hallucinated is an iconic romantic comedy from 1987, one of Cher’s best films that won her an Oscar for her role as Loretta Castorini, opposite Nicolas Cage’s Ronny Cammareri. From humorously dramatic confessions to Cher’s iconic film “Snap out of it”there are many famous scenes that cemented hallucinated in the romantic comedy hall of fame. The film follows Loretta falling involuntarily in love with Ronny, the younger brother of the man she was supposed to marry, after the death of her first husband.
hallucinated offers a complex portrait of the Italian-American experience in New York City and is widely considered one of Cage’s most underrated film roles. In the decades since its theatrical release and successful film awards campaign, Hallucinated, the film continues to be referenced in pop culture, including in recent Only murders in the building episode also featuring the Some good men monologue. The film’s unique pacing makes it an incredibly rare gem among romantic comedies, one that has yet to be replicated in the contemporary film world.
10
“I don’t believe in curses.”
Said by Loretta Castorini
When Johnny Cammareri (Danny Aiello) flies to Sicily to see his dying mother shortly after asking Loretta to marry him, Loretta says goodbye to him at the airport, where she watches as the plane takes off. This image could be interpreted as the setting for a more conventional romantic comedy scenario, were it not for a strange interaction that establishes hallucinateddistinct tone. An elderly woman tells him:
“I cursed that plane. My sister is on that plane. I cursed that plane that it would explode, catch fire and fall into the sea. Fifty years ago, she stole a man from me. S’ aprese il mio uomo!” Today she tells me that she never loved him, that she considered him strong with me. Now she is returning to Sicily. Ritorna in Sicily! I cursed her so that the green water of the Atlantic would swallow her!”
Loretta responds by saying dryly: “I don’t believe in curses.” The older woman shrugs and says: “Neither do I.” The woman credited as Old Old Woman never reappears in hallucinated, but the dark presentation of the scene is what makes it a hit among generations of viewers.
9
“I lost my hand! I lost my bride! Johnny has his hand! Johnny has his bride!”
Said by Ronny Cammareri
While Johnny is in Sicily, he asks Loretta to start preparing for the wedding, convincing his younger brother Ronny to come. Ronny runs a bakery, where he lost his hand in an accident with the bread cutter. The fight between the brothers is due to the fact that Ronny blames Johnny for distracting him and causing the accident, which led his fiancée to leave him for another man.
Ronny’s dramatic monologue delivery about his accident adds a layer of knowledge to the hallucinatedthe central story, while also looking ridiculously hilarious since Johnny is clearly not to blame. Despite the clear narrative that Ronny’s loss of his hand was an accident, many people, including his co-worker Chrissy (Nada Despotovich), believe his dramatization of sibling rivalry. Chrissy even refers to him as “the most tormented man” she has already met.
8
“Old man, give those dogs another piece of my food and I’ll kick you until you die!”
Said by Rose Castorini
The Castorini family in Brooklyn is made up of Rose (Olympia Dukakis) and Cosmo (Vincent Gardenia), Grandpa Castorini (Feodor Chaliapin Jr.) and the widow Loretta, who works as an accountant. Family dinner scenes throughout the film provide more context for Loretta’s character, who has the sharp side of her mother, Rose, and a hint of her father’s superstition.
In this scene, as the family discusses the current situation, Grandpa Castorini continues to steal bits of his dinner for his many dogs. After spending hours preparing the meal, Rose abruptly interrupts the conversation, threatening “Kick him until he dies” if he keeps feeding the dogs. The table then returns to an awkward silence. The sardonic moment is the first of many to come in Rose’s dry wit, which her daughter Loretta also inherited.
7
“I just want you to know, no matter what you do, you’re going to die, just like everyone else.”
Said by Rose Castorini
When Rose discovers her husband is having an affair, she asks Johnny why men chase women. He delves into the biblical story of Adam and Eve, believing that men chase women to get their ribs back, as Eve was created from Adam’s ribs. When Cosmo comes home mysteriously proclaiming: “I don’t know where I’m going and I don’t know where I’ve been”, Rose reminds her husband that no matter what he does, he will still “die like everyone else.”
Cosmo responds with a simple “Thank you, Rosa.” to which she responds”You’re welcome.” This bizarre turn of conversation contrasts in a shockingly funny way with the argument Rose was having with Johnny. It also subconsciously lets viewers know that Rose knows about the case and is planning exactly how to end it. This scene is another example of Dukakis’s distinctive acting prowess throughout hallucinated.
6
“Snap out of it!”
Said by Loretta Castorini
When Loretta sleeps with Ronny in a moment of passion, she realizes the missing element in her relationship with Johnny. but still feels that the sensible thing to do is marry him anyway. Her first marriage ended with her husband being hit by a bus and dying, a tragedy widely believed to be the result of bad luck after Loretta married him at City Hall rather than in church. These thoughts about good behavior and bad luck permeate the film.
