Moonstruck (1987 dir. by Norman Jewison) is one of those movies that makes you laugh out loud and cry without caring who sees you. I discovered and fell in love with the Puccini opera La Bohème from watching this movie. I love the Italian-ness, the New York-ness, the way they are so animated when they talk, the importance of family. Last weekend I watched it again probably for the 50th time and it still has the same effect on me.
The characters are all flawed, no one is perfect. I think Olympia Dukakis who plays Cher's mother Rose is just so fantastic in this scene where she tells her daughter - "Your life's going down the toilet!". Just what you want to hear from your Mum, right? Cracks me up every time!
Cher plays Loretta Castorini, a woman in her late 30s who has no life. Having lost her husband 7 years earlier, which she believes was from bad luck because she didn't have a proper wedding. She agrees to marry Johnny Cammareri, a man she likes, but doesn't love. Loretta then meets and falls for Johnny's estranged brother, who also has no life. There are so many scenes in this movie where the characters bare their souls, they are so honest about what they want, of course it's all to do with the crazy moon!
Loretta (Cher) and Ronny (Nicholas Cage)Cher is so good to watch in this film, I think that she certainly deserved her Oscar, but really the whole cast is perfect. It is nice to see Nic Cage looking so young in this role too, he is passionate and unaffected, even earnest. Moonstruck has subplots which keeps the momentum ticking along nicely one of which involves Loretta's mother trying work out why men cheat.
Hubby and I also love to quote this movie, a particular favorite is - "Old man, you give those dogs another piece of my food, I'm gonna kick ya till your dead!"
If you have yet to watch Moonstruck, a film which I believe is worthy of the title modern classic (let me know if you think that's too much praise) is well worth a look. Again, or for the first time.
tanti baci,
HeidiSources:
