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

Release Date:

15 January 1988 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Bride and the Wolf

Filming Locations:

Caroll Gardens, Brooklyn, New York City, New York, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$15,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$127,599, 20 December 1987, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$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

Included among the American Film Institute's 2000 list of the Top 100 Funniest American Movies.

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Goofs

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.

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Quotes

Perry: We could go to my apartment. You could see how the other half lives.
Rose: I'm too old for you.
Perry: I'm too old for me; that's my predicament.

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Connections

Referenced in At the Movies: Johnny Handsome/War Party/Welcome Home/Queen of Hearts/Erik the Viking (1989)

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Soundtracks

That's Amore
Performed by Dean Martin
Courtesy of Capitol Records, Inc.
Music by Harry Warren (uncredited)
Lyrics by Jack Brooks (uncredited)

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.