that she pitched the idea for Romancing the Stone to Douglas, a customer at the cafe at which she waitressed. After the film was a hit she was tapped to write Always for Steven Spielberg and was thus unable to write the sequel, The Jewel of the Nile, though she worked on some scenes. As thanks for her work on both films, Douglas gave her a Porsche, in which she was a passenger when her drunk driving companion caused an accident that killed them both. Her legacy is this film.
While the sequel, despite having its moments, is largely unoriginal and unsatisfying, Romancing the Stone remains a classic romantic comedy adventure film that works just as well thirty years later.
Poster:
Trailer:
Bechdel Test:
Pass
The Representation Test Score: C (6 pts)
(http://therepresentationproject.org/grading-hollywood-the-representation-test/)
| Main Cast | Michael Douglas Jack T. Colton, Kathleen Turner Joan Wilder, Danny DeVito Ralph, Zack Norman Ira |
| Rating | PG |
| Release Date | Fri 30 Mar 1984 UTC |
| Director | Robert Zemeckis |
| Genres | Action, Adventure, Comedy, Romance |
| Plot | A romance writer sets off to Colombia to ransom her kidnapped sister, and soon finds herself in the middle of a dangerous adventure. |
| Poster |  |
| Runtime | 106 |
| Tagline | She’s a girl from the big city. He’s a reckless soldier of fortune. For a fabulous treasure, they share an adventure no one could imagine… or survive. |
| Writers | Diane Thomas (written by) |
| Year | 1984 |
