![[box cover]](../reviewimgs/m/moonstruck.jpg)
Moonstruck
Loretta (Cher) is unlucky. The first time she married for love, and her husband was run over by a bus. Now, late in life, she's willing to settle for a practical union to Johnny Cammareri (Danny Aiello). Before they can get married, however, Johnny has to go to Sicily to watch his ailing mother die. As he leaves, he implores Loretta to seek out his estranged brother and invite him to the wedding. Easier said than done, as New York playwright John Patrick Shanley delivers an intricate, hilarious, passionate romance that could only happen amongst the denizens of Little Italy. Shanley's script is rife with the richest of dialog, and his situations and characters weave and collide like a fantastic comic opera under the direction of Norman Jewison. Moonstruck is one of the best comedies of the '80s, with terrific performances from all, including a young, wild Nicolas Cage as Johnny's brother. Shanley's screenplay won an Oscar, as did Cher and Olympia Dukakis as her weary mother. Such a lovely film, but what an ugly package: this glitch-riddled transfer is presented in depressing pan-and-scan, and the new DD 5.1 remix is wildly unbalanced. It's too bad, because there are some nice extras, including audio commentary by Cher, Jewison, and Shanley, the original theatrical trailer, and an eight-page booklet featuring trivia and production notes. As a movie, Moonstruck deserves four stars -- it's a shame the DVD is only worth two.
