Goodfellas (1990)

User Rating:

8.8/10   

Director:

Martin Scorsese

Writers (WGA):

Nicholas Pileggi (book)
Nicholas Pileggi (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

19 September 1990 (USA)

Genre:

Biography | Crime | Drama | Thriller

Tagline:

"As far back as I can remember, I've always wanted to be a gangster." -- Henry Hill, Brooklyn, N.Y. 1955.

Plot:

Henry Hill and his friends work their way up through the mob hierarchy.

Plot Keywords:

Gangster | New York | Mafia | Robbery | Organized Crime

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 32 wins & 18 nominations

Cast

Robert De Niro	...	James 'Jimmy' Conway
Ray Liotta	...	Henry Hill
Joe Pesci	...	Tommy DeVito
Lorraine Bracco	...	Karen Hill
Paul Sorvino	...	Paul Cicero
Frank Sivero	...	Frankie Carbone
Tony Darrow	...	Sonny Bunz
Mike Starr	...	Frenchy
Frank Vincent	...	Billy Batts
Chuck Low	...	Morris 'Morrie' Kessler
Frank DiLeo	...	Tuddy Cicero
Henny Youngman	...	Himself
Gina Mastrogiacomo	...	Janice Rossi
Catherine Scorsese	...	Tommy's Mother
Charles Scorsese	...	Vinnie

Also Known As:

Good Fellas (USA) (original script title)
GoodFellas (USA) (promotional title (video box title) (poster title))
Wiseguy (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

146 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Italian

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR

Certification:

Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Canada:PA (Manitoba) | Canada:R (Nova Scotia/Ontario) | Iceland:16 | Brazil:14 | USA:R (certificate #30613) | Israel:16 | India:A | Poland:18 | Argentina:18 | Australia:R | Chile:18 | Finland:K-16 | France:-16 | Germany:16 | Hong Kong:IIB | Italy:VM14 | Japan:PG-12 | Netherlands:16 | New Zealand:R16 | Norway:18 | Peru:18 | Portugal:M/16 | Singapore:M18 | South Korea:18 | Spain:18 | Sweden:15 | Switzerland:16 (canton of Bern) | UK:18

Filming Locations:

2409 Thirty Second Street, Astoria, Queens, New York City, New York, USA

Company:

Warner Bros. Pictures

Trivia:

It was claimed that at the time the real life gangster Jimmy Burke was so happy to have Robert De Niro play him that he phoned him from prison to give him a few pointers. Author/screenwriter Nicholas Pileggi denies this, saying De Niro and Burke had never spoken, but admitting that there were men around the set all the time who had known all of the principal characters very well.

Goofs:

Factual errors: Joe Pesci's character, Tommy DeVito, is portrayed in the 1955 sequences as a boy about the same age as Henry Hill, maybe slightly older. In actuality, the real-life mobster who Pesci's character was based off was born in 1950, and he would have been 4 or 5 years old at the time these events took place.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Henry Hill: The fuck is that?

Movie Connections:

Featured in Paper Is Cheaper Than Film (2004) (V)

Soundtrack:

Layla (Piano Exit)

Pretty Great

More than often, Martin Scorsese is cited as the best American director working today. After watching Goodfellas, one can see why. Only Raging Bull can rival it, in terms of breathtaking quality. Scorsese adapting from Nicholas Pileggi's non-fiction novel Wiseguy (he helped write the screenplay), tells the story of Henry Hill (Ray Liotta), an Irish kid who as far as back he could remember, always wanted to be a gangster. This film is a rush of energy, where all the elements come together brilliantly. Scorsese's use of music provides a strong template for the action; such tunes include Gimme Shelter, Rags to Riches, Beyond the Sea, and a brilliant piano version of Layla. Out of the performances (all of which are terrific), Pesci remains the most impressive. Playing Tommy DeVito, he walks a fine line between being funny and deadly serious. As well, the camera work and editing are superlative (as with Raging Bull); there is a memorable sequence that remains one long unbroken shot. Some people may be put off by the violence and coarse language, but it seems essential in this type of movie. It works better than sugar coating everything.

Rating: **** (out of ****)