Moonstruck - wikipedia Moonstruck Moonstruck Theatrical release poster Directed by Norman Jewison Produced by Norman Jewison Patrick Palmer Written by John Patrick Shanley Starring Cher Nicolas Cage Vincent Gardenia Olympia Dukakis Danny Aiello Music by Dick Hyman Cinematography David Watkin Edited by Lou Lombardo Production company Star Partners II Ltd. Metro - Goldwyn - Mayer Distributed by MGM / UA Communications Co. Release date December 16, 1987 ( 1987 - 12 - 16 ) ( New York City ) December 18, 1987 ( 1987 - 12 - 18 ) ( United States ) Running time 102 minutes Country United States Language English Budget $15 million Box office $80.6 million Moonstruck is a 1987 American romantic comedy film directed by Norman Jewison and written by John Patrick Shanley. It is about a widowed, 37 - year - old, Italian - American woman ( Cher ) who falls in love with her fiancé 's ( Danny Aiello ) estranged, hot - tempered younger brother ( Nicolas Cage ). Vincent Gardenia and Olympia Dukakis play supporting roles. The film was released on December 16, 1987 in New York City, and then nationally on January 15, 1988. Receiving largely positive reviews from critics, it went on to gross $80 million at the North American box office, making it the fifth highest - grossing film of that year in North America. Moonstruck was nominated for six Oscars at the 60th Academy Awards, winning for Best Original Screenplay, Best Actress, and Best Supporting Actress. Contents 1 Plot 2 Cast 3 Critical and commercial reception 4 Awards and honors 5 Soundtrack 6 References 7 External links Plot Thirty - seven - year - old Loretta Castorini ( Cher ), an Italian - American widow, is a bookkeeper in Brooklyn Heights, New York, where she lives with her family : her father Cosmo ( Vincent Gardenia ) a successful plumber ; her mother Rose ( Olympia Dukakis ) ; and her paternal grandfather ( Feodor Chaliapin Jr. ). Her boyfriend Johnny Cammareri ( Danny Aiello ) proposes to her before leaving for Sicily to be with his dying mother ; she accepts, but is insistent that they carefully follow tradition as she believes her first marriage was cursed by her failure to do so, resulting in her husband 's death. Johnny asks Loretta to invite his estranged younger brother Ronny ( Nicolas Cage ) to the wedding. Loretta returns home and informs her parents of the engagement. Cosmo dislikes Johnny and is reluctant to commit to paying for the `` real '' wedding Loretta insists on, while Rose is pleased that Loretta likes Johnny but does not love him ; she believes that one can easily be driven crazy by a partner whom one loves. The next day, Loretta goes to see Ronny at his bakery. He reveals that he has a wooden prosthetic hand, and he explains that he blames Johnny for the loss of his hand and his own fiancée ; Ronny became distracted while talking to Johnny as he cut bread for him, his hand was mangled in the slicer, and his fiancée left him. Loretta insists that they discuss the matter upstairs in his apartment, where she cooks for him and then tells him that she believes he is a `` wolf '' who cut off his own hand to escape the trap of a bad relationship. Ronny reacts furiously and passionately, kissing Loretta ( who responds to his kiss ) and then carrying her to his bed where they make love. At the same time, Cosmo is dining with his mistress Mona ( Anita Gillette ) and giving her jewelry. That evening, Rose 's brother Raymond ( Louis Guss ) and his wife Rita ( Julie Bovasso ) join Rose and Cosmo for dinner, and they all wonder where Loretta is. Raymond recalls that when he was a boy and Cosmo was courting Rose, he thought that a particularly bright moon one night was somehow brought to the house by Cosmo because of his love for Rose. That night, Loretta remains at Ronny 's apartment and sees such a moon ; Raymond sees it as well, and it leads him and Rita to make love. The next morning, Loretta tells Ronny they can never see each other again. She slaps him when he claims to be in love with her ( `` Snap out of it ! '' ) and he agrees to