Lost Horizon Plot Summary and Details

Plot

James Hilton's beloved fantasy novel about the land of Shangri-La was given an awkward musical treatment in this extravagantly produced flop. Larry Kramer's screenplay stays close to the 1937 Frank Capra original, as a plane fleeing China crashes in the Himalayas and a mixed group of survivors discovers the magical, peaceful land of Shangri-La. Here the film becomes a full-fledged musical, with songs by Burt Bacharach and Hal David illustrating the distant realm's nature and the conflict that happiness causes amongst the survivors. Curiosity-seekers may be intrigued by the film's reputation as a notorious dud, but fans of the story would be better served by the classic original, despite a cast of well-respected names, including Peter Finch (in the Ronald Colman role), John Gielgud, Liv Ullmann, and Charles Boyer.

MPAA Rating:

Not Yet Rated

Genre(s):

Family,Fantasy,Musicals

Run Time:

150min.

Theatrical Release Date:

06/18/1997

Director(s):

Charles Jarrott

Starring:

Peter Finch , Liv Ullmann , Sally Kellerman , George Kennedy , Michael York

Themes:

Air Disasters,Fantasy Lands,Dropping Out

Tone:

Bright,Fanciful,Lavish,Sweet

Keywords:

accident,crash,dance [art],diplomat,escape,fantasy-world,foreign,hijacker,immortality,kidnapping,kingdom,lost,lost-civilization,rescue,revolution,songwriter