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1* AdaptationDisplacement: Partly because the movie's title was changed to avoid confusion with [[Series/{{Wiseguy}} the TV series of the same name]], a lot of people don't realize it's based on a book.
2* AlternateCharacterInterpretation:
3** Was Henry's drug mule just that stupid to make a phone call from within the house, despite repeated instructions not to? Did she really need to get her lucky hat right at the last minute? Or was she an informant?
4** Did the Lufthansa Heist crew get whacked out of paranoia, or was Jimmy always planning on killing them? Stacks, Johnny Roastbeef and Frank Carbone’s murders can be somewhat justified as they didn’t do what Jimmy told them to do, but Frenchy is also whacked with no apparent grievance, and Maury is whacked essentially for being annoying. Henry’s narration that Jimmy "loved to steal" and felt "[the Lufthansa] money was his" suggest the murders were due to the character's immorality rather than paranoia, but the filmmaking suggests growing mistrust and paranoia.
5** Was Jimmy upset over [[spoiler:Tommy’s death]] or was he upset that there wouldn’t be a made member in his crew? