Body Heat (1981)

In the midst of a searing Florida heat wave, a woman persuades her lover, a small-town lawyer, to murder her rich husband.

Director:

Lawrence Kasdan

Writer:

Lawrence Kasdan

Stars:

William Hurt, Kathleen Turner, Richard Crenna

Nominated for 1 Golden Globe. Another 5 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
William Hurt	...	Ned Racine
Kathleen Turner	...	Matty Walker
Richard Crenna	...	Edmund Walker
Ted Danson	...	Peter Lowenstein
J.A. Preston	...	Oscar Grace
Mickey Rourke	...	Teddy Lewis
Kim Zimmer	...	Mary Ann
Jane Hallaren	...	Stella
Lanna Saunders	...	Roz Kraft
Carola McGuinness	...	Heather Kraft
Michael Ryan	...	Miles Hardin
Larry Marko	...	Judge Costanza
Deborah Lucchesi	...	Beverly
Lynn Hallowell	...	Angela
Thom Sharp	...	Michael Glenn (as Thom J. Sharp)

Storyline

Ned Racine is a seedy small town lawyer in Florida. During a searing heatwave he's picked up by married Matty Walker. A passionate affair commences but it isn't long before they realise the only thing standing in their way is Matty's rich husband Edmund. A plot hatches to kill him but will they pull it off?

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Plot Keywords:

femme fatale | con | fatal attraction | utilization | plan gone wrong | 

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Taglines:

As the temperature rises, the suspense begins.

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Romance | Thriller

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Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

28 August 1981 (USA)

Also Known As:

Cuerpos ardientes

Filming Locations:

Lake Avenue, Lake Worth, Florida, USA

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$564,593, 30 August 1981, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$24,058,838, 31 December 1981

Company Credits

Production Co:

Ladd Company, The

Technical Specs

Runtime:

113 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

According to "Halliwells Film Guide", the movie was an "uncredited revamp of Double Indemnity (1944)", while "The Virgin Film Guide" said that the movie "incorporates a plot reminiscent of 'Double Indemnity'. "The Thriller Film Guide" said that the "plot (although not credited as such) is a virtual reworking of 'Double Indemnity'."

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Goofs

When Matty and Edmund are in bed before Ned gets there, the sheets are white with gray stripes. When Edmund goes for the gun after hearing a noise downstairs the sheets are now a light tan color.

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Quotes

Matty: What are you doing in Pine Haven?
Ned: I'm no yokel, I was all the way to Miami once.

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Connections

Featured in Body Heat: The Production (2006)

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Soundtracks

Feel Like a Number
(1978)
Music and Lyrics by Bob Seger (uncredited)
as Performed by Bob Seger
Courtesy of Capitol Records, Inc.

User Reviews

Knowledge Is Power

In the hot Pinehaven, Florida, the smalltime wolf lawyer Ned Racine (William Hurt) flirts with the sexy but married Matty Walker (Kathleen Turner) and they begin a torrid love affair. After a short period together, she convinces him that her husband and mobster Edmund Walker (Richard Crenna) is an obstacle for their passion and they have a prenuptial agreement; therefore he should be eliminated. Ned carefully plots a perfect scheme for killing Edmund; however things go wrong when successive evidences are disclosed conspiring against him.

"Body Heat" is the greatest homage to film-noir ever! The debut of the writer and director Lawrence Kasdan is an unforgettable masterpiece, and I do not know how many times I have watched this classy feature since 1981 (last time was on 04 February 2001) that is among my favorites. The astonishing Kathleen Turner in her debut in cinema is sexy, hot, and gorgeous performing one of the most Machiavellian female fatales of the cinema history. The novice William Hurt is perfect in the role of the shabby and cynical lawyer Ned Racine. The music score of John Barry is perfect supporting the bleak atmosphere of the story. My vote is ten.

Title (Brazil): "Corpos Ardentes" ("Heat Bodies")