Best Shot Choices & The Best Actress Race -- Romancing the Stone (1984)
Friday, March 18, 2022 at 4:00PM 
Our film title this week on Hit Me With Your Best Shot was in response to the soon-to-open Sandra Bullock/Channing Tatum vehicle The Lost City. More on that one later but for now if you've never seen its kickoff inspiration, 80s classic Romancing the Stone, that's streaming on HBOMax. Here are the Best Shot choices from seven participants to celebrate this fabulous adventure romcom. Plus some thoughts on the 1984 Best Actress race since we always go to BEST ACTRESS...
Christian on Twitter (tweet)
Does this mean that Christian is a cat person or that he's just really obsessed with Robert Zemeckis?
Keisha at Cinema Cities (article)
AND Alexander Georgakis on Twitter (thread)
Ryan on Twitter (thread)
I also considered this shot but glad I didn't go there as it was amply covered!!!
Watching Romancing the Stone today is a bit of a shock since it's so much more sexual than today's films, not just in the narrative but in the visual gags. For instance I also thought about going with this image...
Which is beautifully lit by Cinematographer Dean Cundey (Jurassic Park, Who Framed Roger Rabbit, Apollo 13), really sells both movie stars, and also is not just a "sex scene" but an important narrative character beat (doubled) in the movie.
Ben Miller at Ice Cream For Freaks (article)
Nathaniel at The Film Experience (article)
And finally here's the choice from Cláudio Alves from The Film Experience
The 1984 Best Actress race is often considered among the most lackluster lineups in that category. It was the year of stalwart farmers in salt of the earth dramas, with three contenders fitting that model – Sally Field in Places in the Heart, Jessica Lange in Country, and Sissy Spacek in The River. The other two were Vanessa Redgrave in The Bostonians and Judy Davis in A Passage to India, a pair of odd cerebral performances in prestige literary adaptations. While I am fond of such weird Oscar races and love Lange's underrated work, it's impossible not to think of many 1984 leading ladies who deserved nominations above AMPAS's chosen quintet.
As that year's Golden Globe winner in Comedy, Kathleen Turner was probably in the dreaded sixth place. Moreover, Romancing the Stone scored a rare lone Editing nomination, confirming that the picture was on the Academy's radar. In the end, though, prestigious tragedy trumps funny business, so we end up with another comedy masterclass unheralded by the Oscars – one of many in the awards' long history. Maybe my love for Turner's star turn is clouding my judgment, but I can't look at this as anything else than an egregious snub. She's luminous, playing a romance novel writer embroiled in a wild rescue mission cum treasure hunt.
She starts the flick crying over her character's new manuscript, playing the sort of overwhelmed love at one's own creation I can only hope to someday experience as a writer. I don't know about you, but I fell in love with Turner's Joan Wilder right at this introduction. Appreciation only grew as she took the mousy novelist through the wringer, portraying growth and personal flourishment. Always hilarious, she nonetheless imbues the comedic heroine with dignity, avoiding the misogynistic pitfalls the script might have produced in the hands of lesser cineastes. My favorite shot comes near the end of the story. After that transformation has settled, and the adventure is naught but a fond memory.
Truthfully, this is a frame made up of two shots during a transition rather than a single individual shot. Still, I couldn't resist it as an image that encapsulates how both Turner and her movie synthesize the idea of romantic escapism. Joan stands over the cityscape, a changed woman, a paragon of self-confidence. Her latest work, maybe her best novel ever, is reducing the editor to tears, yet the writer's mind is elsewhere. She's still enthralled by the adrenaline-tinged memories of a night to remember. Its remnants linger over the window, over the picture, and her soul. It's a simple picture but immensely evocative in its earnest sentimentality.
Maybe I should have picked a moment of comedy. However, as much as I laugh every time I re-watch Romancing the Stone, Turner, Joan, and sheer romantic lunacy are the reasons that most delight me. They're what keep me coming back.
