14 Days of Love: ‘Moonstruck’ (1987)

Valentine’s Day may be a rather silly holiday, but it is a wonderful excuse to celebrate love and romance in the movies. In that spirit, check back each day leading up to February 14th for a cinematic advent calendar of recommendations presented as mini-reviews.

Day 5: Moonstruck (1987)
Dir. Norman Jewison
Cher, Nicolas Cage

Logline: A widowed woman accepts a marriage proposal, happy to settle for her unremarkable but steady man, only to question her decision after meeting his vibrant brother. 

Why you should watch: Norman Jewison’s Moonstruck opens on a montage of moonlit New York City while Dean Martin croons “That’s Amore” overtop. Suddenly, we’re at Lincoln Center as the Metropolitan Opera crew hangs posters and prepare for an upcoming rendition of La Bohème before we reach the next morning and widowed Loretta (Cher) walks down the wintry streets. As far as effective opening sequences go, Moonstruck tenderly introduces us to the romantic atmosphere and tone of the film while sprinkling in all manner of hints as to where this tale will go. Landing us squarely in Loretta’s path also sets up a cascade of succinct yet charming scenes where we meet her milk toast fiancé Johnny (Danny Aiello) and her firecracker parents Cosmo (Vincent Gardenia) and Rose (Olympia Dukakis). Yet, things only get truly zesty when Nicolas Cage shows up as Ronny, Johnny’s rather unhinged and estranged brother. 

Cher and Cage, a romantic duo that may seem all manner of mismatched, could not be better paired. Moonstruck thrusts them together when Loretta seeks Ronny out to try and reconcile with him for Johnny so he’ll come to their wedding. What begins in a somewhat deranged scene where Cage throws on his now-classic crazy eyes and monologues about lost love ends with the two romantically entangled. Cher matches Cage’s manic energy with a lonely steadiness that subsumes every frame, reminding you of how commanding she is whether on film or stage. Their exchanges crackle with tension and humor, and even when they are apart, Moonstruck boasts an obscenely talented supporting cast. A subplot about Cosmo and Rose’s marital issues mirrors the Shakespearean idea of a second couple and provides Dukakis a role glistening with melancholy and desire. 

Moonstruck also boasts a stream of frames the likes that imprint upon your mind. Of them all, none are quite as iconic as Cher strolling down the empty avenue early in the morning, kicking a can along with her red high heel. It distills the mesmerizing rhythm of the film in one sequence and helps solidify Moonstruck as a marvelous patchwork of love, loss, and laughter.

Where you can watch: Streaming on HBO Max. Rent on Apple, YouTube, and elsewhere.

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Devin McGrath-Conwell

Devin McGrath-Conwell holds a B.A. in Film / English from Middlebury College and is currently pursuing an MFA in Screenwriting from Emerson College. His obsessions include all things horror, David Lynch, the darkest of satires, and Billy Joel. Devin’s writing has also appeared in publications such as Filmhounds Magazine, Film Cred, Horror Homeroom, and Cinema Scholars.