Romancing the Stone
Joan Wilder (Kathleen Turner) is a lonely romance novelist in New York City with her cat, Romeo. In Joan's novels, the female is the protagonist, who uses her sexuality to seduce and defeat the bad gu…
Romancing the Stone
Joan Wilder (Kathleen Turner) is a lonely romance novelist in New York City with her cat, Romeo. In Joan's novels, the female is the protagonist, who uses her sexuality to seduce and defeat the bad guys and runs off with the treasure. But as she is cornered by more bad men, her knight in shining armor arrives and shoots off the villains to rescue her for her happily ever after. In real life, Joan wishes to meet her savior, whose face she cannot visualize even in her novels. After finishing her latest novel, Joan leaves her apartment to meet her editor and friend, Gloria Horne. On the way, she is handed a letter by her neighbor, Mrs. Irwin (Eve Smith), that contains a map, sent by her recently murdered brother-in-law, Eduardo. While she is gone, a man tries to break into her apartment and is discovered by her apartment building's superintendent, whom he kills. Returning to her apartment, Joan finds it ransacked. Joan knew that her sister Elaine was in Columbia with Eduardo. She estimates that Eduardo would have mailed the package to her just before he was murdered. Her widowed sister, Elaine (Mary Ellen Trainor), calls Joan and begs her to come to Cartagena, Colombia, because Elaine has been kidnapped by bumbling antiquities smugglers Ira (Zack Norman) and Ralph (Danny DeVito), and the map is to be the ransom. Elaine takes the first flight out and leaves Romeo with Gloria. Ralph is very nervous about the kidnapping business and says that they have already stolen enough antiques to live comfortably for the rest of their lives. But Ira wants to acquire this one last piece as well. Ralph warns Ira that he has a bad feeling about this particular job, but Ira dismisses him. Hastily flying to Colombia, Joan is detoured from the rendezvous with Ralph by Colonel Zolo (Manuel Ojeda), the same man who ransacked her apartment looking for the map, and the man who killed Elaine's husband. Zolo tricks Elaine into boarding the wrong bus. Instead of heading to Cartagena, this bus goes deep into the country's interior. Meanwhile Ralph was at the airport, which was right next to the bus station, looking for Joan, but they both miss each other. Zolo gets into the same bus as Joan and closely observes her hand bag, in which Joan had kept the map she got from Eduardo. Ralph realizes that Joan took the wrong bus and begins following Joan. After Joan accidentally distracts the bus driver by asking where they are going, the bus crashes into a Land Rover, wrecking both vehicles. As the rest of the passengers walk away, Joan is menaced by Zolo. Joan is almost killed by Zolo but is saved by the swashbuckling American bird exporter Jack T. Colton (Michael Douglas) who happened to be walking by. Jack got involved when Zolo shot at him in an attempt to scare him away. Instead Jack pulled out a rifle and forced Zolo to retreat. Joan promises to pay Jack $375 in traveler's checks for getting her out of the jungle and to a telephone. Jack and Joan elude Zolo, who wants the treasure for himself and who chases them with military police, which he commands as a "private army". After spending a night hiding in a crashed marijuana smuggler's C-47 airplane, they encounter a drug lord named Juan (Alfonso Arau), who is a big fan of Joan's novels and who helps them escape from Zolo. After a night of dancing and passion, Jack suggests to Joan that they find the treasure before handing over the map. Jack and Joan steal a car to escape, but it is Ralph's car, and he is sleeping in the back. They follow the clues and find the treasure: an enormous emerald called El Corazon ("The Heart"). Unknown to Jack and Joan, Ralph reveals himself and takes the emerald from them at gunpoint and taunts Joan that Jack would have done the same. Zolo's forces appear, distracting Ralph long enough for Jack to steal the jewel back. Ralph flees without the treasure when Zolo appears, and Jack and Joan are chased into a river and go over a waterfall. Jack and Joan end up on opposite sides of the raging river. Joan has the map, but Jack has the emerald. Jack directs Joan to Cartagena, promising that he will meet her there with the emerald, but she is skeptical, owing to Ralph's taunts. In Cartagena, Joan contacts Ira, but cannot find Jack. She meets with Ira and Ralph at their base (an old fortress) and makes the exchange. As Joan and Elaine attempt to leave, they are stopped by Zolo and his men, who have captured Jack. Zolo demands the emerald and threatens Joan with the crocodiles that Ira keeps as pets. To save Joan, Jack surrenders the hidden emerald to Zolo, but a crocodile bites off Zolo's hand and swallows it along with the emerald. As a furious gun battle takes place between Zolo's soldiers and Ira's gang, Joan and Elaine dash for safety, but they are pursued by the enraged Zolo. Jack tries to stop the crocodile from escaping but lets it go when he sees that Joan is in danger. A crazed Zolo charges at Joan; she dodges his wild knife slashes, and he falls into a crocodile pit. Ira and his men escape, but Ralph is left behind as the authorities arrive. After a kiss, Jack dives into the water after the crocodile, leaving Joan behind with her sister. Sometime later, Joan is back in New York City, delivering a new manuscript based on her adventure, and her publisher, Gloria (Holland Taylor), loves it. Gloria is moved to tears by the story and tells Joan she has another best-seller on her hands Returning home, she finds Jack waiting for her in a sailboat. He caught the crocodile which died from a fatal case of indigestion from swallowing the emerald, and had it made into a pair of boots, sold the emerald, and bought the boat he had told Joan was his dream. They go off together, planning to sail around the world.
