Someone had an idea to revive a vehicle used by Cary Grant and Katherine Hepburn or one of the many other heroines he played alongside. This impressed the producer Michael Douglas so much he had himself cast as the lead. Joan Wilder is a writer of romance novels. She receives package from her sister in Colombia . Finding she has been kidnapped she is told she must bring the package to Colombia to release her sister. Except Joan is not an expert on international politics and has no idea she's walking straight into a war zone with criminal syndicates that make the Mafia look like a nursery. Having nearly ended the film by getting killed she is rescued by Jack Coulton, a mercenary and the type of creature who's the villain in one of Joan's books. Now in South America they run across Danny De Vito's money hungry grasper who pursuing a fabled precious jewel which excites Jack who is still stuck with rescuing Joan's sister.
AMAZON.COM REVIEWS FOR ROMANCING THE STONE (1984): Director Robert Zemeckis (Forrest Gump, Contact) had a hitwith this 1984 comedy that first teamed Michael Douglas, KathleenTurner, and Danny DeVito. Turner steals the show from the guys,however, playing a pushy romance novelist who gets stuck among somedangerous figures in Colombia and has only a rumpled guide (MichaelDouglas) as an ally. The chemistry between the stars is infectious(the trio went on to make a sequel, The Jewel of the Nile,and then an interesting, dark comedy directed by DeVito, The War of theRoses). Zemeckis--whose specialty at the time was creating setpieces of raucous action (as in his Back to the Future)--keepsthings hopping with lots of kinetic material. --Tom KeoghRomancing the Stone (vhs):
Amazon.com video review:Director Robert Zemeckis (Forrest Gump, Contact) had a hitwith this 1984 comedy that first teamed Michael Douglas, KathleenTurner, and Danny DeVito. Turner steals the show from the guys,however, playing a pushy romance novelist who gets stuck among somedangerous figures in Colombia and has only a rumpled guide (MichaelDouglas) as an ally. The chemistry between the stars is infectious(the trio went on to make a sequel, Jewel of the Nile,and then an interesting, dark comedy directed by DeVito, The War of theRoses). Zemeckis--whose specialty at the time was creating setpieces of raucous action (as in his Back to the Future)--keepsthings hopping with lots of kinetic material. --Tom Keogh
:
- Academy Awards, USA
1985
Nominated
Oscar
Best Film Editing
Donn Cambern
Frank Morriss
- American Cinema Editors, USA
1985
Nominated
Eddie
Best Edited Feature Film
Donn Cambern
Frank Morriss
- Golden Globes, USA
1985
Won
Golden Globe
Best Motion Picture - Comedy/Musical
Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Comedy/Musical
Kathleen Turner
- Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards
1984
Won
LAFCA Award
Best Actress
Kathleen Turner
Also for Crimes of Passion (1984).
- Motion Picture Sound Editors, USA
1985
Won
Golden Reel Award
Best Sound Editing - ADR
unknown
- Writers Guild of America, USA
1985
Nominated
WGA Award (Screen)
Best Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen
Diane Thomas