never see her again if she will attend the opera ( his other great love ) with him that night. She agrees. She then goes to church and confesses her infidelity. She unexpectedly sees her mother there, and Rose tells her that Cosmo is having an affair ; Loretta is doubtful. Loretta then goes to Raymond and Rita 's store to close out the cash register, after which she impulsively goes to the hair salon and buys a glamorous evening gown. Loretta and Ronny ( wearing a tuxedo ) meet at Lincoln Center, and each is impressed with the other 's appearance. Loretta is deeply moved by her first opera, Puccini 's La bohème. But as they leave, Loretta sees Cosmo and Mona, and she confronts her father. He sees that she is with Ronny, and he suggests that they simply agree that they did n't see each other at all, but Loretta is conflicted. Loretta then intends to return home alone, but Ronny leads her back to his apartment where he passionately and desperately persuades her into another tryst. The same night, Rose dines alone at a restaurant and sees a college professor, Perry ( John Mahoney ), being dramatically dumped by a female student, a similar scene having played out with a different girl the night Johnny proposed to Loretta. Rose invites Perry to dine with her, asks him why men pursue women, and then shares with him her belief that men pursue women because they fear death. Perry walks Rose home and tries to convince her to invite him in ; she refuses `` because I 'm married. Because I know who I am. '' Later, Johnny unexpectedly returns from Sicily after his mother 's `` miraculous '' recovery and goes to Loretta 's house ; Rose explains that she 's not there and then asks him why men chase women. He tells her it may be because they fear death, with which Rose agrees. After this exchange he leaves, planning to return in the morning to see Loretta. In the morning, Loretta returns home in a reverie but is then distressed to learn from Rose that Johnny will be there soon. Ronny then arrives, and Rose notes their matching `` love bites '' and invites him for breakfast over Loretta 's objections. Cosmo and his father emerge from upstairs, and the older man cajoles Cosmo into agreeing to pay for Loretta 's wedding. Rose then confronts Cosmo and, after he acknowledges in response to her questioning that she has been a good wife, demands that he end his affair ; he is upset but agrees and, after insistence from Rose, also agrees to go to confession, and they then affirm their love for each other. Raymond and Rita also arrive, concerned and seemingly reluctantly suspicious, to find out why Loretta did n't make the previous day 's bank deposit ; they are relieved to learn that she merely forgot and still has the money. When Johnny finally arrives, he breaks off the engagement, superstitiously believing that their marriage would cause his mother 's death. Loretta, momentarily offended by his breaking the engagement, chastises Johnny for breaking his promise and throws the engagement ring at him. Seizing the moment, Ronny borrows the ring and asks Loretta to marry him ; she accepts. To Rose 's chagrin, Loretta declares that she loves Ronny. The family toasts the couple with champagne and a befuddled Johnny joins in at the grandfather 's urging, as he will now be part of the family after all. Cast Cher as Loretta Castorini Nicolas Cage as Ronny Cammareri Olympia Dukakis as Rose Castorini Vincent Gardenia as Cosmo Castorini Danny Aiello as Johnny Cammareri Julie Bovasso as Rita Cappomaggi Louis Guss as Raymond Cappomaggi John Mahoney as Perry Feodor Chaliapin Jr. as Grandpa Castorini Anita Gillette as Mona Critical and commercial reception Moonstruck was a major critical and commercial success. The film holds an approval rating of 93 % on Rotten Tomatoes, with the site 's consensus reading, `` Led by energetic performances from Nicolas Cage and Cher, Moonstruck is an exuberantly funny tribute to love and one of the decade 's most appealing comedies. '' On Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, the