Moonstruck

Wednesday, August 26, 2009 we watched Moonstruck (1987) and made Love Triangles: Baked Chicken Samosas with Sweet Chili Dipping Sauce (chili sauce recipe to come).

In an Italian community in New York City, Loretta (played by Cher) finds herself in a rut after bad luck sieged her first marriage. Widowed and in her late thirties, she lives with her parents and dates Johnny Cammareri who proposes marriage at their local restaurant after dinner. Walking him through the proper procedure and even coaxing him to use his pinky ring instead of a proper engagement ring, Loretta eventually accepts--but is certainly lacking excitement. When Loretta's mother finds out, she asks her "Do you love him?" to which Loretta responds "No." Her mother says "Good. When you love them, they make you crazy because they know they can."

At Johnny's request, Loretta seeks out his brother Ronny (Nicholas Cage) and almost instantly falls in love. (Let's not forget the girl who works at the bakery with Ronny who is apparently in love with him too!) Ronny is passionate and full of emotion and brings life back into Loretta's life. The two of them enjoy each other's company while Johnny is in Sicily with his sick mother. Upon his return, he breaks off the engagement in a memorable moment around Loretta's family's breakfast table. Ronny is there too, and immediately proposes to Loretta.

Dinner was almost a total flop. Our samosa stuffing could have been made a day early to allow the flavors to meld, and I would probably pan fry them rather than baking in the future. Luckily, we made a last-minute sweet chili sauce that saved them from being inedible! Had we known, a perfect dinner would have been eggs in a basket with roasted red peppers, a meal Loretta's mother prepares during the movie.

In attendance: Lindsey and Barb
Ratings: Dinner = 2.5, Movie = 4