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Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989)
Starring Harrison Ford, Sean Connery, Denholm Elliott, and River Phoenix. Cinematography by Douglas Slocombe. Edited by Michael Kahn. Produced by Robert Watts. Written by George Lucas, Philip Kaufman, Menno Meyjes, and Jeffrey Boam. Directed by Steven Spielberg.
The film opens in 1912, deep in the desert of Utah. A troop of boy scouts travels on horseback along a lightly traveled path. One of the young men is Indiana Jones and while the rest of the scouts take some time to explore the area, Indiana has found a cave filled with looters searching for a buried treasure. An old chest is uncovered that contains a jewel encrusted crucifix. Indiana is convinced that such a priceless artifact should have a home in a museum and so while the criminals celebrate Jones sneaks in and lifts the cross. A chase ensues and Indiana is relieved of the treasure. Flash forward to 1938 where Professor Jones is teaching archeology to college level students. He is approached by an art collector who commissions him to explore recently discovered clues that could possibly lead to the whereabouts of the Holy Grail. Jones is flippant towards the idea until he learns that his father has disappeared while following the same clues.
As early as 1985 George Lucas had begun development on the next chapter in the Indiana Jones saga. Steven Spielberg had initially stated that he did not want to direct the next picture, but Lucas’ enthusiasm proved to be infectious and the two started throwing out storylines. The first idea for the film was for it to be set in a haunted castle, but Spielberg had just finished working on Poltergeist and didn’t want to do another supernatural picture. The plot then shifted over to a search for the Holy Grail, but that idea was quickly abandoned as well. The next evolution was put Jones in Africa searching for the mysterious Monkey King. This story was heavily developed and written into a number of drafts by Chris Columbus, but Spielberg just never bought the idea and it was eventually shelved. He suggested that the story may have a bit more heart in it if they did a father/son story. So with Indiana’s father on board, and the resurrected Holy Grail idea, Lucas handed the story over to screenwriter Jeffrey Boam to foster.
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade brought the spirit of Raiders of the Lost Ark back to the Indiana Jones franchise and audiences generously rewarded it. The film was a tremendous hit and eventually found itself on the list of the top ten financial successes worldwide. One of the contributors in its prosperity was its amazing opening sequence that features Indiana Jones as a teenage boy. Lucas enjoyed the segment so much that he decided to flesh the idea out into a television series titled “The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles”. The series portrays an old Jones in 1992 recalling the many adventures of his young life as he traversed the globe with his parents. Lucas has always been a major advocate for education, so he used the series to entertain its viewers while he quietly snuck in a history lesson. The program produced thirty episodes and four full length television movies.
Budget: $48,000,000
Total US Gross: $197,171,806
Genre: Adventure
Runtime: 127 Minutes
US Release Date: 5/24/89
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
Awards: Academy Awards: Won for best sound effects. Nominated for best original score and best sound. Golden Globes: Nominated for best supporting actor.
Tagline: The Man With The Hat Is Back. And This Time He’s Bringing His Dad.
Quote: “The quest for the grail is not archeology; it's a race against evil. If it is captured by the Nazis, the armies of darkness will march all over the face of the earth. Do you understand me?”
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