When she wakes up and panics over her betrayal actions against Johnny, shocked by the circumstances, Ronny tells her he loves her. Instead of reciprocating, Loretta slaps Ronny twice and tells him to “snap out of it.” The absurd delivery and humorous calamity make this scene a pivotal moment in the film, inspiring Loretta to take control of her life and her desires for her future.
5
“It’s the Moon of the Cosmos!”
Said by Raymond Cappomaggi
Family Friend Raymond Cappomaggi (Louis Guss) recalls Cosmo proposing to Rose under the light of a huge full moon. As a boy, he believed that Cosmo made the moon just to show his love for Rose. In an appropriate moment of dramatic irony, a huge full moon appears as Loretta falls in love with Ronny in Johnny’s absence, and more family drama begins to unfold.
After Loretta sleeps with Ronny, she takes note of the moon, and there follows a montage of every character in the film reacting to the sight of the moon – including Rose herself, looking wistfully out the window at this reminder of their great romance. Raymond proclaims “Look, it’s the moon of the Cosmos” in a sleepy tone that juxtaposes the chaos brewing on his doorstep among his longtime friends. The moon becomes a central source of the plot to come.
4
“Don’t mess with where you eat”
Said by Rose Castorini
One of the film’s many important meeting points is the Grand Ticino restaurant, where Johnny originally proposed to Loretta. While Loretta and Ronny are at the Metropolitan Opera (where they meet Cosmo and his lover), Rose goes to the neighborhood restaurant. to have dinner alone. Witnessing Perry, a New York University professor, being dramatically abandoned once again, she invites him to eat with her and learn her story.
It is then revealed that Perry always hangs out with her college students, and their age differences often end in heartbreak and disaster. When he wonders why this toxic habit continues to produce the same negative results, Loretta offers him some words of wisdom from her mother: “Don’t mess with where you eat.” As Perry continues to mix work and pleasure, he never finds the right relationship, and Rose’s brutal honesty puts him in his place. As much of the dialogue in hallucinatedthe quick-witted pacing and crisp delivery sustain its comedic effect.
3
“Loretta, I love you. Not like they said love is, and I didn’t know it either, but love doesn’t make things good – it ruins everything. It breaks your heart. It makes things a mess.”
Said by Ronny Cammareri
Every good romantic comedy must have a memorable love confession. As Loretta and Ronny drive home from the Metropolitan Opera, Loretta laments her complicated situation. She fears betraying Johnny and breaking up with him because of her estranged brother. She initially promises to go to the opera with Ronny as their last date, but naturally he tries to convince her otherwise. Ronny feels like she’s settling for his brother and wants to change that.
This scene is one of Cage’s most moving moments in hallucinated and that makes it a deeply relatable tale across generations. Love isn’t always something that comes silently, and the film The extremely humorous approach to relationships is perfectly encapsulated in these (almost) parting words. Of course, this speech is what convinces Loretta to continue her relationship with Ronny.
2
“You… you have a love bite on your neck. He’s coming back this morning, what’s the matter with you? Your life is going down the toilet!”
Said by Rose Castorini
Before Loretta can explain her dilemma with Ronny, Rose reveals that Johnny arrived early from Sicily in search of Loretta, as his mother had made a miraculous recovery. However, Rose discovers the situation for herself when she notices a “love bite” on Loretta’s neck. The film’s messy conclusion is near, and this moment reminds viewers that despite Loretta’s determination, even she managed to get herself into a romantic mess.
The ridiculous delivery of “Your life is going down the drain” solidifies the irony of the scene as a whole. While everything is falling apart, Loretta feels more herself than she has since her husband’s death, and she may have met the true love of her life. She now feels comfortable trying new experiences, from opera performances to a new haircut. The scene perfectly sets up Ronny’s dramatic final act.
1
“Mom, I love him so much.”
Said by Loretta Castorini
Johnny bursts in, breaking off his engagement to Loretta, believing it will be more bad luck after his mother only recovered upon learning of his engagement. Ronny then takes the opportunity to ask Loretta to marry him, without opposition from Johnny, since his superstitions prevent him from insisting on the matter. This allows the film’s conflict to be resolved easily. Loretta accepts and Rose asks if she loves him. Loreta says: “Mom, I love him so much” to what Rose says “That’s really bad.”
The scene is a callback to an earlier moment in the film, when Rose asks Loretta if she loved Johnny, to which she replies no. Rose then says, “Ggood, When you love them, they drive you crazy because they know they can.” This underscores the film’s biggest theme, the endless complications that come with being in love. As viewers can see, Ronny did drive Loretta crazy during the film’s twists and turns, but hallucinated concludes that she loves him despite this.