- Moonstruck
-
Moonstruck 
Theatrical release poster by Olga KaljakinDirected by Norman Jewison Produced by Norman Jewison
Patrick PalmerWritten by John Patrick Shanley Starring Cher
Nicolas Cage
Olympia Dukakis
Vincent Gardenia
Danny AielloMusic by Dick Hyman Cinematography David Watkin Editing by Lou Lombardo Distributed by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Release date(s) December 16, 1987 (New York)
December 18, 1987 (United States)Running time 102 minutes Country United States Language English
ItalianBox office $91,640,528 Moonstruck is a 1987 American romantic comedy film directed by Norman Jewison. It stars Cher, Nicolas Cage, Danny Aiello, Vincent Gardenia, and Olympia Dukakis.
The film was released on December 16, 1987 in New York City, New York, and then nationally on December 18, 1987, receiving largely positive reviews from critics. It went on to gross $91,640,528 at the North American box office, making it the fifth highest-grossing of that year.[1]
Moonstruck was nominated for six Oscars at the 60th Academy Awards, winning three for Best Original Screenplay, Best Actress, and Best Supporting Actress.[2]
Contents
Plot
38-year-old Loretta Castorini (Cher) is an accountant for a few local businesses in the Brooklyn Heights section of Brooklyn, New York. Her fiance, Johnny Cammareri (Danny Aiello), asks her to invite his younger brother Ronny (Nicolas Cage) to the wedding before leaving for Italy to attend to his dying mother. When Loretta visits the bakery where Ronny works, she finds that he blames his brother for losing his hand in a bread slicer, which resulted in his fiancée leaving him. They end up in his apartment above the bakery and make love. In the morning, Loretta feels ashamed but Ronny admits to falling in love with her. He agrees to not see her again if she goes to the opera with him that night.
That night, while Loretta's mother Rose (Olympia Dukakis) dines alone at a restaurant, she witnesses a dramatic breakup between a young coed and a college professor named Perry (John Mahoney). She invites Perry to dine with her and, afterwards, he walks her home; although she knows her husband has a mistress, she refuses to be unfaithful and doesn't take Perry's suggestion that she invite him in. While Loretta is at the opera, she sees her father Cosmo (Vincent Gardenia) with his mistress; they agree to pretend they saw nothing. Loretta feels guilty for being with Ronny, but he persuades her into another tryst. When she comes home the following morning, her mother tells her that Johnny has come back from Italy and will be visiting that morning. While she waits, Ronny comes over and both her father and grandfather come down for breakfast. Rose tells Cosmo she wants him to stop seeing his mistress.
Johnny shows up, shocked but pleased to see Ronny, and explains that he can't marry Loretta or his mother will die. Loretta throws the engagement ring at him. Seizing the moment, Ronny ask Loretta to marry him; he borrows Johnny's ring and Loretta accepts. The family shares a bottle of champagne to celebrate.
Cast
- Cher as Loretta Castorini
- Nicolas Cage as Ronny Cammareri
- Olympia Dukakis as Rose Castorini
- Vincent Gardenia as Cosmo Castorini
- Danny Aiello as Mr. Johnny Cammareri
- Julie Bovasso as Rita Cappomaggi
- Louis Guss as Raymond Cappomaggi
- John Mahoney as Perry
- Feodor Chaliapin, Jr., as Loretta's grandfather
Box office
On its wide release, the film opened at #3 and spent 20 nonconsecutive weeks in the top 10 and finally grossed $80,640,528. The movie also grossed $34,393,000 in rentals and grossed a total of $115,033,528 in the US alone.[3]
Awards and honors
Awards Award Category Name Outcome Academy Awards Best Actress Cher Won Best Supporting Actress Olympia Dukakis Won Original Screenplay John Patrick Shanley Won Best Picture Nominated Best Supporting Actor Vincent Gardenia Nominated Best Director Norman Jewison Nominated Berlin Film Festival Silver Bear for Best Director Norman Jewison Won[4] British Academy Film Awards Best Actress Cher Nominated Best Supporting Actress Olympia Dukakis Won BAFTA Award for Best Film Music Dick Hyman Nominated BAFTA Award for Best Original Screenplay John Patrick Shanley Nominated Golden Globe Awards Best Actress Cher Won Best Supporting Actress Olympia Dukakis Won Best Picture - Musical or Comedy Nominated Best Actor - Motion Picture Musical or Comedy Nicolas Cage Nominated Best Screenplay John Patrick Shanley Nominated Writers Guild of America Best Original Screenplay John Patrick Shanley Won In June 2008, AFI revealed its "Ten top Ten"—the best ten films in ten "classic" American film genres—after polling over 1,500 people from the creative community. Moonstruck was acknowledged as the eighth best film in the romantic comedy genre.[5][6] The film is also number 72 on Bravo's "100 Funniest Movies," and number 41 on AFI's 100 Years... 100 Laughs.
