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Goodfellas

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GoodFellas
Company typeFilm
IndustryMotion picture
Founded1990; 36 years ago (1990)
FounderMartin Scorsese, Nicholas Pileggi, Irwin Winkler
ProductsBiographical gangster film

GoodFellas (presented as GoodFellas) is a 1990 American biographical film and gangster film directed by Martin Scorsese, with a screenplay by Nicholas Pileggi and Scorsese, and produced by Irwin Winkler. The movie is an adaptation of Pileggi's 1985 nonfiction work Wiseguy, featuring performances by Robert De Niro, Ray Liotta, Joe Pesci, Lorraine Bracco, and Paul Sorvino. It depicts the ascent and decline of Mafia associate Henry Hill along with his associates from 1955 through 1980.

Initially named Wise Guy, the film project experienced delays before being renamed Goodfellas. To prepare for their roles, De Niro, Pesci, and Liotta engaged with Pileggi and drew upon his research. Scorsese promoted improvisation during rehearsals and later incorporated selected spontaneous lines into the shooting script.

The film debuted at the 47th Venice International Film Festival on September 9, 1990, where Scorsese received the Silver Lion for Best Director. Warner Bros. released it in the United States on September 19. With a $25 million budget, it earned $47 million at the box office and achieved widespread critical praise. Often regarded as a pinnacle in Scorsese’s oeuvre, it secured six Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture and Best Director, with Pesci winning Best Supporting Actor. Additionally, it won five British Academy Film Awards such as Best Film and Best Director, and was honored as best film of the year by various critics’ organizations.

Recognized as one of cinema’s finest achievements—particularly within the gangster genre—Goodfellas was inducted into the National Film Registry in 2000 for its cultural, historical, and artistic importance. Its narrative style and themes have significantly influenced many later works.

Plot

In 1955, young Henry Hill becomes captivated by Mafia life in Brooklyn’s East New York Italian-American community. He begins working under local caporegime Paulie Cicero alongside associates Jimmy Conway, an Irish-American criminal, and Tommy DeVito, a fellow troublemaker. Henry starts off as a fence for Jimmy but gradually escalates to more serious offenses.

During the 1960s, the trio excels in hijacking cars and stealing cargo trucks from JFK Airport, culminating in the notable Air France Robbery. They enjoy frequent visits to the Copacabana nightclub, relishing a luxurious lifestyle. Henry dates Karen Friedman, a Jewish woman who eventually marries him despite her family’s objections.

In 1970, after Billy Batts—a made man in the Gambino crime family—insults Tommy at Henry’s nightclub, Tommy and Jimmy murder Batts. Aware that this unauthorized killing will provoke retaliation, they bury his body in Upstate New York. When construction threatens to disturb the site months later, they exhume and move the remains.

By 1974, tensions grow as Karen confronts Henry’s mistress Janice. Henry moves in with Janice but returns to Karen following a debt collection trip to Tampa with Jimmy. Both are arrested after an FBI informant tips off authorities and receive ten-year sentences. To support their family during incarceration, Henry has Karen smuggle drugs from Pittsburgh for sale inside prison.

Released on parole after four years, Henry expands his cocaine operations alongside Jimmy and Tommy despite Paulie’s disapproval. Jimmy orchestrates the lucrative Lufthansa vault raid at JFK Airport, stealing six million dollars. When some crew members flaunt their stolen money against orders and police discover their getaway vehicle, Jimmy orders most of them killed—sparing only Henry and Tommy due to their usefulness. However, Tommy is later assassinated during a staged initiation ceremony as revenge for Batts’ murder.

By 1980, Henry’s cocaine addiction fuels paranoia. After arranging a drug deal with Pittsburgh contacts, he is apprehended. During an FBI raid, Karen destroys $60,000 worth of cocaine, leaving them financially devastated. Feeling betrayed and viewing Henry as a liability, Paulie severs ties and gives him $3,200.

Suspicious of Jimmy’s request to carry out a hit job, Henry opts to become an informant and enters the witness protection program with his family. His testimony results in convictions of Paulie and Jimmy. Relocated to an undisclosed location, Henry laments abandoning his chaotic gangster lifestyle for a mundane existence as a "schnook."

