Overview
A romantic entanglement unfolds amidst the chaos of family secrets and unexpected love.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Moderate
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- None
- witty
- exuberant
- romantic
- date night
- romantic comedy night
What critics said
Critics broadly celebrated the film as a witty, romantic, and emotionally rich family comedy elevated by John Patrick Shanley's dialogue and a memorable ensemble.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The script treats family arguments, courtship, and romantic revelations like comic arias, reinforcing the film's lively operatic atmosphere.
Loretta and Ronny's courtship is paired with secret or troubled romances involving other members of the Castorini family.
The Castorini household and its extended relationships drive the film's humor, conflicts, and understanding of love and marriage.
The full moon, superstition, and the title's lunar imagery frame the characters' sudden emotional openness as strangely magical.
Films like Moonstruck, and why
When Harry Met Sally...
warm romantic comedy built around family dynamics, witty dialogue, and emotionally direct courtship
The Big Sick
ensemble romantic comedy balancing intertwined relationships, eccentric relatives, and bittersweet emotional honesty
The Philadelphia Story
stylized urban romance with heightened family conflict, theatrical dialogue, and affectionate comic melodrama
Movie Details
- Director
- Norman Jewison
- Release Date
- 1987-12-16
- Runtime
- 102 min
- Rating
- 6.8 / 10 (1150)
Cast
- Cher
- Nicolas Cage
- Vincent Gardenia
- Olympia Dukakis
- Danny Aiello
- Julie Bovasso
- John Mahoney
- Louis Guss
- Feodor Chaliapin Jr.
- Anita Gillette
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Amazon Prime Video, MGM Plus Roku Premium Channel, YouTube TV, MGM Plus, Amazon Prime Video with Ads
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Spectrum On Demand, Plex
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Moonstruck about?
- A spirited New York widow risks a respectable engagement for a passionate connection that unsettles her entire Italian-American family.
- What is Moonstruck like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Moonstruck as brisk, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is Moonstruck violent?
- No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in Moonstruck.
- What did critics think of Moonstruck?
- Critics broadly celebrated the film as a witty, romantic, and emotionally rich family comedy elevated by John Patrick Shanley's dialogue and a memorable ensemble.
- Which films are like Moonstruck?
- Films with a similar feel include When Harry Met Sally..., The Big Sick, and The Philadelphia Story.
- How long is Moonstruck?
- Moonstruck runs 102 minutes.
- Where can I watch Moonstruck?
- In United States, Moonstruck streams on Amazon Prime Video, MGM Plus Roku Premium Channel, YouTube TV, MGM Plus, Amazon Prime Video with Ads.
