Moonstruck (1987)

Featured Audience Ratings

• Aaron N

  
  Rose: Do you love him, Loretta? Loretta Castorini: Aw, ma, I love him awful. Rose: Oh, God, that's too bad.

• ♥Robyn

  
  nice romantic comedy

• Leigh R

  
  Was I the only one that thought this movie was kind of boring? Also, I think Cage sucked in this role and had a major uni-brow. But what do I know... Cher and Dukakis seemed about the only thing that kept me interested enough to finish it.

• Wahida K

  
  *humph* this Movie is somehow boring.

• Cassie H

  
  I love this movie. I hadn't originally thought of it, because I had watched it once a year ago. But,once I bought it I realize how wonderful it is. Cher is a great singer and actor and was gorgeous in this movie,and Nicolas Cage was really cute. They are both excellant actors.… More
  I love this movie. I hadn't originally thought of it, because I had watched it once a year ago. But,once I bought it I realize how wonderful it is. Cher is a great singer and actor and was gorgeous in this movie,and Nicolas Cage was really cute. They are both excellant actors. Other great performances were Olympia Dukakais,Vincent Gardinia,and Danny Aiello. Just a really good movie. :)

• Randy T

  
  I enjoyed this one more than I expected to. Cher is unquestionably the star here but it is Olympia Dukakis that, for me, really makes the whole thing work. A nice, romantic, ethnic comedy.

• Alice S

  
  Cher is actually quite magnificent, but I still hate Nicholas Cage in just about everything :~/ Shanley's script has some wonderfully romantic insights and sharp barbs, but overall, I thought it a bit draggy and implausible, especially in the development of Loretta and… More
  Cher is actually quite magnificent, but I still hate Nicholas Cage in just about everything :~/ Shanley's script has some wonderfully romantic insights and sharp barbs, but overall, I thought it a bit draggy and implausible, especially in the development of Loretta and Ronny's relationship.

• Jennifer X

  
  Back when Nicolas Cage was kind of sexy and less of a sellout. Originally I thought it was pretty much classic romcom fare but it surprisingly unearths some great truths about men and women and love and all that. I think I would've appreciated it more if I were Italian. I think… More
  Back when Nicolas Cage was kind of sexy and less of a sellout. Originally I thought it was pretty much classic romcom fare but it surprisingly unearths some great truths about men and women and love and all that. I think I would've appreciated it more if I were Italian. I think Cher is cute and all that but it's not fantastic acting by any great shakes of the word.

• Robert C

  
  Haven't seen this film yet? SNAP OUT OF IT!

• Fernando Rafael Q

  
  what i have to say about this movie: REALLY overrated... it's somewhat funny, it made me hate Nicolas Cage a little bit less, it gave us a great catchphrase (SNAP OUT OF IT!) and Cher's performance was amazingly good, but that's it...

• Rachel F

  
  It was really great.

• Ken S

  
  Maybe it's because I'm not Italian...but this movie is beyond terrible... Cher won for best actress? Seriously the chick Howard Stern borrowed his ass-less pants from... She can't even keep her accent...and don't even get me started on Nic Cage

• Michael G

  
  Maybe you have to be part Italian, but this movie is great. Especially Nicolas Cage.

• Matthew R

  
  Loretta Castorini (Cher), a Brooklyn bookkeeper in her late 30s whose husband died several years earlier in a bus accident, decides it's time to get married again. So she accepts the proposal of a nice, middle-aged fellow named Johnny Cammareri (Danny Aiello). Loretta is… More
  Loretta Castorini (Cher), a Brooklyn bookkeeper in her late 30s whose husband died several years earlier in a bus accident, decides it's time to get married again. So she accepts the proposal of a nice, middle-aged fellow named Johnny Cammareri (Danny Aiello). Loretta is convinced her first marriage was cursed because she and her husband had gotten married at City Hall; this time, she's determined to do things right, even as she admits to her mother, Rose (Olympia Dukakis), that she's not really in love with Johnny. Loretta is convinced that marrying Johnny is the safe and sure thing to do;until she meets his estranged younger brother Ronny (Nicholas Cage), who tends the ovens in a neighborhood bakery. Loretta discovers that in startling contrast to the pleasant, mild-mannered Johnny, Ronny is moody and passionate; what follow are complications worthy of a comic opera... Nominated for Best Picture in '87, "Moonstruck" is a wonderful example of brilliant script, first rate direction, and a good ensemble cast that fits perfectly. Cher, Olympia Dukakis, Vincent Gardenia, Nicholas Cage, John Mahoney, and Danny Aiello are all involved in plots and cross purposes that examine the nature of love, and how to handle it. All give superb performances, even though no one is young or old enough for their roles by any stretch, Cage playing a character about fifteen years older than his real age, eighteen years younger than Cher's and thirty-one years younger than his on-screen brother Aiello, not to mention there is only a fifteen year age difference between Cher and Dukakis, who play mother and daughter (Just a little fun fact). But the delivery is all fine, by Cher, who won an Oscar for best actress, by Olympia Dukakis who won best supporting actress, and so on. Oscar winning screenwriter, John Patrick Shanley has perfect pitch when it comes to the logic of the Italian-American dialog and language. The Italian language does play an extremely important role in this film, since the story plays exclusively amongst Italian immigrants and their descendants in a kind of "Little Italy" in New York. The bakery, the grocery, the flower shop, even the funeral parlor are Italian. And everybody seems still to speak Italian, although it is astonishing that in "Moonstruck", one hardly hears one complete Italian sentence. This is nearly a flawless film. I’ve seen this film more times than any other because I’ve watched it how many times with my mom when she was sick and she loved this film. I can only find two points that do not seem as smooth as they should be. When Cher is at Cage's bakery, his assistant Chrissy (Nada Despotovich) mentions how she is secretly in love with Cage, but has been afraid to tell him. Earlier she was slightly snippy towards Cher, who put her in her place quickly. Yet nothing seems done with this potential rivalry. At the same time, the fact that Cher forgets to deposit her uncle and aunt's daily business profits is brought in momentarily in the concluding seven minutes of the film; but just as quickly dropped. It is a small annoyance, but I think it is just based on a desire to see more of this film because it is so very good. In the end, Moonstruck is a classic and in my opinion, the absolute best romantic comedy of all time... Story: A- Acting: A Direction: A Visuals: A Overall: A- ***1/2 out of 4 stars

