Moonstruck (1987)

User Rating:

7.0/10   

Director:

Norman Jewison

Writer:

John Patrick Shanley (writer)

Release Date:

18 December 1987 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Romance | Drama

Tagline:

Life. Family. Love.

Plot:

A widowed Brooklyn book-keeper is torn between her fiancé and his brother.

Plot Keywords:

Dysfunctional Family | Male Female Relationship | Transformation | Widow | Extramarital Affair

Awards:

Won 3 Oscars. Another 15 wins & 11 nominations

Cast

Cher	...	Loretta Castorini
Nicolas Cage	...	Ronny Cammareri
Vincent Gardenia	...	Cosmo Castorini
Olympia Dukakis	...	Rose Castorini
Danny Aiello	...	Mr. Johnny Cammareri
Julie Bovasso	...	Rita Cappomaggi
John Mahoney	...	Perry
Louis Guss	...	Raymond Cappomaggi
Feodor Chaliapin Jr.	...	Old Man (as Feodor Chaliapin)
Anita Gillette	...	Mona
Nada Despotovich	...	Chrissy
Joe Grifasi	...	Shy Waiter
Gina DeAngeles	...	Old Crone
Robin Bartlett	...	Barbara
Helen Hanft	...	Lotte

Also Known As:

The Bride and the Wolf (USA) (original script title)

Runtime:

102 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Italian

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Iceland:L | Netherlands:AL | New Zealand:PG | Argentina:13 | Chile:14 | Finland:S | Peru:14 | Portugal:M/12 | Sweden:7 | UK:PG | USA:PG | West Germany:12 | Singapore:PG | Canada:PG

Filming Locations:

19 Cranberry Street, Brooklyn, New York City, New York, USA

Company:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Trivia:

When Johnny hails a cab at the airport after his return from Sicily, he asks the driver to take him to "19 Cranberry Street, Brooklyn." This is a real house located a few blocks from the East River, just like the exteriors shown in the movie.

Goofs:

Audio/visual unsynchronized: When Loretta is talking to Cosmo in the kitchen, we hear and see her tearing at the capsule on the wine bottle. In the next shot, we can still see the bottle and hear the tearing, but Loretta's hand is not there.

Quotes:

Rose Castorini: You... you got a love bite on your neck. He's coming back this morning, what's the matter with you? You're life's going down the toilet! Cover up that damn thing! Come on, put some make-up on it!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Saturday Night Live: Mike Myers/Aerosmith (#22.16)" (1997)

Soundtrack:

It Must Be Him

Cher is great

'Moonstruck' is a love story. There is not one romance, there are at least three, but they all have to do with the same family. Loretta's family. Loretta (Cher) is about to marry Johnny Cammareri (Danny Aiello). She doesn't love him, but he is sweet and good man. When he leaves to visit his dying mother in Italy Loretta meets Johnny's brother Ronny (Nicolas Cage). He and Johnny haven't spoken each other in five years and Loretta wants to invite him to the wedding. Of course they fall instantly for each other.

How this story and love stories of Loretta's parents and uncle and aunt develop is something you simply have to see for yourself. Every seen is a delight to watch, with Cher as the bright star in the middle of everything. She won and really deserved the Oscar that year. Cage is pretty good, and goofy as well, and Olympia Dukakis as Loretta's mother and Vincent Gardenia as her father are terrific. This movie is funny, charming and therefore highly enjoyable.