Romancing the Stone vs Whatever Works

Romancing the Stone

Joan has spent her life writing adventures, not living them. In the jungle, she is out of her depth at every step. Her mismatch with the terrain is where much of the humor comes from.

Whatever Works

Melody arrives from a fundamentalist family in Mississippi, and later her mother and father follow her to New York. Marietta, who is disappointed in Boris, gets drawn into photography and an open relationship with two men. John admits he is gay. The comedy comes from how fast the Southerners adopt their new world.

Romancing the Stone

Joan is a careful, bookish writer, and Jack is a rough adventurer who smuggles birds. They see each other as strange and annoying. Their friction produces the jokes, and their growing closeness produces the romance.

Whatever Works

Boris is a cynical, educated former Columbia professor and Melody is a sweet 21-year-old who has never lived in a city. They find each other strange, and the friction makes the early comedy. He later falls in love with her and marries her.

Romancing the Stone

The production shot in Mexico, in places such as Veracruz, with whitewater scenes filmed on the Rio Antigua. The real water, mud and greenery make the characters' struggle look physical. It also gives the film a sense of scale beyond a studio.

Whatever Works

The film returns to New York after Allen's run of European films, and the story plays out in Boris's apartment and around the city. The city is the world Boris grumbles about and cannot leave.