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Romancing the Stone

  • 1984
  • PG
  • 1h 46m
IMDb RATING
6.9/10
109K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
2,584
56
Michael Douglas and Kathleen Turner in Romancing the Stone (1984)
Home Video Trailer from 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment
Play trailer1:28
1 Video
99+ Photos
Feel-Good RomanceJungle AdventureQuestRomantic ComedyActionAdventureComedyRomance

A mousy romance novelist sets off for Colombia to ransom her kidnapped sister, and soon finds herself in the middle of a dangerous adventure hunting for treasure with a mercenary rogue.A mousy romance novelist sets off for Colombia to ransom her kidnapped sister, and soon finds herself in the middle of a dangerous adventure hunting for treasure with a mercenary rogue.A mousy romance novelist sets off for Colombia to ransom her kidnapped sister, and soon finds herself in the middle of a dangerous adventure hunting for treasure with a mercenary rogue.

  • Director
    • Robert Zemeckis
  • Writer
    • Diane Thomas
  • Stars
    • Michael Douglas
    • Kathleen Turner
    • Danny DeVito
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    6.9/10
    109K
    YOUR RATING
    POPULARITY
    2,584
    56
    • Director
      • Robert Zemeckis
    • Writer
      • Diane Thomas
    • Stars
      • Michael Douglas
      • Kathleen Turner
      • Danny DeVito
    • 207User reviews
    • 72Critic reviews
    • 63Metascore
  • See production info at IMDbPro
    • Nominated for 1 Oscar
      • 9 wins & 7 nominations total

    Videos1

    Romancing the Stone
    Trailer 1:28
    Romancing the Stone

    Photos217

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    Top cast30

    Edit
    Michael Douglas
    Michael Douglas
    • Jack Colton
    Kathleen Turner
    Kathleen Turner
    • Joan Wilder
    Danny DeVito
    Danny DeVito
    • Ralph
    Zack Norman
    • Ira
    Alfonso Arau
    Alfonso Arau
    • Juan
    Manuel Ojeda
    Manuel Ojeda
    • Zolo
    Holland Taylor
    Holland Taylor
    • Gloria
    Mary Ellen Trainor
    Mary Ellen Trainor
    • Elaine
    Eve Smith
    • Mrs. Irwin
    Joe Nesnow
    Joe Nesnow
    • Super
    José Chávez
    • Santos
    • (as Jose Chavez)
    Evita Muñoz 'Chachita'
    Evita Muñoz 'Chachita'
    • Hefty Woman
    • (as "Chachita")
    Camillo García
    • Bus Driver
    Rodrigo Puebla
    • Bad Hombre
    Paco Morayta
    • Hotel Clerk
    Jorge Zamora
    • Maitre'D
    Kymberly Herrin
    Kymberly Herrin
    • Angelina
    • (as Kym Herrin)
    William H. Burton Jr.
    • Jessie
    • (as Bill Burton)
    • Director
      • Robert Zemeckis
    • Writer
      • Diane Thomas
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews207

    6.9109.4K
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    Featured reviews

    7ma-cortes

    Adventures,romance,intrigue,comedy with an exceptional trio: Douglas,Turner and DeVito

    This exciting adventure tale concerns about a romantic,feisty writer named Joan Wilder-Kathleen Turner-who becomes involved in a dangerous journey to Colombia.He goes to rescue her sister,being kidnapped by a sympathetic mobsters-Danny DeVito-.Into lush jungles of Colombia,she finds a soldier of fortune named Jack Colton-Michael Douglas-who becomes to her ally.

    This agreeable comedy-adventure blends unstopped action,rip roaring,love story,cliff hunger,tongue in cheek and is extremely funny and entertaining.For comic relief with delightful bit of humor are supplied by Danny DeVito and continuous jokes about relationship between both stars: Turner and Douglas.The picture contains spectacular scenarios,some nice stunts and funny lines.Colorful cinematography by Dean Cundey,Zemeckis's usual cameraman(Back to the future trilogy,Who framed Roger Rabbit).Noisy though catching music with synthesizer score by Alan Silvestri,posteriorly he made an excellent symphonic soundtrack,he's also Zemeckis habitual(Polar Express,Castaway,What lies beneath,Forrest Gump).The motion picture is well directed by successful director Robert Zemeckis.It's followed by an enjoyable sequel directed by Lewis Teague: Jewel of Nile.The film will have you on the edge of your seat but the adventure and action never let up.It's a winner for Douglas and Turner fans.Worthwhile seeing it but will not displease those seeking likable and rip-snorting stories.
    7quarterwavevertical

    Dumb, Silly Fun

    I'm not a fan of romantic comedies, but this is one exception to that.

    The whole premise is ridiculous, the plot twists improbable, but who cares? This is a movie meant to entertain and it does so successfully. Don't look for any political statements or tests of one's intellect--you won't find any. Just sit back, suspend your disbelief, and enjoy the show.
    7RadicalDerickAndrews

    The movie is like an old friend

    One review is saying this is a film only for people nostalgic who lived in that time period. But I was born in the year 2000, and the movie fills me with the kinds of romance, adventure, and emotion, that is timeless. Part of the reason for this is the superb atmosphere. You really feel you are there in all of the locations. It is one of the most atmospheric movies you can watch. The other good thing about it: no pointless CGI. Everything made nowadays is just done on computers with CGI characters. It's never believable. Maybe we need to go back to how things were done in the past. Sets, matte paintings, and practical effects. CGI = no imagination.
    7bkoganbing

    The kind of thing she writes about

    When a version of a female Walter Mitty is ever done no doubt about it that Kathleen Turner should get first call. Unless you think she kind of did it already with Romancing The Stone.

