Let’s revisit some great performances– Cher! Nicholas Cage! Olympia Dukakis!– in the traditional 1987 New York romance.
SCOTT SIMON, HOST:
It’s time for Motion pictures You Missed, when we review a movie classic that someone somehow seems to have missed. Today, a New York romance with Cher and a young Nicolas Cage.
(SOUNDBITE OF FILM, “MOONSTRUCK”)
NICHOLAS CAGE: (As Ronny Cammareri) I love you.
CHER: (As Loretta Castorini) Snap out of it.
SIMON: “Moonstruck,” about a female who is caught in between her fiance and his hotheaded more youthful sibling.
(SOUNDBITE OF MOVIE, “MOONSTRUCK”)
OLYMPIA DUKAKIS: (As Rose Castorini) Do you like him, Loretta?
CHER: (As Loretta Castorini) Ma, I like him awful.
DUKAKIS: (As Rose Castorini) Oh, God, that’s regrettable.
SIMON: The 1987 movie was directed by Norman Jewison. The tremendously quotable movie script is by John Patrick Shanley. It was nominated for 6 Oscars. It won three, was a sensation at package workplace. Everybody understands this movie other than for Jack Corbett, a video manufacturer at NPR. Jack, thanks so much for being with us.
JACK CORBETT, BYLINE: Oh, thanks for having me.
SIMON: Now, were you preventing “Moonstruck,” or it simply didn’t enter your orbit?
CORBETT: You understand, I knew about it. I think I didn’t see it because my mother actually liked it, therefore I assumed that – it was an act of rebellion.
SIMON: Yeah. Yeah, I – no, I definitely understand. So you saw the motion picture. Did you fall in love?
CORBETT: As close as it might – a motion picture might make, yeah. It was, like, most likely the most, like, unreasonable motion picture I have actually seen in so long. Like, the Nicolas Cage speech in the basement – I do not understand how anyone however him might check out that off. And he’s slinging around bread in the basement.
(SOUNDBITE OF FILM, “MOONSTRUCK”)
CAGE: (As Ronny Cammareri) I lost my hand. I lost my bride. Johnny has his hand. Johnny has his bride-to-be. You desire me to take my heartbreak, put it away and forget?
SIMON: Cher won an Oscar for this motion picture. And the male who runs this segment, Danny Hensel, notes it was a very good year. Holly Hunter was also nominated for “Broadcast News” and Glenn Close in “Fatal Destination.” But who won? Cher. What do you consider her efficiency?
CORBETT: I was, like, falling in love with her. I’ve spent a great deal of time around that part of New york city City, and I guess I was simply seeing the beats, the fantastic happiness.
SIMON: You understand what I believe is an entirely fantastic scene in there? Olympia Dukakis, who also won an Oscar, is terrific. And there’s simply an extremely sweet, touching scene in between her and John Mahoney in the dining establishment.
(SOUNDBITE OF FILM, “MOONSTRUCK”)
JOHN MAHONEY: (As Perry) How come you’re eating alone?
DUKAKIS: (As Rose Castorini) I’m not consuming alone. Can I ask a question?
MAHONEY: (As Perry) Go on.
DUKAKIS: (As Rose Castorini) Why do males chase after females?
MAHONEY: (As Perry) Nerves.
DUKAKIS: (As Rose Castorini) I think it’s since they fear death.
SIMON: It just highlighted that love is readily available to people at all different stages of life, isn’t it?
CORBETT: Oh, yeah. There were, like, three generations, and, like, they were all sharing such love, such romances. Like, it truly – like, marital relationship – it’s simply, like, so messy and yet it’s, like, so – I do not know. It made me reassess a lot about, I think, like, marriage in general.
SIMON: It made you rethink marriage?
CORBETT: Yeah. I thought in the past, I don’t understand, it appears, like, really, like, messy. But now I’m, like, oh, it’s messy, that’s fine, however, like, not in a bad method.
SIMON: Yeah. Do you think you’ll see it once again?
CORBETT: Oh, yeah. Yeah. I think – it resembles, I wish to rewatch it now.
SIMON: Did you call your mom and state maybe you were right?
CORBETT: You know, I need to. I need to.
SIMON: That would imply a lot to her, I think.
CORBETT: I – she’ll most likely hear this. I imply, I’ll tell her.
SIMON: Well, I hope so. Jack Corbett is a video manufacturer for NPR. You can see him on the NPR Planet Money TikTok page. Jack, thank you a lot for being with us.
CORBETT: Thanks for having me.
(SOUNDBITE OF TUNE, “THAT’S AMORE”)
UNIDENTIFIED CHORUS: (Singing) In Napoli where love is king …
SIMON: And if there’s a film that you have actually missed, you can inform us all about it at n.pr/ moviesyoumissed.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, “THAT’S AMORE”)
DEAN MARTIN: (Singing) When the moon hits your eye like a huge pizza pie, that’s amore. When the world appears to shine like you have actually had too much white wine, that’s amore.
SIMON: (Singing) That’s amore.
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Source: https://www.npr.org/2022/07/30/1114697053/movies-you-missed-moonstruck-was-a-hit-for-a-reason