Romancing The Stone (1984)

The lonely writer (Kathleen Turner) of a series of best selling romance novels gets a phone call from her sister (Mary Ellen Trainor) who's been kidnapped in Colombia. Her deceased brother in law has sent her a treasure map and her sister's kidnappers threaten to kill her sister unless she comes to Colombia with the map. When she's stranded in Colombia, she hooks up with an adventurer (Michael Douglas). This comedy adventure was a massive hit back in 1984, sort of a RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK with a female protagonist. The movie plays out like her romance novels, only this time, she's the heroine. Kathleen Turner has never been more appealing. She's a natural beauty but manages to suggest the timid soul whose beauty is hidden under her insecurities without any eyeglasses or any other contrivances that actresses use to hide their good looks. As the swashbuckler hero of her fantasies, Michael Douglas is problematic. Is there anyone who ever fantasized about Douglas swooping down on a swinging vine and carrying them off? He's simply too urban. But it's a fun action flick with a zingy drive and with Turner at its center, it delivers the goods. There was a sequel the following year JEWEL OF THE NILE but it just seemed a retread. Directed by Robert Zemeckis. With Danny DeVito, who tries too hard, Holland Taylor, Alfonso Arau and Manuel Ojeda.