Goodfellas (1990)

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

Director:

Martin Scorsese

Writers:

Nicholas Pileggi (book), Nicholas Pileggi (screenplay)

Stars:

Robert De Niro, Ray Liotta, Joe Pesci

Top Rated Movies #17 | Won 1 Oscar. Another 37 wins & 32 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Robert De Niro	...	James 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 Kessler
Frank DiLeo	...	Tuddy Cicero
Henny Youngman	...	Henny Youngman
Gina Mastrogiacomo	...	Janice Rossi
Catherine Scorsese	...	Tommy's Mother
Charles Scorsese	...	Vinnie

Storyline

Henry Hill might be a small time gangster, who may have taken part in a robbery with Jimmy Conway and Tommy De Vito, two other gangsters who might have set their sights a bit higher. His two partners could kill off everyone else involved in the robbery, and slowly start to think about climbing up through the hierarchy of the Mob. Henry, however, might be badly affected by his partners' success, but will he consider stooping low enough to bring about the downfall of Jimmy and Tommy?

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Plot Keywords:

gangster | organized crime | mafia | betrayal | robbery | 

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Taglines:

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

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Genres:

Biography | Crime | Drama

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Certificate:

R

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook

Country:

USA

Language:

English Italian

Release Date:

21 September 1990 (USA)

Also Known As:

Good Fellas

Filming Locations:

19 Alfred Lane, New Rochelle, New York, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$25,000,000 (estimated)

Gross:

$46,836,394 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Warner Bros.

Technical Specs

Runtime:

146 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Like almost every other film or TV show to portray the Mafia after 1990, The Simpsons (1989)'s writers, producers, and animators probably took some cues from the film when constructing their very own mob crew with Fat Tony and his gang. In October of 2014, Frank Sivero-who played the ill-fated Frankie Carbone-filed a whopping $250 million lawsuit against the the series for appropriating his looks and mannerisms when creating a little-seen Springfield mob associate named Louie.

According to Sivero, The Simpsons writers lifted his likeness while living next door to him in Sherman Oaks in 1989, the year before Goodfellas's release. Louie debuted on the show during the 1991 episode "Bart the Murderer," and as of this year had appeared in 21 Simpsons episodes in total.

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Goofs

Early in the movie, when young Henry's father beats him with a belt, the boy clearly has some sort protective padding under his shirt.

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Quotes

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

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Connections

Spoofed in Animaniacs: Hooked on a Ceiling/Goodfeathers: The Beginning (1993)

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Soundtracks

Firenze Sogna
Written by Cesare Cesarini (as Cesarini)
Performed by Giuseppe Di Stefano
Courtesy of London Records, a Division of PolyGram Records, Inc.

User Reviews

In one word: perfection

Needs to be seen to be believed; in one word: perfection. Every frame, every voice-over, every song - it all comes together at the exact right moment to create the perfect film experience. This film makes you really understand and feel what makes the American mafia so compelling; in the eyes of a kid, who was unfortunate enough to grow up in a tough neighborhood, those gangsters are rock stars. Live fast, die young - but when you die, it ain't gonna be of a glamorous suicide or drug overdose - the ending will be brutal, ugly and sad. And it may very well be one of your best friends that will blow your brains out.

I'll never get tired of watching Goodfellas; the entertainment value of this film is just amazing. It doesn't happen very often that every person involved in the process of making a film is at the peak of his/her game. And rarely do art and entertainment come together the way they did here. Storytelling with impeccable pacing, this is what it's like when a master composer conducts his masterpiece. All hail the king; the most versatile and talented filmmaker of his generation: Martin Scorsese.

My vote: 10 out of 10

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In an ideal world, movies would be made without the aim for a certain rating. This article sums up why this is so important:

www.the-fanboy-perspective.com/the-importance-of-the-r-rating.html