Romancing the Stone (1984)
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A romance novelist must travel to Colombia to rescue her sister from kidnappers, only to find herself entangled in a dangerous treasure hunt.
The story
Joan Wilder, a successful but lonely romance novelist living in New York City, receives a map from her murdered brother-in-law. When her sister, Elaine, is kidnapped by antiquities smugglers, Joan is forced to leave her comfort zone and travel to the Colombian coastal city of Cartagena to deliver the map as ransom. During her journey, she is intercepted by a dangerous man and eventually finds herself in the jungle with Jack T. Colton, an American bird smuggler. The two must navigate the treacherous terrain and evade pursuers while attempting to reach the destination and secure the safety of Joan's sister.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
Joan Wilder, a New York romance novelist, receives a map from her late brother-in-law. When her sister Elaine is kidnapped by smugglers, Joan travels to Colombia to deliver the map as ransom. She is intercepted by the villainous Colonel Zolo and eventually joins forces with Jack T. Colton, a bird smuggler. The pair navigates the jungle, evading Zolo's men and the smugglers Ira and Ralph. They eventually locate a massive emerald called El Corazón. After a series of perilous encounters, including a chase through a river and a confrontation in Cartagena, the emerald is lost to a crocodile. Zolo is killed in a pit, and the smugglers are separated. Joan returns to New York and writes a successful book about her adventure. She eventually reunites with Jack, who has purchased a sailboat and plans to travel the world with her.
- First release year
- 1984
- Runtime (minutes)
- 106
- Production countries
- Mexico; United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Robert Zemeckis
- Writers
- Diane Thomas · writer
- Cast and characters
- Michael Douglas · Jack T. Colton; Kathleen Turner · Joan Wilder; Danny DeVito · Ralph; Zack Norman · Ira; Alfonso Arau · Juan; Manuel Ojeda · Colonel Zolo; Holland Taylor · Gloria Horne; Mary Ellen Trainor · Elaine Wilder
- Genres
- romantic comedy; adventure
- Tone and mood
- high-spirited; funny
- Setting
- New York City and Colombia (specifically the jungle and the coastal city of Cartagena)
- Premise and plot tags
- treasure hunt; kidnapping; jungle adventure
- Source material / true-story basis
- Original screenplay by Diane Thomas
- Franchise connections
- The Jewel of the Nile
- Reception
- The film was a surprise hit and received positive reviews from critics, becoming one of the highest-grossing films of 1984.
- Reported review scores
- Metacritic · score: 63 · scale: 100 · review count: 17
- Awards and nominations
- Golden Globe Award · Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy · win; Golden Globe Award · Best Actress – Musical or Comedy · win; Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award · Best Actress · win; Golden Reel Award · Best Sound Editing – ADR · win; Stuntman Award · Most Spectacular Stunt · win; Academy Award · Best Film Editing · nomination; American Cinema Editors Award · Best Edited Feature Film · nomination; Writers Guild of America Award · Best Original Screenplay · nomination
- Production trivia
- The film was a surprise hit that allowed director Robert Zemeckis to make Back to the Future.; The screenplay was written by Diane Thomas, who died in a car crash a year and a half after the film's release.; The film was watched by then-U.S. President Ronald Reagan at Camp David in May 1984.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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