- American Film Institute recognition
- AFI's 100 Years... 100 Movies - Nominated[7]
- AFI's 100 Years... 100 Laughs - #41
- AFI's 100 Years... 100 Passions - #17
- AFI's 100 Years... 100 Songs:
- That's Amore - Nominated[8]
- AFI's 100 Years... 100 Movie Quotes:
- "Snap out of it!" - #96
- AFI's 100 Years... 100 Movies (10th Anniversary Edition) - Nominated[9]
- AFI's 10 Top 10 - #8 Romantic Comedy
Influential film critic Roger Ebert entered the film to his "Great Movies" collection in June 2003.[10]
References
- ^ Moonstruck Box Office Mojo Retrieved 2010-2-26
- ^ Moonstruck Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Retrieved 2010-2-26
- ^ http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0093565/business
- ^ "Berlinale: 1988 Prize Winners". berlinale.de. http://www.berlinale.de/en/archiv/jahresarchive/1988/03_preistr_ger_1988/03_Preistraeger_1988.html. Retrieved 2011-03-06.
- ^ American Film Institute (2008-06-17). "AFI Crowns Top 10 Films in 10 Classic Genres". ComingSoon.net. http://www.comingsoon.net/news/movienews.php?id=46072. Retrieved 2008-06-18.
- ^ American Film Institute (2008-06-17). "AFI Crowns Top 10 Films in 10 Classic Genres". ComingSoon.net. http://www.afi.com/10top10/romanticcomedy.html. Retrieved 2008-06-18.
- ^ AFI's 100 Years...100 Movies Nominees
- ^ AFI's 100 Years...100 Songs Nominees
- ^ AFI's 100 Years...100 Movies (10th Anniversary Edition) Ballot
- ^ Ebert, Roger. Moonstruck. June 22, 2003.
External links
- Moonstruck at the Internet Movie Database
- Moonstruck at Box Office Mojo
- Moonstruck at Rotten Tomatoes
Awards Preceded by
NetworkAcademy Award winner for Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress Succeeded by
The PianoFilms directed by Norman Jewison 1960s 40 Pounds of Trouble (1962) · The Thrill of It All (1963) · Send Me No Flowers (1964) · The Art of Love (1965) · The Cincinnati Kid (1965) · The Russians Are Coming, the Russians Are Coming (1966) · In the Heat of the Night (1967) · The Thomas Crown Affair (1968) · Gaily, Gaily (1969)1970s Fiddler on the Roof (1971) · Jesus Christ Superstar (1973) · Rollerball (1975) · F.I.S.T. (1978) · ...And Justice for All (1979)1980s Best Friends (1982) · A Soldier's Story (1984) · Agnes of God (1985) · Moonstruck (1987) · In Country (1989)1990s 2000s The Statement (2003)AFI's 100 Years...100 Laughs 1–10 11–20 The Producers • A Night at the Opera • Young Frankenstein • Bringing Up Baby • The Philadelphia Story • Singin' in the Rain • The Odd Couple • The General • His Girl Friday • The Apartment
21–30 31–40 41–50 Moonstruck • Big • American Graffiti • My Man Godfrey • Harold and Maude • Manhattan • Shampoo • A Shot in the Dark • To Be or Not to Be • Cat Ballou
51–60 61–70 What's Up, Doc? • Sherlock, Jr. • Beverly Hills Cop • Broadcast News • Horse Feathers • Take the Money and Run • Mrs. Doubtfire • The Awful Truth • Bananas • Mr. Deeds Goes to Town
71–80 Caddyshack • Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House • Monkey Business • Nine to Five • She Done Him Wrong • Victor Victoria • The Palm Beach Story • Road to Morocco • The Freshman • Sleeper
81–90 91–100 The Heartbreak Kid • Ball of Fire • Fargo • Auntie Mame • Silver Streak • Sons of the Desert • Bull Durham • The Court Jester • The Nutty Professor • Good Morning, Vietnam
Categories:- 1987 films
- American films
- 1980s romantic comedy films
- American romantic comedy films
- English-language films
- Italian-language films
- Films directed by Norman Jewison
- Films about dysfunctional families
- Films featuring a Best Actress Academy Award winning performance
- Films featuring a Best Supporting Actress Academy Award winning performance
- Films set in New York City
- Films shot in New York City
- Films shot in Toronto
- Films whose writer won the Best Original Screenplay Academy Award
- Italian-American culture
- Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer films
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.
