Classic 90s Movie: “Goodfellas”
May is Classic 90s Movie month. Today’s guest post comes from John Saraka.
Movie Title: Goodfellas
Year: 1990
Writers: Screenplay by Martin Scorsese and Nicholas Pileggi; based on the book Wiseguy by Nicholas Pileggi
Lead Actors: Ray Liotta, Robert De Niro, Joe Pesci
Director: Martin Scorsese
IMDB Plot Summary: Henry Hill and his wiseguy associates lead lives of crime and excess while working their way up the mob hierarchy. Based on a true story.
Why I Think This Is A Classic 90s Movies: Goodfellas was regarded as an instant classic from the moment it was released in 1990, thanks in large part to the brilliant writing and directing of Martin Scorsese and an incredible cast of actors all turning in career-defining performances. Scorsese creates a compelling cinematic experience by juxtaposing warm family scenes and good natured banter amongst the mob’s inner-circle with intense bursts of extreme violence and betrayal. Speaking of good natured banter, the dialogue in Goodfellas is truly top-notch — some of the best ever captured on screen, in my opinion.
Goodfellas stands the test of time not only because of its greatness as a film, but for its lasting appeal as a cultural talking point. The movie shines on many levels thematically, but at its core is really the story of a perverse version of the American dream. Its focus on shadowy entrepreneurship and the endless pursuit of money and power endears it to many subcultures to this day. Goodfellas set the bar for mafia movies when it was released, and influenced countless creative works coming after it (Sopranos, anybody?) If that’s not the definition of a classic, it’s hard to say what is.
My Favorite Moment In The Movie: A movie this well made has tons of great moments to choose from — one could ask a dozen different viewers to name a favorite and not receive the same answer twice. My gold star would have to go to the infamous shinebox scene between Tommy and Billy Batts, with Frank Vincent (Billy Batts) expertly slow playing the line that sets Joe Pesci’s character off.
Of special note is the exchange between Henry and Tommy after the group is done beating Billy to a pulp. The usually remorseless Tommy is clearly shaken before apologizing about the blood on Henry’s floor, perhaps realizing the potential repercussions of killing a “made” man — a justifiable fear given what happens later on in the film.
My Favorite Dialogue In the Movie: Some of my favorite dialogue from Goodfellas comes from the sharp humor written into several of the more violent scenes in the movie. The first example is when Tommy and Frankie arrive to take care of Stacks Edwards (the first in a long line of characters played by Samuel L. Jackson who winds up on the wrong end of something deadly.)
Stacks Edwards: What time is it?
Tommy DeVito: It’s eleven thirty, we’re supposed to be there by nine.
Stacks Edwards: Be ready in a minute.
Tommy DeVito: Yeah, you were always fuckin’ late, you were late for your own fuckin’ funeral.
[shoots him]
Here’s another Tommy and Frankie scene that plays on the group’s casual attitude regarding these types of inevitabilities — with hilarious results:
Tommy DeVito: [about Morrie’s corpse] Hey Frank, let’s chop him up.
Frankie Carbone: All right.
[starts to get out of the car]
Tommy DeVito: Where you going? Where you going, you dizzy motherfucker, you?
Frankie Carbone: I thought you said chop him up.
Tommy DeVito: At Charlie’s, not here!
[Carbone mumbles to himself in Italian]
Tommy DeVito: Come on, what are you doing? Let’s get the fuck outta here. I got a better shot at letting him
[points to Morrie’s corpse]
Tommy DeVito: fucking drive. What are you waiting for?
Frankie Carbone: The car’s cold.
Tommy DeVito: Get the fuck outta here! What fucking warming up? Get outta here!
Also worth mentioning is perhaps the most poignant line in the whole movie, after Paulie turns his back on Henry when Henry needs him most.
Henry Hill: [narrating] Thirty-two hundred bucks. That’s what he gave me. Thirty-two hundred bucks for a lifetime. It wasn’t even enough to pay for the coffin.
Key Things You Should Look For When Watching This Movie
— Scorsese gave his actors room to improvise throughout, and many of the best scenes in the movie are a result of the cast reworking the written dialogue to make it their own. Joe Pesci proved to be particular adept at this, with the famous “funny guy” scene not even being a part of the original screenplay. Just goes to show the feeling of authenticity a film can achieve when the filmmaking process is a truly collaborative one between the writer, director and principal performers.
— Although remembered as a brutally violent film, “only” ten people actually die on screen in Goodfellas. I think this serves as a good lesson for writers everywhere. Excessive body counts could have desensitized the audience to violence, but each death in Goodfellas was brutally unique and filmed with cold objectivity, leaving a far more lasting impression in the minds of viewers.
— Note that the film doesn’t follow the traditional narrative format and lacks a true three act structure. Goodfellas is instead filled with shorter kinetic scenes, with lots of fluid tracking shots and short bursts of dialogue throughout. Scorsese has been quoted as saying he wanted the film to feel like one long movie trailer, and I don’t think that characterization is far off the mark.
Thanks, John! To show our gratitude for your guest post, here’s a dash of creative juju for you. Whoosh!
We already have a set of 80s Movies. This month we cover 90s movies. So thanks to all of you for your participation in this project, creating a resource for writers, movies they should watch to help learn the craft of screenwriting!
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