Moonstruck

• Cher: Loretta Castorini
• Nicolas Cage: Ronny Cammareri
• Danny Aiello: Johnny Cammareri
• Olympia Dukakis: Rose Castorini
• Vincent Gardenia: Cosmo Castorini
• Feodor Chaliapin: Grandfather Castorini
• Louis Cast: Raymond Cappomaggi
• Julie Bovasso: Rita Cappomaggi
• John Mahoney: Mr. Perry
• Robert Weil: Bobo, head waiter
• Leonardo Cimino: Felix
• Paula Trueman: Lucy

Moonstruck is a romantic American film comedy from 1987 starring Cher and Nicolas Cage.

Action

Loretta Castorini (Cher ), a widow end 30 with the first gray streaks in her dark hair, lives in the Italian quarter of New York's Brooklyn district and works as an accountant for the small business people of the neighborhood. She firmly believes that her first husband was the only reason why hit by a bus because it had then been only one flash wedding at the registry office. When they therefore seven years later accepts the marriage proposal of the set, somewhat clumsy Johnny Cammareri (Danny Aiello ), it consists of an engagement ring as well as on a large church wedding. Johnny agrees, leaves the preparations but Loretta, because he wants to fly first to Sicily to say goodbye to his dying mother. Loretta's parents take the news of the engagement on with very mixed feelings. Her father Cosmo ( Vincent Gardenia ) holds Johnny for " a big baby " and can not stand him. Mother Rose ( Olympia Dukakis ) asks Loretta if she loves Johnny - and congratulated her heartily, as Loretta explains to find him just being nice, because: "If you love the men, they drive you crazy - because they know! that they can 's " Rose knows what she is talking; but she has every reason to believe that Cosmo tries to numb his fear of growing old through an extramarital affair.

At Johnny's desire Loretta should also invite his younger brother Ronny (Nicolas Cage) to the wedding. The two brothers have not spoken to each other for five years, but Johnny now wants a reconciliation. Loretta meets Ronny in his bakery. There, amongst the sacks of flour and the flaming embers of old ovens but it explains with big words and even bigger gestures, that there can never be a reconciliation, because Johnny was the cause of his ruined life: he had but stood by while Ronny in a cutting machine and grabbed a hand lost. Then it had also left his bride, because she did not want to live with a " cripple ". Loretta is unimpressed and looks Ronny instantly: the accident was not Johnny's fault, but an unconscious attempt Ronnys to escape the wrong permanently binding: "You're a wolf, and would you rather cut off my hand than to fall into a trap! " This pays Ronny her home immediately in the same coin: he throws Loretta ago, throw away without love and way too cheap to Drögen Johnny. The dispute is hot - until the two, overwhelmed by a sudden blazing passion, ending up in Ronny's bed.

The next morning, Loretta wants to know nothing of passion: " This night we take as a secret to the grave! " But Ronny just want to waive it if it a single time, the same evening, with him going to the opera. Then he had one day all that what he loved most in life. Somewhat testily says Loretta to. Afterwards, however, she buys the most exciting dress of the city and gives her hairdresser finally got the permission to cover their gray strands. Ronny can hardly believe his luck when he sees them in the evening. Stunned is also Loretta when she meets her father in the opera - with his mistress! But since both are on the go with the "wrong " partner, father and daughter decide unanimously to do so as if they had never seen before. Meanwhile, mother Rose begrudge a meal in the Italian haunt the family. Here she meets a university professor ( John Mahoney ), who get there regularly with his latest favorite student. His appointments end up mostly with the fact that its too young companion pours him a glass of water on his face and lets him sit. "Do not shit where you eat! " Then she invites him to sit with her ​​at the table: Rose gives him the advice of their own mother. The two talk extremely excited, and when Rose refuses later to ask the professor still in her house, so she fears to be less demure demeanor rather than their own. Loretta lands, meanwhile, with Ronny back at his front door, and this time it is clear that from the cozy marriage of convenience with Johnny nothing more can be: she has been hopelessly in love with Ronny.

The story ends when all players arrive the following morning by and by in Rose Castorini Kitchen: Loretta initially quite spun in their night of love; Cosmo to come back to his wife; Ronny to make a clean sweep - and Johnny, fresh back from Palermo to announce a surprise: he can marry Loretta impossible, because his mother has recovered and all of a sudden he does not want to let them down now. So Loretta assumes Ronny's marriage proposal and confesses her mother on their demand: "Yes, Ma - I love him terribly! " What Rose with " Oh God, what a pity! " Can comment.

Full moon and Music

The full moon is omnipresent in the film: it illuminates the ( Love ) nights of main and supporting cast; he is by Dean Martin in the opening credits sung ( in the three-quarter time - ballad That's Amore, with the refrain " ... when the moon hits your eye like a big pizza pie - that's amore ... " = about: " if you like the moon like a giant pizza stands in the eyes - this is love ... "); the old grandfather Castorini can howl to the moon in honor of his shaggy little dog; and if you pay attention closely, you discovered at the beginning of the film when Loretta goes to work every morning, in the streets of the billboard for a restaurant called " La Luna" ( = Italian: the moon). In the opera the ultimate love duet from Puccini's " La Bohème " is presented as a street scene in a full moon night. The original film music rounds with a few acoustic instruments (accordion, mandolin, violin ) from the Italian romantic mood of the film.

Reviews

• Heyne film encyclopedia: A magnificent comedy with deliciously drawn and brilliantly played characters reached depths without human significance and severity Boheme Puccini's music masterfully integrated into the action.

• Lexicon of international film: With ease and melodramatic gesture directed Love and family history, understands how to play with the clichés of the genre endearing way.

• Der Spiegel, 12/ 1988: Norman Jewison's film " Moonstruck " is probably the finest and lightest comedy of the year. Seemingly effortlessly shines in her an actress who, in the eyes of Hollywood moguls, had the handicap by then, to be Megastar another industry: Cher, the zebra from the menagerie of pop culture. With " Moonstruck " turned Cher, the product finally in Cher, the actress.

Awards

Oscars 1988

• Best Actress (Cher )
• Best Supporting Actress (Olympia Dukakis )
• Best ( original ) script

Next nominated in the categories:

• Best Picture
• Best Director
• Best Supporting Actor ( Vincent Gardenia )

Golden Globes 1988

• Best Actress - Comedy / Musical film (Cher )
• Best Supporting Actress (Olympia Dukakis )

Next nominated in the categories:

• Best Picture - Comedy / Musical
• Best Actor - Comedy / Musical movie (Nicolas Cage)
• Best Screenplay

BAFTA Award 1989

• Best Supporting Actress (Olympia Dukakis )

Next nominated in the categories:

• Best Actress (Cher )
• Best film music (Dick Hyman )
• Best ( original ) script

More awards

• Best Original Screenplay (from the U.S. union of Writers, Writers Guild of America )
• Silver Bear at the Berlinale in 1988 for Best Director