Thief of Hearts is a 1984 American erotic drama film written and directed by Douglas Day Stewart and starring Steven Bauer, Barbara Williams, John Getz, and David Caruso. It's notable as the lowest-grossing movie from the production team of Jerry Bruckheimer and Don Simpson.
Mickey Davis (Williams) is a wealthy San Francisco woman stuck in an unsatisfying marriage. When her home is ransacked, she is deeply disturbed at the loss of her personal journals, in which she poured out her true feelings and innermost fantasies.
Scott Muller (Bauer) is the cat burglar who stole Mickey's journals along with a painting of her. Entranced by the beautiful woman in the painting, he sets out to deceive Mickey into entering a romantic relationship with him by pretending to be the ideal man she fantasizes about in her journals.
Tropes include:
- Mock Millionaire: Scott pretends to be a wealthy man and hires Mickey to redecorate his apartment as part of his scheme to get close to her. Interestingly, her husband Ray sees through his deception immediately, and even Mickey clues in pretty fast that he's not from the social class he claims to be part of.
- No Honor Among Thieves: Scott is right to be wary of the cokehead Buddy, and their unseen boss seems to be skimming more than his fair share of the loot.
- Secret Diary: Kicks off the entire plot.
- Stalker with a Crush: Scott. Even the loathsome Buddy tells him he's sick for seducing Mickey.
- Sympathetic Adulterer: Mickey is definitely portrayed this way, and she and Ray make up surprisingly easily considering the extreme circumstances.