Development

Goodfellas draws from the book Wiseguy by New York crime journalist Nicholas Pileggi. Although initially reluctant to direct another Mafia-themed movie, Martin Scorsese became intrigued by Pileggi’s candid depiction of mobsters while working on The Color of Money in 1986. He imagined the film opening abruptly and then rapidly accelerating to convey the thrilling pace of that lifestyle.

Scorsese reached out to Pileggi directly to express his interest in adapting the book. Although he delayed this project to helm The Last Temptation of Christ in 1988, he admired the documentary-like approach of Wiseguy, which revealed the inner workings and motivations behind organized crime.

He regarded Goodfellas as part of an unofficial trilogy examining Italian-American experiences from different angles, fundamentally viewing it as a narrative centered on money—the essential element of mob operations. Two weeks prior to shooting, Henry Hill himself was compensated $480,000.

Screenplay

Scorsese joined forces with Pileggi to write the screenplay, producing 12 drafts before finalizing the script. They extracted preferred passages from the book and assembled them in a modular fashion, with Scorsese convincing Pileggi to forgo a conventional linear storyline. The director structured the film episodically, beginning mid-story and moving both backward and forward in time, condensing scenes for greater effect. Narration was added, influenced by François Truffaut’s Jules and Jim and techniques from the French New Wave cinema. This project marked Scorsese’s first screenplay co-credit since Mean Streets.

Several real-life mobster names were changed: Tommy DeSimone became Tommy DeVito, Paul Vario was renamed Paulie Cicero, and Jimmy Burke was called Jimmy Conway. The initial working title was Wise Guy, but it was altered to Goodfellas to prevent confusion with other contemporary films using similar names.

Casting

Obtaining Robert De Niro for the role of Jimmy Conway was instrumental in securing funding for the film. Ray Liotta, captivated by Pileggi’s book, aggressively sought the part of Henry Hill despite Warner Bros.’ preference for a more established actor. Scorsese ultimately cast Liotta after viewing his work in Jonathan Demme’s Something Wild. Al Pacino and John Malkovich were considered for Conway’s role, while Sean Penn, Alec Baldwin, Val Kilmer, and Tom Cruise were among those considered for Henry Hill.

De Niro prepared by reviewing Pileggi’s research materials and frequently communicating with Hill to study his mannerisms. Liotta listened extensively to FBI recordings of Hill to mimic his speech patterns. Madonna was considered for Karen Hill but the role went to Lorraine Bracco, who chose not to meet the real Karen in order to create her own interpretation. Paul Sorvino found embodying his character’s emotional coldness challenging despite easily adopting his voice and gait.

Former Eastern District of New York prosecutor Edward A. McDonald appeared as himself in an unscripted scene depicting a discussion about entering the Witness Protection Program. Cast spontaneously during a location scout visit, McDonald improvised key dialogue, enhancing the film’s realism.

Photography

Filming took place on-site across Queens, Upstate New York, New Jersey, and sections of Long Island during the spring and summer months of 1989, with a production budget of $25 million. Scorsese wrapped up principal photography on August 14th. Due to the film's intricate approach, he extensively storyboarded scenes, aiming to maintain fluid motion that gradually deteriorates, symbolizing Henry's psychological breakdown.

Scorsese’s visual style drew heavily from the opening sequence of Jules and Jim, incorporating abundant narration, rapid editing, freeze frames, and frequent changes in setting to reflect the gangsters' defiant nature. He adopted a dynamic and intense visual method designed to immerse viewers in detailed imagery, using freeze frames to emphasize key turning points in Henry’s narrative.

Joe Pesci portrayed his role without passing judgment but found emotionally intense moments—such as the scene involving Spider’s death—particularly difficult until he fully embraced Tommy’s perspective. Bracco described the filming experience as emotionally demanding due to the predominantly male cast and stressed her efforts to make her character impactful enough to avoid being cut. She likened her character’s circumstances to those of an abused spouse.

