Moonstruck (1987)

Loretta Castorini, a bookkeeper from Brooklyn, New York, finds herself in a difficult situation when she falls for the brother of the man she has agreed to marry.

Director:

Norman Jewison

Writer:

John Patrick Shanley

Stars:

Cher, Nicolas Cage, Olympia Dukakis

Won 3 Oscars. Another 15 wins & 19 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
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
Leonardo Cimino	...	Felix
Paula Trueman	...	Lucy
Nada Despotovich	...	Chrissy
Joe Grifasi	...	Shy Waiter
Gina DeAngeles	...	Old Crone

Storyline

No sooner does Italian-American widow Loretta accept a marriage proposal from her doltish boyfriend, Johnny, then she finds herself falling for his younger brother, Ronny. She tries to resist, but Ronny lost his hand in an accident he blames on his brother, and has no scruples about aggressively pursuing her while Johnny is out of the country. As Loretta falls deeper in love, she comes to learn that she's not the only one in her family with a secret romance.

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Plot Keywords:

brother | love | proposal | marriage | bookkeeper | 

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Taglines:

Life. Family. Love.

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Romance

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Certificate:

PG

Details

Official Sites:

MGM

Country:

USA

Language:

English Italian Latin

Release Date:

15 January 1988 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Bride and the Wolf

Filming Locations:

Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn, New York City, New York, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$15,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$127,599, 20 December 1987

Gross USA:

$80,640,528

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$80,640,528

Company Credits

Production Co:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM), Star Partners

Technical Specs

Runtime:

102 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Danny Aiello and Nicolas Cage play brothers, but Aiello is 31 years older than Cage.

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Goofs

When Johnnie and Loretta enter the tunnel on the way to the airport, the tunnel lights above both lanes are red signifying both both lanes are closed yet they enter anyway.

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Quotes

Cosmo Castorini: You'll have your eyes opened for you, my friend.
Johnny: I have my eyes open.
Cosmo Castorini: Oh yeah? Well, stick around. Don't go on any long trips.
Johnny: I don't know what you mean.
Cosmo Castorini: I know you don't. That's the point. I'll say no more.
Johnny: You haven't said anything!
Cosmo Castorini: And that's all I'm saying.

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Connections

Referenced in Coach: Loonstruck (1991)

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Soundtracks

La Bohème
Performed by Renata Tebaldi and Carlo Bergonzi
Courtesy of Polygram Special Projects, a division of Polygram Records, Inc.
Music by Giacomo Puccini (uncredited)
Libretto by Giuseppe Giacosa and Luigi Illica (uncredited)
with Orchestra dell'Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia (uncredited)
Conducted by Tullio Serafin (uncredited)
1959
(Act I: "Questo 'Mar Rosso' mi ammollisce e assidera" / Act I: "O soave fanciulla" / Act II: "Quando men' vo" / Act III: "Addio... Donde lieta usci al tuo grido d'amore")

User Reviews

One of my top 10 films

There is nothing not to like about Moonstruck. I'm from a New York Italian family and I actually get a little homesick when I watch it. The actors & actresses, the plot, the subplots, the humor.. they were all fantastic. It starts a little slow, but a lot happens in that two days! I fell in love with LaBoheme because of this movie. On my list of favorite movies, Moonstruck is number 3. It's a "feel good" movie where you leave the theatre humming "that's amore" or repeating some of your favorite lines: "old man, if you give those dogs another piece of my food, I'll kick you till you're dead"; "Chrissy, bring me the big knife", "who's dead", "do you love him Loretta....., good because when you do, they drive you crazy because they know they can". I always put Moonstruck on when there's nothing good to watch because it makes me happy.