Cláudio and I both mentioned the Best Actress race in our articles and we've previously discussed "The Year of the Farm Wife" but it's always worth discussing.
ELIGIBLE ACTRESSES THAT YEAR... Not all of whom were in the conversation obviously
* have seen
† have seen multiple times
- Isabelle Adjani, One Deadly Summer
- Karen Allen, Starman (Saturn nomination) †
- Nancy Allen, The Philadelphia Experiment (Saturn nomination)
- Peggy Ashcroft, A Passage to India (BAFTA and NYFCC winner, Oscar nominee in supporting) †
- Anne Bancroft, Garbo Talks (Globe nomination)
- Drew Barrymore, Firestarter *
- Sandrine Bonnaire, A Nos Amours (César win) *
- Sonia Braga, Gabriella
- Genieveve Bujold, Choose Me *
- Jamie Lee Curtis, Grandview USA
- Jamie Lee Curtis, Love Letters
- Bo Derek, Bolero *
- Judy Davis, A Passage to India (Oscar nomination, Boston critics winner)†
- Mia Farrow, Broadway Danny Rose (Globe nomination) †
- Sally Field, Places in the Heart (Oscar & Globe win)†
- Terri Garr, Firstborn *
- Linda Hamilton, The Terminator (Saturn nomination) †
- Linda Hamilton, Children of the Corn *
- Daryl Hannah, Splash (Saturn winner) †
- Daryl Hannah, Reckless *
- Goldie Hawn, Swing Shift *
- Wendy Hughes, Careful He Might Hear You (Australian Film Institute Winner) *
- Diane Keaton, Mrs Soffel (Globe nomination) *
- Diane Keaton, The Little Drummer Girl
- Jessica Lange, Country (Oscar and Globe nominations) *
- Kelly Lebrock, The Woman in Red
- Shelley Long, Irreconciliable Differences (Globe nomination) *
- Kristy McNichol, Just the Way You Are *
- Helen Mirren, Cal (Cannes win, BAFTA nomination)
- Dolly Parton, Rhinestone
- Vanessa Redgrave, The Bostonians (Oscar and Globe nominations, NSFC winner)
- Molly Ringwald, Sixteen Candles †
- Tanya Roberts, Sheena *
- Gena Rowlands, Love Streams
- Hanna Schygulla, A Love in Germany
- Brooke Shields, Sahara
- Helen Slater, Supergirl (Saturn nomination)
- Sissy Spacek, The River (Oscar and Globe nominations) *
- Meryl Streep, Falling in Love †
- Meg Tilly, Impulse
- Lily Tomlin, All of Me (Globe nomination) †
- Kathleen Turner, Crimes of Passion (LAFCA winner) *
- Kathleen Turner, Romancing the Stone (Globe and LAFCA winner) †
- Rachel Ward, Against All Odds *
- Lesley Ann Warren, Choose Me *
- JoBeth Williams, American Dreamer (Kansas City critics winner)
- JoBeth Williams, Teachers
- Debra Winger, Mike's Murder *
From that group my preferences are Sandrine Bonnaire, Mia Farrow, Sally Field, Wendy Hughes, and Lesley Ann Warren though Kathleen Turner is my winner. All that said many of these are faint memories so I reserve the right to change my mind in case they don't hold up. The strangest 1984 gap for me is The Bostonians. Considering how much of a Merchant/Ivory missionary I later became in life, I somehow have never gone back to fill in that gap. Perhaps we should do it together?
WHO WOULD YOU CHOOSE FOR YOUR ACTRESS FIVE THAT YEAR?
"Hit Me With Your Best Shot" resumes on March 31st with The Godfather (1972) for a 50th anniversary celebration. It is currently available to rent online and it will also be rereleased theatrically on February 25th in a restored version. The restoration will also be released on BluRay and DVD on March 22nd. So watch it before the 31st and pick your own Best Shot!
