MIRACLES

US, 1986, 87 minutes, Colour.
Tom Conti, Teri Garr, Paul Rodriguez, Christopher Lloyd.
Directed by James Kouf.

Miracles is an adventure, comedy - of intention rather than achievement. It is clearly a film in the vein of Romancing the Stone, but far less clever and entertaining. It was written and directed by June Kouf (Class). It has excellent
technical qualities - but the material is just not bright enough. Perhaps the lack of success of the film is due to Tom Conti, a good screen presence, but playing an American less than convincingly. Terri Garr, usually ) a good comedienne, is rather more strident in this film.

It fitted into the vein of Indiana Jones, Romancing the Stone comedy adventures of the '80s.

1. The popularity of the romantic overseas adventures in the 1980s? The caper with the comic touch? The quality of this film in comparison with the others?

2. New York, the city atmosphere? The world of the professionals? The transition to Latin America and the exotic jungle locations? The stunts and special effects? Musical score?

3. The title and its focus on what happened to Jean and Roger in the jungle? The healing of the locals? The god interpretation?

4. Roger and Jean, their professional life as surgeon and as lawyer? The divorce? The crash and their meeting? Their personalities and styles? The clash between the two? Their being kidnapped, the SWAT attack, the plane, bailing out, the crash-landing, the police and the arrest, the criminals and the gun battle, the drifting, Roger falling overboard, the Indians and Jean rescued? Their re-meeting each other and remarrying? With what success?

5. Juan and the criminals, the kidnapping, their leaving the plane to Roger and Jean?

6. The range of characters in Roger's and Jean's adventures - criminals and the gun battle, the Indians and the illness, Roger and his healing? The contrast with local customs?

7. Audience enjoyment of the adventures - comic strip style? Serial and suspense ending of adventures style? The comic touches?

8. The popularity of this kind of romantic adventure? What if ... ?