film has a normalized score of 83 out of 100, based on 17 critics, indicating `` universal acclaim ''. Time wrote, `` John Patrick Shanley 's witty, shapely script puts an octet of New Yorkers under a lunar - tuney spell one romantic night. Cher shines brightest of all. '' Roger Ebert, who later added the film among his `` Great Movies '' list, said : `` Reviews of the movie tend to make it sound like a madcap ethnic comedy, and that it is. But there is something more here, a certain bittersweet yearning that comes across as ineffably romantic, and a certain magical quality '' According to Gene Siskel, writing for the Chicago Tribune : `` Moonstruck, which is being sold as a romance but actually is one of the funniest pictures to come out in quite some time. (... ) You will not easily forget this incredibly robust family, created by writer John Patrick Shanley and directed by Norman Jewison, who makes a comeback with this uproarious film. '' It appeared on both critics ' Top 10 lists for 1987. On its wide release, the film opened at # 3 and spent 20 nonconsecutive weeks in the top 10 and finally grossed $80,640,528 on a budget of $15 million. Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of `` A - '' on an A+ to F scale. Awards and honors Awards Award Name Outcome Academy Awards Best Actress Cher Won Best Supporting Actress Olympia Dukakis Won Original Screenplay John Patrick Shanley Won Best Picture Norman Jewison, Patrick Palmer Nominated Best Supporting Actor Vincent Gardenia Nominated Best Director Norman Jewison Nominated Berlin Film Festival Silver Bear for Best Director Norman Jewison Won British Academy Film Awards Best Actress Cher Nominated Best Supporting Actress Olympia Dukakis Nominated BAFTA Award for Best Film Music Dick Hyman Nominated BAFTA Award for Best Original Screenplay John Patrick Shanley Nominated Golden Globe Awards Best Actress - Motion Picture Musical or Comedy 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. The film is also number 72 on Bravo 's `` 100 Funniest Movies, '' and number 41 on AFI 's 100 Years... 100 Laughs. The film is recognized by American Film Institute in these lists : 1998 : AFI 's 100 Years... 100 Movies -- Nominated 2000 : AFI 's 100 Years... 100 Laughs -- # 41 2002 : AFI 's 100 Years... 100 Passions -- # 17 2004 : AFI 's 100 Years... 100 Songs : `` That 's Amore '' -- Nominated 2005 : AFI 's 100 Years... 100 Movie Quotes : Loretta Castorini : `` Snap out of it ! '' -- # 96 2007 : AFI 's 100 Years... 100 Movies ( 10th Anniversary Edition ) -- Nominated 2008 : AFI 's 10 Top 10 : # 8 Romantic Comedy Film Influential film critic Roger Ebert entered the film to his `` Great Movies '' collection in June 2003. Soundtrack Song Artist Notes That 's Amore Dean Martin Harry Warren, Jack Brooks Canzone Per Loretta / Addio, Mulberry Street Jack Zaza ( mandolin ) Dick Hyman Mr. Moon Dick Hyman It Must Be Him Vikki Carr Gilbert Bécaud, Mack David, Maurice Vidalin Old Man Mazurka Dominic Cortese ( accordion ) Dick Hyman Lament for Johnny 's Mama Dick Hyman Che gelida manina Ed Bickert ( guitar ) Giacomo Puccini Donde lieta uscì Renata Tebaldi Giacomo Puccini Canzone Per Loretta Dick Hyman O soave fanciulla Carlo Bergonzi, Renata Tebaldi Giacomo Puccini Musetta 's Waltz Moe Koffman ( alto saxophone ) Giacomo Puccini Musetta 's Entrance Nora Shulman ( flute ) Giacomo Puccini La bohème ( instrumental excerpts ) Giacomo Puccini ( In Loretta 's Bedroom ) Gettin ' Ready Moe Koffman ( alto saxophone ) Dick Hyman Brooklyn Heights Stroll Dick Hyman Beautiful Signorina Dick Hyman Moonglow Eddie DeLange, Will Hudson, Irving Mills Canzone Per Loretta Dominic Cortese ( accordion ) Dick Hyman Gioventù mia, tu non sei morta ( La bohème, act 2 ) Carlo Bergonzi, Cesare Siepi, Ettore Bastianini, Fernando Corena, Gianna D'Angelo, Renata Tebaldi, Renato Cesari Giacomo Puccini References Jump up ^ Box Office Information for Moonstruck. TheWrap. Retrieved April 4, 2013 ^ Jump up to : `` Moonstruck ''. Box Office Mojo. Retrieved April 4, 2013. Jump up ^ Moonstruck Archived 2013 - 10 - 29 at the Wayback Machine. Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Retrieved 2010 - 2 - 26 Jump up ^ `` Moonstruck Reviews ''. Metacritic ( CBS Interactive ). Retrieved March 18, 2018. Jump up ^ Ebert, Roger ( January 15, 1988 ). `` Review of Moonstruck ''. Chicago Sun - Times. Archived from the original on 1999 - 03 - 02. Jump up ^ Gene Siskel ( 1988 - 01 - 15 ). `` Flick Of Week : Comedy Is King In ' Moonstruck ' ''. Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 2013 - 12 - 02. Jump up ^ `` Ebert & Roeper and the movies - Best & Worst ''. Web.archive.org. 5 June 2001. Archived from the original on 5 June 2001. Retrieved 26 October 2017. Jump up ^ `` CinemaScore ''. cinemascore.com. Jump up ^ `` Berlinale : 1988 Prize Winners ''. berlinale.de. Retrieved 2011 - 03 - 06. Jump up ^ American Film Institute ( 2008 - 06 - 17 ). `` AFI Crowns Top 10 Films in 10 Classic Genres ''. ComingSoon.net. Retrieved 2008 - 06 - 18. Jump up ^ American Film Institute ( 2008 - 06 - 17 ). `` AFI Crowns Top 10 Films in 10 Classic Genres ''. ComingSoon.net. Retrieved 2008 - 06 - 18. Jump up ^ `` AFI 's 100 Years... 100 Movies Nominees '' ( PDF ). Retrieved 2016 - 08 - 06. Jump up ^ `` AFI 's 100 Years... 100 Laughs '' ( PDF ). American Film Institute. Retrieved 2016 - 08 - 06. Jump up ^ `` AFI 's 100 Years... 100 Passions '' ( PDF ). American Film Institute. Retrieved 2016 - 08 - 06. Jump up ^ `` AFI 's 100 Years... 100 Songs Nominees '' ( PDF ). Retrieved 2016 - 08 - 06. Jump up ^ `` AFI 's 100 Years... 100 Movie Quotes '' ( PDF ). American Film Institute. Retrieved 2016 - 08 - 06. Jump up ^ `` AFI 's 100 Years... 100 Movies Nominees ( 10th Anniversary Edition ) '' ( PDF ). Retrieved 2016 - 08 - 06. Jump up ^ `` AFI 's 10 Top 10 : Top 10 Romantic Comedy ''. American Film Institute. Retrieved 2016 - 08 - 06. Jump up ^ Ebert, Roger ( June 22, 2003 ). `` Moonstruck ''. Chicago Sun - Times. Jump up ^ `` Moonstruck ( 1987 ) ''. IMDb.com. Retrieved 26 October 2017. Jump up ^ `` Moonstruck - Original Soundtrack - Songs, Reviews, Credits - AllMusic ''. AllMusic. Retrieved 26 October 2017. External links Wikiquote has quotations related to : Moonstruck Moonstruck on IMDb Moonstruck at the TCM Movie Database Moonstruck at Box Office Mojo Moonstruck at Rotten Tomatoes Films directed by Norman Jewison 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 ) Fiddler on the Roof ( 1971 ) Jesus Christ Superstar ( 1973 ) Rollerball ( 1975 ) F.I.S.T. ( 1978 )... And Justice for All ( 1979 ) Best Friends ( 1982 ) A Soldier 's Story ( 1984 ) Agnes of God ( 1985 ) Moonstruck ( 1987 ) In Country ( 1989 ) Other People 's Money ( 1991 ) Only You ( 1994 ) Bogus ( 1996 ) The Hurricane ( 1999 ) Dinner with Friends ( 2001 ) The Statement ( 2003 ) BNF : cb14293586k ( data ) GND : 7629891 - 7 VIAF : 202979855 Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Moonstruck&oldid=836238790 '' Categories : 1987 films English - language films 1980s romantic comedy films American films American romantic comedy 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 Musical or Comedy Actress Golden Globe winning performance Films featuring a Best Supporting Actress Academy Award - winning performance Films featuring a Best Supporting Actress Golden Globe - winning performance Films set in Brooklyn 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 Films about Italian - American culture Metro - Goldwyn - Mayer films Hidden categories : Webarchive template wayback links Wikipedia articles with BNF identifiers Wikipedia articles with GND identifiers Wikipedia articles with VIAF identifiers Talk Contents About Wikipedia Wikiquote Български Català Deutsch Español Euskara فارسی Français Bahasa Indonesia Italiano עברית Lietuvių Nederlands 日本 語 Norsk Polski Português Română Русский Suomi Svenska ไทย Українська 中文 15 more Edit links This page was last edited on 13 April 2018, at 14 : 48. 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Question: who won the best actress oscar for the 1987 movie moonstruck
Answer: Cher