WHAT TO WATCH, READ AND LISTEN TO AT HOME

So many romantic comedies take place against a backdrop of the happy brightness of summer, or the picture- perfect colors of fall, or the sparkling whimsy of the holiday season. “Moonstruck,” playing against type, takes place in November. The skies are gray and cold, and everybody’s shivering on the Brooklyn streets in their bulky ’ 80s coats. It’s not a hopeful setting — and then it snows, just once, like magic. The snowflakes, as a character memorably ob serves, are perfect.

As is“Moon struck ,” the wistful 1987 rom-com starring an exquisite Ch er, an absurdly young Nicolas Cage and a remarkable ensemble cast. Directed by Norman Jewison from a screenplay by playwright John Patrick Shanley, it’s long been my go- to movie when things seem dark, and it never fails to whisk me away into a place of love, laughter, warmth and screwball dialogue.

Considering the state of things these days, I think we all need “Moonstruck” right about now. ( Clearly the Criterion Collection thinks so; it has released the movie on a special edition DVD.)

Cher, who won an Oscar for her performance here, plays Loretta Castorini, a widowed bookkeeper in her late 30s who l ives with her parents, Rose and Cosmo ( Olympia Dukakis, Vincent Gardenia), and is determined to change her luck. Toward that end, she accepts a marriage proposal from her unexciting gentleman companion Johnny Cammareri ( Danny Aiello) who asks her, as he boards a plane t o Palermo, to contact his estranged younger brother Ronny ( Cage) and invite him to the wedding. She does so, and anyone who’s ever seen a rom- com can guess what happens next.

“Moonstruck” is a rare movie that can both move you with its beauty, and constantly make you laugh. The final scene, in which two extended families gather in the Castorini kitchen, is a small masterpiece of comedy. Ultimately, though, “Moonstruck” is a triumph of love, both old and new. “We are here to ruin ourselves and break our hearts and love the wrong people and die!” implores Ronny, standing with Loretta in that perfect moonlit snow, and somehow it seems like the most romantic declaration you’ve ever heard. Everyone, this wise film reminds us, looks beautiful in moonlight. ■ Directed by Norman Jewison, 1987, 103 minutes, rated PG. Available on DVD/ Blu- Ray from The Criterion Collection ( King County Library System has an older DVD version; also try Scarecrow Video or Reckless Video); streaming on Showtime, Amazon Prime, itunes, Youtube.

BOULEVARD/ CORBIS VIA GETTY IMAGES/ TNS SUNSET American actress and singer Cher and actor Nicolas Cage on the set of “Moonstruck.”