Touchstone and Beyond: A History of Disney’s “Six Days, Seven Nights”

‘Globetrotters Month’ continues with a trip to the warm climates of the South Pacific in the Harrison Ford and Anne Heche comedy Six Days, Seven Nights. What promises to be a relaxing vacation turns into a struggle for survival on a remote island.

The Plot

Robin Monroe (Anne Heche) is a busy magazine editor in New York City who is constantly busy. A surprise trip to the tropical island of Makatea by her boyfriend Frank (David Schwimmer) is just the break the couple needs. While lounging on the beach Frank proposes to Robin and she accepts.

A phone call from Robin’s boss Marjorie (Allison Janney) interrupts their bliss. Robin flies to Tahiti to babysit a photoshoot for the magazine. She would only be gone for one day, but Frank stays behind, while Robin hires local pilot Quinn Harris (Harrison Ford) to fly her to work.

A sudden storm forces Quinn to land/crash the plane on an uninhabited island somewhere between Makatea and Tahiti. The radio in the plane has been fried by lightning and Robin and Quinn have no way of contacting help. On Makatea, search and rescue planes are dispatched but they find nothing leaving Frank to grieve the loss of his fiancé in the arms of Quinn’s girlfriend Angelica (Jacqueline Obradors).

Life on the desert island is no picnic for Quinn and Robin. They not only battle the elements, but after they witness a pirate attack on a nearby yacht, they end up being hunted by a ruthless band of thugs led by Jager (Temuera Morrison).

While fighting to stay alive, Quinn and Robin develop feelings for each other. Hiding in the jungle, they find the tools and materials to fix their broken plane, thanks to a crashed World War II plane. With a little luck they manage to evade the pirates and get back to Makatea. Crashing the plane into the beach where a memorial service for them is being held.

Cinematic Compliments

I remember laughing out loud and loving every minute of Six Days, Seven Nights in 1998 and twenty-three years later the film still hits all the right notes, and the laughs are still there.

Harrison Ford and Anne Heche have great chemistry. They play off each other so well, and the give and take that each actor shows in the film makes their relationship believable. There are multiple moments where you can see the facial expressions between Heche and Ford that telegraph that they had a lot of fun making this movie.

Harrison Ford is hilarious. He plays a curmudgeon, but at the same time when he is on screen Ford smiles more in this movie than any other. Ford could have made Quinn Harris an unlikeable jerk, but the man we see on screen is likeable and someone you can identify with. Quinn Harris is one of the most unique characters in Ford’s filmography. He’s intelligent, funny, sarcastic, and is as tough and capable in a fight like Indiana Jones and Han Solo. While Quinn shares a lot of character traits from other well-known performances by Ford, Quinn Harris is the most human, and I suspect the most like the real Harrison Ford.

Anne Heche does not get enough credit for her talent. Not only is she playing off Harrison Ford, but Heche must distinguish Robin in a positive way. Strong physically and emotionally, Heche’s biggest challenge is to convince the audience how Robin could fall for Quinn. It was nice to see how Robin and Quinn were paired on equal levels, which is not typical in many films with the castaway theme. The audience roots for Robin just as much Quinn.

Filming in Hawaii has its advantages. I’m sure the cast enjoyed their time, but as an audience member this was a perfect virtual vacation for when it’s snowing outside. The cinematography is excellent, and for a few moments you feel like you are on the beach too.

Cinematic Complaints

I believe David Schwimmer is a great actor. His work in Band of Brothers and American Crime Story: The People vs. O.J. Simpson is excellent. The man is talented and deserves credit for his work. In this film, Schwimmer gets forced to play the buffoon of a boyfriend who only a day after his fiancé disappears, he sleeps with another woman. Schwimmer’s character is not a bad guy, but he’s easy to dislike.  

If cliches in a movie bother you, then maybe you might want to sit out Six Days, Seven Nights. The movie is filled to the brim with every cliché ever used in movies. From the impossible pairing of Robin and Quinn, the cheating boyfriend Frank, the villains who doom themselves, to even Robin having to pilot the plane for the injured Quinn. To me they all work for the film. But if you are personally bothered by any of the descriptors I just listed, then you might have trouble sitting through the entire movie.

Fun Film Facts

The Golden Popcorn Bucket Award

Six Days, Seven Nights is hilarious and will certainly fill the travel void for people stuck at home. Anne Heche and Harrison Ford are outstanding in a cliché filled action comedy directed by Ivan Reitman. While the film was a box office success, the press around Heche and her relationship with Ellen DeGeneres before the film started shooting affected the public perception of the movie and possibly hurt its box office potential.

Six Days, Seven Nights gets a 3 Golden Popcorn Bucket rating out of four. There is nothing surprising about the movie, but you will laugh out loud, and Harrison Ford will surprise you with his ability to smile.

Coming Attractions

Next week we leave the South Pacific for the Caribbean and enroll on a teaching ship for a semester at sea with Scott Wolf and Jeff Bridges in director Ridley Scott’s White Squall. I hope you know how to swim.

Production Credits

Directed by Ivan Reitman

Produced by Touchstone Pictures

Starring:

Release Date: June 12, 1998

Budget: $70 million  

Box Office Gross

Domestic: $74,339,294

Worldwide Total: $164,839,294