From Moonstruck to Mother: Wild Performances That Made Us Fall in Love with Acting

Welcome back to The Film Library, a Kanopy podcast where we celebrate incredible films, hidden gems, and iconic performances - all streaming free with your library card. This week, hosts Kristy Puchko (Entertainment Editor at Mashable) and Jeff Rauseo (film fanatic and Letterboxd completionist) dive into the theme of “Acting in April,” spotlighting legendary actors, jaw-dropping performances, and award snubs that still sting. From Cher and Cage’s chaotic romance in Moonstruck to Willem Dafoe’s career of Oscar-worthy transformations, Kristy and Jeff swap picks and hot takes. This episode has everything from scene-stealing British dames and disturbing child villains to Jennifer Lawrence spiraling in Mother and Margot Robbie body-slamming her way out of typecasting in I, Tonya. This is your all-access pass to performances that go big, go weird, and go straight to your watchlist. Follow Kristy on Instagram @thekristypuchko and on Letterboxd @kristypuchko.  You can find Jeff on Instagram, TikTok, and Letterboxd @jeffrauseo.  Don’t forget to follow Kanopy on Letterboxd to see the full episode list—and stream every film we mention for free at kanopy.com with your library or university card. 🎞️ Episode Highlights 00:52 — Jeff kicks things off with Willem Dafoe: Four Oscar noms, zero wins. Justice for The Florida Project! 02:20 — Kristy shouts out Joan Cusack and the camp brilliance of Addams Family Values 05:37 — Kristy goes full psycho-biddy with What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? 08:14 — Jeff unpacks Mother (2017) and Jennifer Lawrence’s fearless, full-send performance 10:45 — Moonstruck gets the love it deserves: Cher + Nic Cage = cinema magic 14:40 — Margot Robbie shocks in I, Tonya, proving she’s far more than The Wolf of Wall Street’s bombshell 17:15 — Kristy serves up tea with legends in Tea with the Dames 19:10 — Jeff pays tribute to comedy royalty with the Chris Farley doc I Am Chris Farley 21:03 — Kristy brings the heat with Glengarry Glen Ross and Al Pacino’s layered legacy 23:45 — Jeff spotlights Denzel Washington in Fences and Flight—and yes, he named a cat after him 26:30 — Kristy introduces The Bad Seed, a chilling performance so intense they changed the ending 29:44 — Jeff ends on Possession (1981), a movie so unhinged it might haunt you—in a good way