Moonstruck
Originally published on social media on May 6th, 2022
Have you ever had someone recommend a film to you that you had no interest in, but you had to pretend you would watch it in order to not hurt their feelings? Grandma recommended movies to us, and sometimes we went through those motions. OR, if we were being stubborn, we would flat out say we were uninterested.
Well, when Grandma passed away, we decided to watch some of the films we were initially hesitant to that she loved. We discovered that she truly was right about many good films. Moonstruck is the finest example of this.
What an incredible, underrated, and relatively unknown film Moonstruck is. Who doesn’t love an Italian American love story, or a romance set in New York, OR Cher?! Although let me tell you, NO ONE loves Cher more than my Grandma did. She was Cher’s #1 fan, and for good reason.
We don’t get to experience Cher’s gorgeous singing voice in this film, but her acting is superb. In this film, she is pretty, but normal and relatable, and I love that! Her role as Loretta embraces all the different scales of emotion, and combined with a great script, reminds people that anyone can fall in love at any time.
Speaking of that, I was initially concerned that Nicolas Cage as a love interest would be strange and not authentic. Actually, it’s quite the opposite. Yes, his character Ronny is not normal…at all, but he’s endearing and his passion makes him attractive. Here’s a paradox: his not being extremely attractive almost makes him more attractive. Nick Cage adds humor, passion, and human insecurity to his role and it makes him evermore lovable. I do a great “I lost my hand” impression.
At the beginning of this film, the great Dean Martin sings, “When the moon hits your eye, like a big pizza pie, that’s amore”. Bam, that sums up the film right there and it’s message: that love can be something of destiny, and something that occurs in a mystical and magical moment. That maybe life can be like a fairytale when we choose to embrace our inner romantic.
Next time someone you love recommends a film to you, give it a chance. You never know when you are going to find a treasure like Moonstruck.