Joan Wilder (Kathleen Turner) is a famous writer of romance novels. After finishing her latest book, she takes it to her publisher, Gloria Horne (Holland Taylor). Joan is single but looking for love. Her problem is that no man can compare to the main male character in her novels, a handsome and rugged man she calls Jessie. Before she heads out to meet her publisher she receives a package from her brother-in-law, Eduardo.
Eduardo was married to Joan’s sister, Elaine (Mary Ellen Trainor). Eduardo was murdered in Columbia. Elaine is in Columbia trying to find out what happened to him. Unfortunately, Elaine gets kidnapped by Ira (Zack Norman) and Ralph (Danny DeVito), a couple low-life criminals that deal in stolen antiquities. Ira and Ralph are after a treasure map that Eduardo used to have. It seems that Eduardo sent the map to Joan for safe keeping. The two low-lives coerce Elaine into calling Joan and telling her to bring the map to them in Cartagena, Columbia. While Joan is with her publisher, another low-life, Colonel Zolo (Manuel Ojeda), a Columbian military man, is aware that Joan has the map and wants it for himself. He ransacks her apartment looking for it.
Joan is a homebody so traveling to Columbia takes her well outside of her comfort zone. After arriving in Columbia, Joan boards a bus that she believes will take her to Cartagena. Zolo, however, maneuvered her into taking the wrong bus and boards it himself to keep track of her hoping for an opportunity to get the map. When Joan accidentally distracts the bus driver, he ends up plowing into a jeep sitting in the road. Everyone gets off the bus and begins walking. Zolo tells Joan that she doesn’t need to follow everyone because another bus will be along shortly. She believes him. Zolo then points a gun at Joan demanding the map.
The jeep owner, Jack Colton (Michael Douglas), returns for his jeep. Zolo tries to shoot Jack, but Jack gets the upper hand. Zolo runs away. Jack is pissed that his jeep is totaled and the exotic birds he has been trapping have escaped. Joan offers to pay him $375 in traveler’s checks if he will take her to civilization. Jack agrees but finds himself knee-deep in treasure, Columbian gangsters, bullets and romance.
“Romancing the Stone” was released in 1984 and was directed by Robert Zemeckis. It is an American and Mexican romantic comedy adventure thriller. The film spawned a sequel, “The Jewel of the Nile” 1985. Michael Douglas not only starred in the film but produced it as well.
It is a wild and fun ride, a fast action, edge-of-your-seat thriller with some amusing moments. If you are one of the few that hasn’t seen it yet, it gives “Raiders of the Lost Ark” 1981 vibe but with slightly less violence. Some have even referred to it as a “Raiders” rip-off, except for the fact that the screenplay was written prior to “Raiders” being released. The story is your standard adventure tale but done in a charming and sexy way. It is a romance novel come to life. It is Joan’s story written in the perspective of a woman by a woman, writer Diane Thomas, who unfortunately passed away a year after the film’s release.
Jack Colton’s boat is called the ‘Angelina’ after the female character in Joan Wilder’s books.