Romancing the Stone

Romancing the Stone (1984) casts Shelley Long and Michael Caine aside for a star-making vehicle that thrusts Michael Douglas and Kathleen Turner into the limelight. Joan Wilder, a sheltered romance novelist (Turner), lives vicariously through her characters until a cryptic package propels her from her mundane life into a perilous quest across South America. With a misstep, she finds herself lost in the jungle, exchanging her typewriter for a pistol and a map. Her only ally, a charming but dubious guide (Douglas), navigates the treacherous terrain, testing Joan’s mettle and sparking an unlikely romance.