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Movies you missed: 'Moonstruck' was a hit for a reason

SCOTT SIMON, HOST:

It's time for Movies You Missed, when we revisit a movie classic that somebody somehow seems to have missed. This week, a New York love story with Cher and a young Nicolas Cage.

(SOUNDBITE OF FILM, "MOONSTRUCK")

NICHOLAS CAGE: (As Ronny Cammareri) I'm in love with you.

CHER: (As Loretta Castorini) Snap out of it.

SIMON: "Moonstruck," about a woman who is caught between her fiance and his hotheaded younger brother.

(SOUNDBITE OF FILM, "MOONSTRUCK")

OLYMPIA DUKAKIS: (As Rose Castorini) Do you love him, Loretta?

CHER: (As Loretta Castorini) Ma, I love him awful.

DUKAKIS: (As Rose Castorini) Oh, God, that's too bad.

SIMON: The 1987 movie was directed by Norman Jewison. The immensely quotable screenplay is by John Patrick Shanley. It was nominated for six Oscars. It won three, was a sensation at the box office. Everybody knows this film except for Jack Corbett, a video producer at NPR. Jack, thanks so much for being with us.

JACK CORBETT, BYLINE: Oh, thanks for having me.

SIMON: Now, were you avoiding "Moonstruck," or it just didn't enter your orbit?

CORBETT: You know, I knew about it. I think I didn't watch it because my mom really liked it, and so I assumed that - it was an act of rebellion.

SIMON: Yeah. Yeah, I - no, I absolutely understand. So you saw the movie. Did you fall in love?

CORBETT: As close as it could - a movie could make, yeah. It was, like, probably the most, like, absurd movie I've seen in so long. Like, the Nicolas Cage speech in the basement - I don't know how anyone but him could read 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. You want me to take my heartbreak, put it away and forget?

SIMON: Cher won an Oscar for this movie. And the man 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 Attraction." But who won? Cher. What do you think of her performance?

CORBETT: I was, like, falling in love with her. I've spent a lot of time around that part of New York City, and I guess I was just seeing the defeats, the great joys.

SIMON: You know what I think is an utterly wonderful scene in there? Olympia Dukakis, who also won an Oscar, is terrific. And there's just a very sweet, touching scene between her and John Mahoney in the restaurant.

(SOUNDBITE OF FILM, "MOONSTRUCK")

JOHN MAHONEY: (As Perry) How come you're eating alone?

DUKAKIS: (As Rose Castorini) I'm not eating alone. Can I ask a question?

MAHONEY: (As Perry) Go ahead.

DUKAKIS: (As Rose Castorini) Why do men chase women?

MAHONEY: (As Perry) Nerves.

DUKAKIS: (As Rose Castorini) I think it's because they fear death.

SIMON: It just underscored that romance is 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 really - like, marriage - it's just, like, so messy and yet it's, like, so - I don't know. It made me rethink a lot about, I guess, like, marriage in general.

SIMON: It made you rethink marriage?

CORBETT: Yeah. I thought before, I don't know, it seems, like, really, like, messy. But now I'm, like, oh, it's messy, that's fine, but, like, not in a bad way.

SIMON: Yeah. Do you think you'll see it again?

CORBETT: Oh, yeah. Yeah. I think - it's like, I want to rewatch it now.

SIMON: Did you call your mother and say maybe you were right?

CORBETT: You know, I have to. I have to.

SIMON: That would mean a lot to her, I think.

CORBETT: I - she'll probably hear this. I mean, I'll tell her.

SIMON: Well, I hope so. Jack Corbett is a video producer for NPR. You can see him on the NPR Planet Money TikTok page. Jack, thank you so much for being with us.

CORBETT: Thanks for having me.

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "THAT'S AMORE")

UNIDENTIFIED CHORUS: (Singing) In Napoli where love is king...

SIMON: And if there's a movie that you've missed, you can tell 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 big pizza pie, that's amore. When the world seems to shine like you've had too much wine, that's amore.

SIMON: (Singing) That's amore. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.

NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record.

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