Reader Comments (11)
I'd go with Mia Farrow, Shelley Long, Vanessa Redgrave, Kathleen Turner and Lesley Ann Warren, with Mia triumphing. :)
None of the Oscar five (nor Turner) would have made my shortlist: Adjani, Bujold, Warren, Mirren, Rowlands (with Keaton or Tomlin in the dreaded sixth slot). And the Oscar goes to...Geneviève Bujold!
My own nominees the 3 farm ladies plus my winner Vanessa Redgrave
My pick of the non nominees is Karen Allen is Starman she breaks my heart very single time,sells confusion,fear,longing,sex appeal,romance all in a rather silly sci-fi drama,she out acts Jeff Bridges with her subtlty.
Anyone think she had a chance Bridges got a nom.
Sissy Spacek in The River One of my favourite actresses doesn't put a foot wrong and has some lovely moments but lacks chemistry with Mel and feels supporting but the cinematography and score are beautiful.
Jessica Lange strong resourceful and quite earthy despite the movie star looks,films a bit of a bore,not a Sam Sheperd fan in this either
Judy Davis a really odd performance,she looks drained thoughout she usually does and seems uncomfortable with the romantic elements,her scenes with Banerjee work best
Sally Field absolutely fine and worthy but a WIN no way,she still does the same determined Sally and that's what i'm here for,I like her scenes opposite the actors more than with other actresses
Vanessa Redgrave is my winner,I think Olive is fascinating and she never lets you know what her intentions are,the films heavy going but has a great female supporting cast and a wooden male lead.
My list would be the same as Oscar's. But Kathleen would be my sixth. What a performance. And she also had Crimes of Passion the same year.
Also, love Genevieve and Diane in The Little Drummer Girl.
(FWIW I was on the Keaton train for Mrs Soffel.)
Working stiff--she is so great in that as well!
karen allen - starman
judy davis - a passage to india
mia farrow - broadway danny rose
wendy hughes - careful he might hear you
kathleen turner - romancing the stone
I really don't like this movie, but Turner is quite good, however I prefer her performance in Crimes of passion.
I've missed some of these performances (like Bujold's) so I'm not going to propose a 5, but Turner would definitely be among them.
Alas, I haven't seen this one - though oddly, I *did* see its follow-up, "Jewel of the Nile," when I was probably far too young to appreciate it, and which I suspect has not aged as well as its predecessor.
But I'll just echo Nathaniel: movies in the '80s were *so* much sexier than they are today. Grown-up sexy. What happened?
I so enjoyed Romancing the Stone, but unfortunately I think people at the time dismissed its Oscar chances because it was a romantic comedy and not "serious" enough. (Check out the snubs for Steve Martin and Lily Tomlin in All of Me.) It also was a March release, and we all know that Oscar voters have short memories. Her performance was praised for Crimes of Passion, but the reviews on the movie itself were all over the place. Plus, the Globes were not the Oscar predictors that they would become in the 90s and 00s.
I remember when I saw the Oscar nominees for best actress 1984 and my jaw was on the floor with Sissy Spacek and Vanessa Redgrave. Sally Field was a given at that time, although I far preferred Jessica Lange (growing up in a small town with relatives who were farmers, I fully appreciated what the movie Country was doing and found it superior to the other two "farm" films). The River was a late year release and reviewers were unfavorably comparing it to the other two, so Spacek's nomination was a complete surprise and benefitted from its late release. The Bostonians was a small film and I don't remember it making an impression big enough to expect the Oscar nomination for Redgrave. Even though Spacek and Redgrave were both Golden Globe nominees, the talk was about Diane Keaton. I think she and Turner were in the sixth and seventh positions, but both had two films that may have canceled each other out. Karen Allen was wonderful in Star Man, but all the talk was about Jeff Bridges. I also think Anne Bancroft's performance in Garbo Talks put her back in the Oscar discussion, which helped her the next year for Agnes of God.