Improvisation was integral to the production; Scorsese encouraged actors to explore their roles during rehearsals, later incorporating favored lines into the final script. The memorable "Funny how? Do I amuse you?" exchange was inspired by Pesci’s actual encounter with a mobster while working as a waiter. Pesci and Liotta improvised extensively during rehearsals, with Scorsese refining their dialogue over multiple takes.

The dinner scene featuring Tommy's mother—portrayed by Scorsese's own mother—was largely unscripted, containing only a single scripted line. The painting featured in this scene was crafted by Nicholas Pileggi's mother, drawing inspiration from a National Geographic photograph. Although Pesci’s character shares a name with his musician friend Tommy DeVito, there is no direct connection beyond that. The cast met Henry Hill just weeks before the film’s premiere; Liotta had a private meeting with Hill, who expressed his approval of the movie.

The Copacabana nightclub tracking shot emerged from restrictions at the location, necessitating a longer path that Scorsese captured in one uninterrupted take to symbolize Henry’s allure toward Karen and his new lifestyle. This sequence required eight takes due to multiple line errors.

Scorsese found filming Henry's final day as a criminal particularly challenging, concentrating on conveying his drug-induced anxiety and paranoia. In an interview with Mark Cousins, Scorsese revealed that Pesci’s final direct look at the camera pays homage to The Great Train Robbery, underscoring that criminal narratives remain consistent over time. The film concludes with Henry lamenting his loss of status as a wise guy—a moment crafted to evoke frustration toward both him and the system responsible for his downfall.

Post-production

Scorsese intended to depict the film's violence as "detached, brutal, and chilling," but was compelled to cut 10 frames of blood to achieve an R rating from the MPAA. At the time, Goodfellas represented Scorsese's highest-budget project, though it remained moderate by Hollywood standards.

For the first time in his career, Warner Bros. insisted that Scorsese hold test screenings. During two previews in California, viewers responded intensely to Henry’s final day as a gangster—a sequence carefully crafted by Scorsese and editor Thelma Schoonmaker. In one screening, forty attendees exited within the initial ten minutes. The scene featuring "Funny like a clown? Do I amuse you?" was particularly well-received by test audiences.

Soundtrack

The film forgoes a traditional score; instead, Scorsese curated tracks that subtly reflect the mood or characters. All selections were either contemporary with or predating the scenes they accompany. Numerous silent scenes were filmed with music playback; for instance, "Layla" by Derek and the Dominos played during the filming of the scene where dead bodies are discovered. Occasionally, lyrics were interspersed between dialogue lines to deepen narrative effect. While some songs were planned beforehand, others were found during post-production.

Theatrical

Goodfellas had its debut at the 47th Venice International Film Festival, where Scorsese received the Silver Lion for best director. It then opened broadly across North America on September 21, 1990.

Home media

The movie first became available on DVD in March 1997 as a single-disc, double-sided release requiring users to flip the disc. In 2004, Warner Home Video issued a two-disc dual-layer edition featuring remastered visuals and sound, along with bonus content such as commentary tracks.

A single-disc Blu-ray edition followed in early 2007, including features from the 2004 release; an expanded 20th anniversary Blu-ray edition was released on February 16, 2010, adding the documentary Public Enemies: The Golden Age of the Gangster Film. A 25th anniversary edition appeared on May 5, 2015. The film was also released on 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray on December 6, 2016. These anniversary editions included collections of Merrie Melodies and Looney Tunes shorts like I Like Mountain Music (1933) and Bugs and Thugs (1954).

Box office

In its opening weekend, Goodfellas earned $6.3 million across 1,070 theaters, securing the top spot at the box office. The following weekend it collected $5.9 million from 1,291 venues, experiencing only an 8% decline and ranking second behind Pacific Heights. The film ultimately grossed $46.8 million domestically.

Critical response

On Rotten Tomatoes, 94% of 166 critics offered positive reviews, with an average score of 9.00/10. The consensus describes it as "a hard-hitting and stylish gangster masterpiece," representing a pinnacle in Martin Scorsese's career. Metacritic assigned it a weighted score of 92/100 based on 21 reviews, signaling "universal acclaim." Audience polling by CinemaScore resulted in an average grade of A−.

Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times awarded four stars and declared it "the finest film ever made about organized crime—even surpassing The Godfather." Gene Siskel from the Chicago Tribune lauded the performances—especially Joe Pesci's—and named it among the year's best films. Both critics selected it as their top film of 1990.

Vincent Canby of The New York Times emphasized the ensemble cast and Scorsese’s use of techniques such as freeze frames and extended tracking shots as essential to its powerful effect. USA Today gave four stars, calling it "great cinema—and an absolute thrill."

David Ansen from Newsweek remarked that every moment "pulsates with outlaw energy." Rex Reed described it as "grand, rich, potent and explosive," ranking it among Scorsese’s finest works. Richard Corliss of Time praised it as Scorsese’s crowning achievement, delivering one of the fastest and sharpest two-and-a-half-hour cinematic experiences in recent memory.

Rankings and Recognitions

Roger Ebert, Gene Siskel, and Peter Travers each named the film as the top release of 1990. Among a group of 80 film critics, Goodfellas was selected as the year's best movie by 34 participants, while Martin Scorsese earned the best director distinction on 45 ballots.

On the AFI's 100 Years...100 Movies (10th Anniversary Edition) list from 2007, Goodfellas holds the No. 92 position. The Motion Picture Editors Guild placed it fifteenth in their 2012 survey of best-edited films. In the same year, the Sight & Sound directors' poll ranked it 48th among all-time greatest films; by 2022, it climbed to 28th in directors' rankings and tied for 63rd in critics' polls alongside classics such as Casablanca and The Third Man.

James Berardinelli positioned Goodfellas at number 39 on his 2014 list of top 100 films. That year, WhatCulture acknowledged Joe Pesci’s portrayal as one of the "10 Most Convincing Movie Psychopath Performances." In 2015, the BBC placed the film at number 20 on its "100 Greatest American Films" list, determined by international film critics. Additionally, the February 2020 issue of New York Magazine featured Goodfellas among "The Best Movies That Lost Best Picture at the Oscars."

Honors and Awards

Among a select group of eight films—including Nashville, Pulp Fiction, and The Hurt Locker—Goodfellas has won Best Picture honors from three of the four major U.S. film critics' organizations (LA, NY, and NSFC).

Award Category Nominee Result
Academy Award Best Picture Irwin Winkler Template:Nom
Best Director Martin Scorsese Template:Nom
Best Supporting Actor Joe Pesci Template:Won
Best Supporting Actress Lorraine Bracco Template:Nom
Best Adapted Screenplay Martin Scorsese and Nicholas Pileggi Template:Nom
Best Film Editing Thelma Schoonmaker Template:Nom
Golden Globe Award Best Motion Picture – Drama Martin Scorsese and Irwin Winkler Template:Nom
Best Director Martin Scorsese Template:Nom
Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture Joe Pesci Template:Nom
Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture Lorraine Bracco Template:Nom
Best Screenplay Martin Scorsese and Nicholas Pileggi Template:Nom
British Academy Film Award Best Film Martin Scorsese and Irwin Winkler Template:Won
Best Director Martin Scorsese Template:Won
Best Adapted Screenplay Martin Scorsese and Nicholas Pileggi Template:Won
Best Actor in a Leading Role Robert De Niro Template:Nom
Best Editing Thelma Schoonmaker Template:Won
Best Cinematography Michael Ballhaus Template:Nom
Best Costume Design Richard Bruno Template:Won

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Directors Guild of America Award Outstanding Directing – Feature Film: Martin Scorsese (nominee)

Writers Guild of America Award Best Adapted Screenplay: Martin Scorsese and Nicholas Pileggi (nominee)

César Award Best Non-French Film: Martin Scorsese and Irwin Winkler (nominee)

Venice Film Festival Silver Lion for Best Director: Martin Scorsese (winner) Audience Award: Martin Scorsese (winner) Filmcritica "Bastone Bianco" Award: Martin Scorsese (winner)