Romancing the Stone
Action,Adventure,Comedy
Film Details
Joan Wilder (Kathleen Turner) is a lonely romance novelist in New York City with her cat, Romeo. In Joan's novels, the female is the protagonist, who uses her sexuality to seduce and defeat the bad guys and runs off with the treasure. But as she is cornered by more bad men, her knight in shining armor arrives and shoots off the villains to rescue her for her happily ever after.
In real life, Joan wishes to meet her savior, whose face she cannot visualize even in her novels. After finishing her latest novel, Joan leaves her apartment to meet her editor and friend, Gloria Horne. On the way, she is handed a letter by her neighbor, Mrs.
Irwin (Eve Smith), that contains a map, sent by her recently murdered brother-in-law, Eduardo. While she is gone, a man tries to break into her apartment and is discovered by her apartment building's superintendent, whom he kills. Returning to her apartment, Joan finds it ransacked.
Joan knew that her sister Elaine was in Columbia with Eduardo. She estimates that Eduardo would have mailed the package to her just before he was murdered. Her widowed sister, Elaine (Mary Ellen Trainor), calls Joan and begs her to come to Cartagena, Colombia, because Elaine has been kidnapped by bumbling antiquities smugglers Ira (Zack Norman) and Ralph (Danny DeVito), and the map is to be the ransom.
Elaine takes the first flight out and leaves Romeo with Gloria. Ralph is very nervous about the kidnapping business and says that they have already stolen enough antiques to live comfortably for the rest of their lives. But Ira wants to acquire this one last piece as well.
Ralph warns Ira that he has a bad feeling about this particular job, but Ira dismisses him. Hastily flying to Colombia, Joan is detoured from the rendezvous with Ralph by Colonel Zolo (Manuel Ojeda), the same man who ransacked her apartment looking for the map, and the man who killed Elaine's husband. Zolo tricks Elaine into boarding the wrong bus.
Instead of heading to Cartagena, this bus goes deep into the country's interior. Meanwhile Ralph was at the airport, which was right next to the bus station, looking for Joan, but they both miss each other. Zolo gets into the same bus as Joan and closely observes her hand bag, in which Joan had kept the map she got from Eduardo.
Ralph realizes that Joan took the wrong bus and begins following Joan. After Joan accidentally distracts the bus driver by asking where they are going, the bus crashes into a Land Rover, wrecking both vehicles. As the rest of the passengers walk away, Joan is menaced by Zolo.
Joan is almost killed by Zolo but is saved by the swashbuckling American bird exporter Jack T. Colton (Michael Douglas) who happened to be walking by. Jack got involved when Zolo shot at him in an attempt to scare him away.
Instead Jack pulled out a rifle and forced Zolo to retreat. Joan promises to pay Jack $375 in traveler's checks for getting her out of the jungle and to a telephone. Jack and Joan elude Zolo, who wants the treasure for himself and who chases them with military police, which he commands as a "private army".
After spending a night hiding in a crashed marijuana smuggler's C-47 airplane, they encounter a drug lord named Juan (Alfonso Arau), who is a big fan of Joan's novels and who helps them escape from Zolo. After a night of dancing and passion, Jack suggests to Joan that they find the treasure before handing over the map. Jack and Joan steal a car to escape, but it is Ralph's car, and he is sleeping in the back.
They follow the clues and find the treasure: an enormous emerald called El Corazon ("The Heart"). Unknown to Jack and Joan, Ralph reveals himself and takes the emerald from them at gunpoint and taunts Joan that Jack would have done the same. Zolo's forces appear, distracting Ralph long enough for Jack to steal the jewel back.
Ralph flees without the treasure when Zolo appears, and Jack and Joan are chased into a river and go over a waterfall. Jack and Joan end up on opposite sides of the raging river. Joan has the map, but Jack has the emerald.
Jack directs Joan to Cartagena, promising that he will meet her there with the emerald, but she is skeptical, owing to Ralph's taunts. In Cartagena, Joan contacts Ira, but cannot find Jack. She meets with Ira and Ralph at their base (an old fortress) and makes the exchange.
As Joan and Elaine attempt to leave, they are stopped by Zolo and his men, who have captured Jack. Zolo demands the emerald and threatens Joan with the crocodiles that Ira keeps as pets. To save Joan, Jack surrenders the hidden emerald to Zolo, but a crocodile bites off Zolo's hand and swallows it along with the emerald.
As a furious gun battle takes place between Zolo's soldiers and Ira's gang, Joan and Elaine dash for safety, but they are pursued by the enraged Zolo. Jack tries to stop the crocodile from escaping but lets it go when he sees that Joan is in danger. A crazed Zolo charges at Joan; she dodges his wild knife slashes, and he falls into a crocodile pit.
Ira and his men escape, but Ralph is left behind as the authorities arrive. After a kiss, Jack dives into the water after the crocodile, leaving Joan behind with her sister. Sometime later, Joan is back in New York City, delivering a new manuscript based on her adventure, and her publisher, Gloria (Holland Taylor), loves it.
Gloria is moved to tears by the story and tells Joan she has another best-seller on her hands Returning home, she finds Jack waiting for her in a sailboat. He caught the crocodile which died from a fatal case of indigestion from swallowing the emerald, and had it made into a pair of boots, sold the emerald, and bought the boat he had told Joan was his dream. They go off together, planning to sail around the world..