Body Heat is a 1981 neo-noir film written and directed by Lawrence Kasdan. It stars William Hurt, Kathleen Turner, Richard Crenna, Ted Danson, J.A. Preston and Mickey Rourke. It may be cited as an example of postmodern pastiche, as its sets are an intentional mix of visual eras. Lawrence Kasdan (born 14 January 1949, Miami, Florida) is an American movie producer, director and screenwriter. ... William Hurt in Lost in Space. ... Mary Kathleen Turner (born June 19, 1954) is an Academy Award nominated American actress. ... Richard Donald Crenna (November 30, 1926 - January 17, 2003) was an American actor. ... Ted Danson (born Edward Bridge Danson III on December 29, 1947) is an American actor most notable for his television work, and specifically, for his role as central character Sam Malone in the sitcom Cheers, and his role as Dr. John Becker on the series Becker. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... John Barry. ... Richard Howard Kline (* 15. ... Carol Littleton (born in 1948 in Oklahoma) is the Academy Award-nominated American feature film editor of the heartwarming blockbuster, the Steven Spielberg-directed film, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial as well as editor of several other popular films (such as The Big Chill and Body Heat). ... Warner Bros. ... August 28 is the 240th day of the year (241st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... // January 19 - Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer acquires beleaguered concurrent United Artists. ... Year 1981 (MCMLXXXI) was a common year starting on Thursday (link displays the 1981 Gregorian calendar). ... Neo-noir is a term given to the modern trend of incorporating aspects of film noir into films of other genres. ... Lawrence Kasdan (born 14 January 1949, Miami, Florida) is an American movie producer, director and screenwriter. ... William Hurt in Lost in Space. ... Mary Kathleen Turner (born June 19, 1954) is an Academy Award nominated American actress. ... Richard Donald Crenna (November 30, 1926 - January 17, 2003) was an American actor. ... Ted Danson (born Edward Bridge Danson III on December 29, 1947) is an American actor most notable for his television work, and specifically, for his role as central character Sam Malone in the sitcom Cheers, and his role as Dr. John Becker on the series Becker. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... Postmodernist architecture of the Stata Center by Frank Gehry Sydney Opera House The term Postmodernism (sometimes referred to as Pomo, Po-Mo, or PoMo [1], [2], [3]) was coined in the early 1960s to describe a dissatisfaction with modern architecture, founding the postmodern architecture. ... The word pastiche describes a literary or other artistic genre. ...

A substantial portion of the film was shot in downtown Lake Worth, Florida; and in the oceanside enclave of Manalapan. Both communities are located in east-central Palm Beach County, Florida. Location of Lake Worth, in Palm Beach County, Florida Lake Worth is a city in Palm Beach County, Florida, named after a lake who takes its name from General William J. Worth, who led U.S. forces during the Second Seminole War. ... Manalapan is a town located in Palm Beach County, Florida. ... Palm Beach County is a county located in the state of Florida. ...

The film launched Turner's movie career and was Kasdan's directorial debut.

Taglines:

• It's a hot summer. Ned Racine is waiting for something special to happen. And when it does... He won't be ready for the consequences.
• She taught him everything she knew - about passion and murder.
• As the temperature rises, the suspense begins.

Story

Ned Racine (Hurt), an inept and rather sleazy Florida lawyer, becomes entangled with Matty Walker (Turner), a ruthless femme fatale who is plotting to murder her wealthy husband (Crenna) and collect his entire estate. Racine murders the husband, enlisting the help of one of his shadier clients, an expert on incendiary devices (Mickey Rourke), to help him cover up the crime. The plot is similar to the film Double Indemnity which starred Crenna as the killer. Official language(s) English Capital Tallahassee Largest city Jacksonville Largest metro area Miami Area  Ranked 22nd  - Total 65,795[1] sq mi (170,304[1] km²)  - Width 361 miles (582 km)  - Length 447 miles (721 km)  - % water 17. ... A lawyer, according to Blacks Law Dictionary, is a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person licensed to practice law. ... Convicted spy Mata Hari made her name synonymous with femme fatale during WWI. A femme fatale (plural: femmes fatales) is an alluring and seductive woman whose charms ensnare her lovers in bonds of irresistible desire, often leading them into compromising, dangerous and deadly situations. ... Double Indemnity is a 1944 film noir. ...

All seems to have gone well until some unknown person begins feeding the prosecutor's office bits of incriminating evidence. Reluctantly, Racine's best friends, soft-shoe-dancing District Attorney Peter Lowenstein (Danson) and police detective Oscar Grace, begin to follow the guilty couple's trail. A district attorney is, in some U.S. jurisdictions, the title of the local public official who represents the government in the prosecution of criminals. ...

Critical reaction

The film received positive reviews when it was released in 1981. Most reviewers, like Roger Ebert, compared the film favorably to film noir of the past: Roger Joseph Ebert (June 18, 1942) is a Pulitzer Prize-winning American film critic. ...

"Yes, Lawrence Kasdan's Body Heat (1981) is aware of the films that inspired it--especially Billy Wilder's Double Indemnity (1944). But it has a power that transcends its sources. It exploits the personal style of its stars to insinuate itself; Kael is unfair to Turner, who in her debut role played a woman so sexually confident that we can believe her lover (William Hurt) could be dazed into doing almost anything for her. The moment we believe that, the movie stops being an exercise and starts working." [1] Billy Wilder (June 22, 1906 – March 27, 2002) was an Austrian-born, Jewish-American journalist, screenwriter, film director, and producer whose career spanned more than 50 years and 60 films. ... Double Indemnity is a 1944 film noir. ...

As mentioned by Ebert, film critic Pauline Kael dismissed the film, citing its "insinuating, hotted-up dialogue that it would be fun to hoot at if only the hushed, sleepwalking manner of the film didn't make you cringe or yawn." Film criticism is the analysis and evaluation of films. ... Pauline Kael (June 19, 1919 – September 3, 2001) was an American film critic who wrote for The New Yorker magazine. ...

Goofs

An essential part of the story is that the will giving a trust to the niece, Heather, is invalidated by the Rule Against Perpetuities, however, Florida has a "wait and see" provision that would have avoided invalidating the will until the 21-year limit had passed.

Memorable quotes

Matty and Ned have just met for the first time.
Matty - You're not too smart, are you? I like that in a man.
Ned - What else do you like? Lazy? Ugly? Horny? I've got 'em all.

Ned, Matty, Lowenstein, and various lawyers and beneficiaries are gathered in a conference room to discuss the last will and testament of the late Mr. Walker.
Walker's Lawyer: Would anyone mind if I smoke?
'Lighters click and matches scratch as everyone except Lowenstein lights up. As a pall of smoke descends, someone offers Lowenstein a cigarette.
Lowenstein: No, thanks. I'll just breathe the air.

After the murder, Lowenstein, Grace, and Ned are discussing Matty in Ned's apartment. Ned's friends are trying to persuade him to stay away from "the grieving widow."
Lowenstein: Ned, someday your dick is going to lead you into a very big hassle. That lady may have just killed her husband.
Ned: She's not going to inherit anything by killing me. Besides, maybe she'll try to fuck me to death. (He smiles sadly)

External links

• Body Heat at the Internet Movie Database