Romancing the Stone (1984)

Director:

Robert Zemeckis

Writer:

Diane Thomas (written by)

Release Date:

30 March 1984 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Adventure | Comedy | Romance

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.

Plot:

A romance writer sets off to Colombia to ransom her kidnapped sister, and soon finds herself in the middle of a dangerous adventure.

Plot Keywords:

Colombia | Map | Jungle | Soldiers Of Fortune | Treasure Map

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 5 wins & 2 nominations

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

Michael Douglas	...	Jack T. Colton
Kathleen Turner	...	Joan Wilder
Danny DeVito	...	Ralph
Zack Norman	...	Ira
Alfonso Arau	...	Juan
Manuel Ojeda	...	Zolo
Holland Taylor	...	Gloria
Mary Ellen Trainor	...	Elaine
Eve Smith	...	Mrs. Irwin
Joe Nesnow	...	Super
José Chávez	...	Santos
Evita Muñoz 'Chachita'	...	Hefty Woman (as Chachita)
Camillo García	...	Bus Driver
Rodrigo Puebla	...	Bad Hombre
Paco Morayta	...	Hotel Clerk

Also Known As:

2 bribones tras la esmeralda perdida (Mexico)

Runtime:

106 min

Country:

Mexico | USA

Language:

English | Spanish | French

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Portugal:M/6 | Ireland:15 (uncut) | Canada:A (Nova Scotia) | Canada:AA (Ontario) | Canada:G (Quebec) | Canada:PA (Manitoba) | Iceland:12 | Brazil:Livre | South Korea:15 (2001) | Argentina:16 | Australia:M | Chile:14 | Finland:K-16 | Norway:15 (re-rating) | Norway:16 (original rating) | Spain:7 | Sweden:15 | UK:12 (re-rating) (2001) (uncut) | UK:PG (original rating) (cut) | USA:PG | West Germany:12 | Singapore:PG

Filming Locations:

Jalapa, Veracruz, Mexico

Company:

Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation

Trivia:

Director Robert Zemeckis asked Danny DeVito to shoot a special promo for the movie. It was to be filmed on a Malibu beach, next to a tall cliff. For the promo, DeVito was strapped into a harness and hoisted fifty feet in the air by a huge crane. When he was in the air, DeVito discovered that there was a house on top of the cliff, with a swimming pool terrace outside. A woman in a bikini was lying on a deck chair next to the pool. She jumped up and began screaming at DeVito, yelling that he was a "peeping Tom", and that she was going to call the police. In a panic, DeVito yelled for the film crew to bring him down at once. The film crew told him that the crane had jammed, and DeVito was left hanging in the air with the screaming woman throwing things at him from the top of the cliff. A few minutes later, the woman told DeVito that he was being filmed for a segment of the TV show, "TV's Bloopers and Practical Jokes".

Goofs:

Continuity: Jack presents Joan with a very elaborate necklace from his pocket. But when she takes it in hand, it's a simple charm on a chain.

Quotes:

Zolo: Don't I know you?
Ralph: No comprendo.
Zolo: You are an American?
Ralph: [changing to French accent to hide his identity] Uh, odio, er... ah... americanos, uh... I spit on 'em, ptuh! I hate americanos, they're scumo! Scum!
Zolo: Êtes-vous français?

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Saturday Night Live: Kathleen Turner/Billy Joel (#15.3)" (1989)

Soundtrack:

ROMANCING THE STONE

Adventure and love in the Columbian jungle

This is an adventure flick that's one hair away from being a chick flick--but a better genre-straddler you may never find. It's lifted out of pure romantic comedy rut by a young and feisty Michael Douglas playing a hard-bitten, coarse adventurer by name of Jack Colton and young, sultry Kathleen Turner playing naive New York romance novelist Joan Wilder. When Joan is stranded in the middle of the Columbian rainforest with a greedy and ruthless military leader, Colton chases him off, accidently playing the role of Joan's romance hero, Jessie. Chased across the country by thieves and corrupt government officials, Joan comes into her own, often getting out of sticky situations with her own talent for words when reluctant hero Jack would have shot his way out of things. Great movie... far better than any romance I've ever had the misfortune to read. Danny DeVito lends the film some of its funniest moments. One of my favorite films!