Best Actress: Cher
Can I say something controversial on my own blog, that nobody forces me to publish and that I don't force anyone to read?
I don't like Moonstruck. This movie has never been my bag, I don't believe that a single thing that happens in this film could actually happen to these characters, and let me remind you that my top three favourite classic movies all have premises way more bonkers than this (It Happened One Night, The Major and the Minor, and Pillow Talk).
What I do like about Moonstruck is Cher, but mostly because I would follow Cher over a cliff if that's where she leads me; I trust her as an actress, a singer, a fashion icon (who else would show up to the Oscars like this?). And by Moonstruck it was obvious that the woman deserved an Oscar and that she had the talent for one. I don't agree with a lot about this movie, but I do agree about Cher.
Briefly, Moonstruck is a romantic dramedy, screwball-esque in concept, where Cher plays a superstitious widow engaged to Danny Aiello and ends up falling for his estranged brother, Nicolas Cage. There's adultery, there's romance, there's a great sub-plot with Cher's parents (earning Olympia Dukakis an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress), and the ending scene where it's all revealed is fun; but it's not enough to save it for me, unfortunately. I don't want a thinking man's screwball comedy; I want implausibly zany and absurb.
(So by this same vein, I do not like What's Up, Doc? or The Owl and the Pussycat. Screwball is a genre that flourished in the '30s and '40s, in my opinion, and its later attempts have never really landed for me. Revoke my cinephile card if you must!)
Oh, another thing I like about Moonstruck: its movie poster. Cher framed by the moon? Iconic.
Cher was nominated against Glenn Close (Fatal Attraction; imagine winning an Oscar for this!), Holly Hunter (Broadcast News, another overrated film, in my opinion, if you want my controversial takes to continue), Sally Kirkland (Anna), and Meryl Streep (Ironweed; if you want to witness pure joy, watch the clip of Cher's Oscar win and specifically look at Meryl Streep's cut-out window when Cher's name is called. That's friendship).
I would, of course, give it to Cher.
DID I LIKE MOONSTRUCK? No. I will plant my flag on this hill and live here alone if I must.
__
Did you like Moonstruck? What are your thoughts on Cher's Oscar win?
Keep up with all my Rewatching the Best Actresses posts here!
Comments
Post a Comment