Sometimes all it takes to get excited about a film is seeing who’s in it. With a cast including Cher, Nicolas Cage, and Olympia Dukakis, how could you not get excited about Norman Jewison’s “Moonstruck”? Written by John Patrick Shanley, whose script won the Oscar, “Moonstruck” follows Loretta (Cher), a widowed woman ready to marry again. Afraid of being alone forever, she’s preparing to settle for Johnny (Danny Aiello). When she meets Johnny’s brother Ronny (Nicolas Cage), she finds herself irresistibly attracted to him, as he’s every bit of a fireball as she is.
One of the biggest delights of “Moonstruck” is its wonderful script that pulls no punches and offers some fantastic and unique dialogue. When Loretta meets Johnny, she tells him he’s a wolf. When Ronny finds himself unable to resist her anymore, he shouts with unbridled passion, “Get in my bed!” In the morning after their tryst, Loretta is still determined to marry Johnny, and when Ronny still proclaims his love for her, Loretta slaps him across the face and yells, “Snap out of it!” As Helen Sullivan explains for The Guardian, the film is “Human, true, funny -– and hopelessly, gloriously romantic,” and also refers to “Moonstruck” as “a glorious contribution to the romantic comedy canon.” The film simply oozes with passion and desire and is a charming, funny, and powerful reminder that it is never too late to fall in love.