New York Film Critics Circle Award Best Film: Martin Scorsese and Irwin Winkler (winner) Best Director: Martin Scorsese (winner) Best Actor: Robert De Niro (winner)

Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award Best Film: Martin Scorsese and Irwin Winkler (winner) Best Director: Martin Scorsese (winner) Best Supporting Actor: Joe Pesci (winner) Best Supporting Actress: Lorraine Bracco (winner) Best Cinematography: Michael Ballhaus (winner)

National Board of Review Award Best Supporting Actor: Joe Pesci (winner)

Boston Society of Film Critics Award Best Film: Martin Scorsese and Irwin Winkler (winner) Best Director: Martin Scorsese (winner) Best Supporting Actor: Joe Pesci (winner)

Chicago Film Critics Association Award Best Film: Martin Scorsese and Irwin Winkler (winner) Best Director: Martin Scorsese (winner) Best Supporting Actor: Joe Pesci (winner) Best Supporting Actress: Lorraine Bracco (winner) Best Screenplay: Martin Scorsese and Nicholas Pileggi (winner)

National Society of Film Critics Award Best Film: Martin Scorsese and Irwin Winkler (winner) Best Director: Martin Scorsese (winner)

Bodil Award Best American Film: Martin Scorsese and Irwin Winkler (winner)

Legacy

Goodfellas holds the No. 94 position on the American Film Institute's "100 Years, 100 Movies" ranking, improving to No. 92 in the 2007 10th Anniversary Edition. In June 2008, it was ranked No. 2 on AFI's AFI's 10 Top 10 list of greatest gangster films, surpassed only by The Godfather. The film was also selected by the United States Library of Congress for preservation in the National Film Registry due to its cultural significance.

Roger Ebert described Goodfellas as the "finest mob movie ever made" and included it among his top ten films of the 1990s. A 2002 critics' poll conducted by Sight & Sound in the UK placed it at No. 4 among the best films released in the prior 25 years. It was featured in Time magazine’s All-Time 100 Movies list, and ranked No. 6 on Empire’s "500 Greatest Movies Of All Time." Additionally, Total Film named it the greatest film ever produced.

Joe Pesci’s portrayal of Tommy DeVito was ranked No. 96 on Premiere’s "100 Greatest Movie Characters" and placed at No. 59 by Empire. This character is widely recognized as one of cinema’s most unforgiving and ruthless figures.

The movie had a significant impact on HBO’s acclaimed series The Sopranos, with creator David Chase acknowledging Goodfellas as a major influence on its authentic tone and style. Remarkably, 27 actors from the film also appeared in the series, including Lorraine Bracco and Michael Imperioli.

To commemorate its 20th anniversary in July 2010, a private screening took place at New York’s Museum of the American Gangster, hosted by Henry Hill himself. In January 2012, AMC announced plans to develop a television adaptation involving original writer Nicholas Pileggi and producer Irwin Winkler.

Luc Besson’s 2013 film The Family includes a scene that pays homage to Goodfellas. ESPN’s documentary series 30 for 30 presented "Playing for the Mob" in 2014, which detailed a point-shaving scandal involving Hill and his associates; narrated by Ray Liotta, it contains several references to the film.

For its 25th anniversary in 2015, a remastered edition of Goodfellas closed the Tribeca Film Festival. Since 2020, AMC has incorporated a content warning before airing the film, addressing language and cultural stereotypes considered inappropriate by contemporary standards—contrasting with the more general advisory used for The Godfather.

American Film Institute Lists

See also

Notes

Although based on actual events, certain discrepancies exist between reality and film portrayal. For instance, Thomas DeSimone, who inspired Tommy DeVito, was notably taller, younger, and more physically imposing.[1]

Furthermore, while Billy Batts likely provoked Tommy with insults, the primary reason for the assault stemmed from Jimmy Burke’s objective to take over Batts' loan shark operation in Queens.[2].

The behind-the-scenes featurette for the film debuted in spring 1990 on Cinemax’s Beyond the Screen, hosted by Matt Lauer among others.

Bibliography

External links

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