Though she can spin wild tales of passionate romance, novelist Joan Wilder has no life of her own. Then one day adventure comes her way in the form of a mysterious package. It turns out that the parcel is the ransom she'll need to free her abducted sister, so Joan flies to South America to hand it over. But she gets on the wrong bus and winds up hopelessly stranded in the jungle.
Cinematography
Mexico standing in for Colombia—gorgeous, sweaty, immersive.
Acting
Turner and Douglas inventing a whole genre of chemistry.
Director
Robert Zemeckis
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
DeVito's Ralph was so popular they built an entire sequel around him—The Jewel of the Nile basically exists because of his chaotic energy.
This film rescued Zemeckis from director jail after Used Cars bombed; Spielberg's producer credit wasn't just friendship—it was insurance.
US