• Byron B

  
  When Cher and Nic were talking about wolves without foots and brides without heads and they kiss and he carries her off to bed, I was thinking "What the hell?!" I didn't get it. Anyways... La Boheme the opera keeps on being referenced and the Bohemian notions of love… More
  When Cher and Nic were talking about wolves without foots and brides without heads and they kiss and he carries her off to bed, I was thinking "What the hell?!" I didn't get it. Anyways... La Boheme the opera keeps on being referenced and the Bohemian notions of love surely make for common themes, but it is a character unexpectedly living at the end that makes things turn out alright. The moon also stirs the emotions repeatedly, which no one should be surprised by with the title. "Why do men chase women?" "But why would a man need more than one woman?" These are the questions asked by Olympia Dukakis as Loretta's mother Rose, which I really think this movie tries to address. Also the discussion between Loretta and Ronny about being in control of one's life and love not being like it is in the storybooks was really important. I want to talk about the relationships. The Grandfather has lost his wife and now gives all his attention to his dogs. Cher's uncle (Raymond) and his wife (Rita) get horny from the full moon, so you see a faithful couple. Cher's father (Cosmo) has been going out on dates with another woman (Mona) who is more exciting, but is eventually caught at the opera (a highly stylized metaphor for sex). Cher's mother, feeling lonely, goes out to dinner by herself and meets an immature ass-hole having a midlife crisis (Perry) played very well by John Mahoney. Except maybe he isn't so bad, at least she can talk to him and explore these questions she has, but she will not make a foolish mistake and get physical with him. Cher becomes engaged to Johnny (who she doesn't really love) who is a momma's boy and pretty childish despite his big strong appearance. Cher is dangerously attracted to Ronny (Johnny's brother) who makes her question her carefully planned marriage of convenience. He makes her feel alive. So as the whole family starts to gather around the breakfast table at the end, we wonder if Cher's parents can put their relationship back together and how Johnny will react to the news that his fiance has fallen in love with his brother. Turns out Johnny doesn't want to get married since his mother has recovered and Ronny is able to propose. The clincher, the best joke in the movie is after this moment when Grandfather starts crying and when asked why says, "I'm confused!"

• Andrew F

  
  A clever little romance. I didn't know Cher could act.

• Joey N

  
  Where has this movie been all my life? These characters make me smile. : ) This is the first time that I have genuinely liked Nicolas Cage. He even annoyed me in Adaptation. Cher's a natural. Everyone here is wonderful. The film has a natural flow, nothing feels forced.… More
  Where has this movie been all my life? These characters make me smile. : ) This is the first time that I have genuinely liked Nicolas Cage. He even annoyed me in Adaptation. Cher's a natural. Everyone here is wonderful. The film has a natural flow, nothing feels forced. I think I have an extra appreciation for this, because I've experienced this Italian culture before:the way they talk, their bluntness, their dependence on each other, their thick headedness, their determination, and their full-hearted humor. "You know, in that light, with that expression on your face, you look about 25 years old" : ) ) ) Update: Still amazing. This time around, it actually kinda made me WANT to be old, because most of them seem so peaceful, wise, and emotionally stable. Also, I didn't properly give Olympia Dukakis and the guy who plays Cher's uncle their due. Also more appreciated this time around: John Mahoney's speech and Nicolas Cage's speech about how wrongly, passionately, yet rightfully we love.

• Max G

  
  Comedy-romantic genius. Cher, Nicholas Cage, and Olympia Dukakis all take the cake.

• Juli R

  
  This movie is so romantic and bittersweet. It really makes me want to be a better person.

• Sunil J

  
  One of my favorite romantic comedies with probably the best dialogue.

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