    Turner is a romance novelist by profession who in real life is a rather humdrum sort prone to accidents. But a piece of mail from her sister who is in Colombia with a map to a rather large emerald, the Hitchcockian McGuffin of the film leads her on a high road to adventure the kind of thing she writes about.

    Her adventure in Colombia includes taking the wrong bus, being chased by a free wheeling army colonel, falling in the hands of drug dealers, pursued by bottom feeding crook Danny DeVito and finally partnering with the kind of adventure hero she writes about in Michael Douglas.

    Douglas and Turner would prove so popular that they did two other pictures in the 80s. The film itself got an Oscar nod for Editing.

    Some others in this gifted cast are Mary Ellen Trainor as her sister, Holland Taylor as Turner's editor, Alfonso Arau who is a drug dealer fan of her work, and Manuel Ojeda as the army colonel obsessed with that big green jewel.

    Romancing The Stone is a lushly photographed and vigorous satire on all those old action/adventure films. You know, the stuff you only see in romance novels.
    billybrown41

    Hilarious, entertaining, timeless, classic

    I love this movie. I'm sure that it's in my top-ten somewhere, because ever since I was a kid, I've never gotten sick of watching it. The premise is one of those that's just so damn crazy it actually works. It starts with a successful romance novelist, Joan Wilder, who has just finished her last book, but lacks the sort of love-life that she writes about. When she learns that her sister has been kidnapped and is being held hostage, she takes off to South America to help her out. It seems that the kidnappers want a treasure map that is in Joan's possession. Joan is very much a city girl and doesn't fully realize the bind that she and her sis have gotten themselves into. Once in South America, she takes the wrong bus, which breaks down in the South American jungle. When she's held up by a corrupt Police Chief, a very rugged, unshaven, shot-gun toting, Michael Douglas (Jack Colton) shows up and kicks some ass. See, Jack is a bird-trapper who wants nothing more than enough cash to buy himself a yacht. Realizing that Joan is lost in the jungle and fully incapable of surviving on her own, Jack agrees to take her to the nearest town for $300 in travellers' checks, so off they go. By now, we've learned that besides the two goons who've kidnapped Joan's sister (one of which is Danny DeVito in one of his funniest roles EVER) the South American police are after the map as well. Everyone wants what's at the end of the map. What follows for the next hour and a half is one of the most exciting and funny action/adventure movies ever filmed. Michael Douglas is absolutely perfect in the role of Jack Colton and delivers some of the funniest one-liners I've ever heard. Kathleen Turner is equally great as the naive romantic and, as always, she looks great. A great script is brougth to life perfectly by Robert Zemeckis and his direction is air-tight. Please go watch this movie, even if you've seen it a hundred times already......"Oh YEAH!!!! Now that's a campfire!!!!

    Best Emmys Moments

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    Related interests

    Omar Epps and Sanaa Lathan in Love & Basketball (2000)
    Feel-Good Romance
    Jack Black, Kevin Hart, Dwayne Johnson, and Karen Gillan in Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle (2017)
    Jungle Adventure
    Judy Garland, Ray Bolger, Jack Haley, and Bert Lahr in The Wizard of Oz (1939)
    Quest
    Meg Ryan and Billy Crystal in When Harry Met Sally... (1989)
    Romantic Comedy
    Bruce Willis in Die Hard (1988)
    Action
    Still frame
    Adventure
    Will Ferrell in Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (2004)
    Comedy
    Ingrid Bergman and Humphrey Bogart in Casablanca (1942)
    Romance

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Studio executives were so sure this film would flop that Robert Zemeckis was pre-emptively fired from directing Cocoon (1985). It turned out to be such a success that Zemeckis was able to go forward on his own project, Back to the Future (1985).
    • Goofs
      When Jack grabs a vine to swing to the other side of the ravine with Joan, he hits a rock wall. Not only does the wall move slightly, it flexes once he hits.
    • Quotes

      Jack Colton: What did you do, wake up this morning and say, "Today, I'm going to ruin a man's life"?

    • Alternate versions
      To get a 'PG' rating in the UK, a scene near the end where the villain gets his hand bitten off by a crocodile was removed. The film was later passed '12' uncut in the UK in 2001.
    • Connections
      Featured in Saturday Night Live: Michael Douglas/Deniece Williams (1984)
    • Soundtracks
      Romancing the Stone
      Written, Produced and Performed by Eddy Grant

      Courtesy of Portrait/Ice Records

      Heard in the patio scene after Joan and Jack are invited into the "bell maker's" house

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    FAQ35

    • How long is Romancing the Stone?Powered by Alexa
    • What does Ralph call his cousin Ira right before he hangs up the phone when he spots Joan in the village?
    • What is 'Romancing the Stone' about?
    • Is "Romancing the Stone" based on a book?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • March 30, 1984 (United States)
    • Countries of origin
      • United States
      • Mexico
    • Languages
      • English
      • Spanish
      • French
    • Also known as
      • Dos bribones tras la esmeralda perdida
    • Filming locations
      • Huasca de Ocampo, Hidalgo, Mexico(Little town in film)
    • Production companies
      • Twentieth Century Fox
      • El Corazon Producciones S.A.
      • Nina Saxon Film Design
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $10,000,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $76,572,238
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $5,105,741
      • Apr 1, 1984
    • Gross worldwide
      • $86,572,238
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      • 1h 46m(106 min)
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Dolby Stereo
    • Aspect ratio
      • 2.39 : 1

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