Review: Romancing the Stone

Kathleen Turner plays romance novelist Joan Wilder, who gets embroiled in a plot similar to the kind in her novels when her sister (Mary Ellen Trainor) gets kidnapped in Colombia. Once there, Wilder enlists the aid of dishevelled-looking soldier of fortune (and fellow American) named Jack Colton (Michael Douglas) and the duo set out to find a precious stone wanted by the sister’s kidnapper, which they’ll exchange for her release. Meanwhile, another displaced American, unscrupulous Danny DeVito is also skulking about, hoping to get his filthy, stubby little mitts on the stone. Alfonso Arau plays a rather disarmingly agreeable bandit, and Holland Taylor is Wilder’s publisher in the States.

 

Although I’ve heard the screenplay had its genesis in the late 70s, the main inspiration for this 1984 romantic adventure from director Robert Zemeckis (“Back to the Future”, “Forrest Gump”) was likely “Raiders of the Lost Ark” with a touch of paperback romance to boot. I also see something else in the casting/characters at work here. You’ve got Michael Douglas in for Bogey, Kathleen Turner as the 40s/50s heroine of your choice (she sounds here a bit like Lauren Bacall and looks a tad Kate Hepburn-ish), and Danny DeVito is quite clearly in the Peter Lorre role here. It’s a helluva good show based on a nifty premise, and bolstered by a trio of well-cast stars. You can definitely see the influence on “Crocodile Dundee” here as well.

 

It’s interesting that Douglas produced this because this is very much Kathleen Turner’s story. It’s the best performance of Turner’s underwhelming career and she sells every facet of the character from moment one. It really boggles the mind that this once intelligent and charismatic actress has ended up a German drag queen. What? Have you heard her lately? It’s true! I could argue that Kurt Russell would be even better than Michael Douglas in the roguish hero role, but would Russell have the chemistry with Turner that Douglas undeniably has? Perhaps not. Danny DeVito, however, runs off with the entire film as the shifty little runt that you can never quite hate. DeVito really throws himself into the role, one of his best-ever. There’s also a funny part for actor-director Alfonso Arau as a bandit who just so happens to be a fan of Turner’s books. I know directing called to him, but it’s a shame we didn’t get more cute bits like this and his turn as the villain in the sorely underrated “Three Amigos!”.

 

It takes a little too long to set the plot in motion, otherwise this one’s a real winner that remarkably holds up just as well 30 years later. It hasn’t aged a bit. Well, aside from the score by Alan Silvestri (“Young Guns II”, “Forrest Gump”) and his sexy sax. The man was clearly in Jan Hammer (“Miami Vice”) mode at the time. But other than that, I can’t imagine anyone not enjoying this film.

 

A great cast and a clever premise involving a lonely romance novelist getting to live out her own romantic adventure, provide terrific entertainment. The screenplay is by the late Diane Thomas, who, after the film’s release was tragically killed in a car accident just as her career was taking off.

 

Rating: B+