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 | fatal attraction | con | scantily clad female | utilization | 

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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

Did You Know?

Trivia

Mimi Rogers and Angel Tompkins tried out for the role of Matty Walker which in the end was cast with Kathleen Turner.

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Goofs

When Ned and Matty are arguing in the entry way, the ceiling fan behind Matty changes speeds between shots.

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Quotes

Miles Hardin: [to the other participants in a meeting concerning Edmund Walker's will] Would anybody mind if I smoked?
[Immediately, everyone else in the meeting except for Peter Lowenstein lights up a cigarette or other tobacco product]
Peter: [after one of the other participants offers him a cigarette] No, I don't need my own, I'll just breathe the air.

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Alternate Versions

Strange as it may seem, at least one commercial television print completely eliminates the key sequence where Richard Crenna's character is killed!

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Connections

Referenced in NCIS: Jurisdiction (2010)

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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

The soundtrack/ scoring steals the show?

I stumbled across 'Body Heat' recently during a late night channel surf, and I would have to say that I was also pleasantly surprised at the high quality of this movie.

Though the acting and direction are top notch, I felt the music really pushed the movie over the top. The hauntingly melancholic string work serves not only as ambiance, but also acts as narrative. The sweet yet cautionary score mirrors the plot theme of 'moth to the flame'- obvious danger yet unavoidably seductive beauty. To this day, it sends chills down my spine!

p.s. Ted Danson's 'happy go lucky, dancing fool' role is sublime. Reminds me of his 'Creepshow' role around this same time period, which is also great.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

28 August 1981 (USA)

Also Known As:

Body Heat

Filming Locations:

Lake Avenue, Lake Worth, Florida, USA

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$564,593, 30 August 1981

Gross USA:

$24,058,838

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$24,058,838

Company Credits

Production Co:

The Ladd Company

Technical Specs

Runtime:

113 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1