The film begins with the Dean Martin classic, “That’s Amore,” so obviously the focus is something upbeat and Italian—a widow finds love (comme ci comme ça) in a man who has to travel to Sicily to see his dying mother.  He hilariously proposes to her prior to his travels, and tasks her with finding his estranged brother to invite him to the wedding ceremony.

The widow, Cher as Loretta, lives with her parents and grandfather, and QUEEN OLYMPIA DUKAKIS PLAYS HER MOTHER. I need this to be known: Mother Olympia is my all-time fave.  She’s a screen stealer, and I don’t think I’ve never seen her in a film pre-gray hair. I think she’s an underrated hair icon and it’s all I fixate on between this film and “Steel Magnolias.”  

Nicolas Cage (Ronny) was hot!!!!!! Gah-daaammmmnnnn!!! Johnny Blaze was fine 🔥.

The histrionics of Ronny and Loretta’s affair was the most hyperbolic, hilarious love scene I think I’ve ever seen. So fun!  I think the table flip did me in! 

I love how the characters communicated with each other and how they show affection, and I’ve noticed this in many other films set in New York no matter the decade. For someone from the South, it’s quite refreshing to not see some of the pleasantries I’m used to.  Northerners seems to be super direct with their emotions, and I envied that.  I don’t want to generalize, but I love the New York state of mind.

Favorite scene: “Cosmo’s Moon”—four different perspectives of the four relationships as they are all struck by the glowing, gigantic moon:

Loretta and Ronny; Rose and Cosmo; Rita and Raymond; Pop and his doggos–a beautiful climax. 

Ciao!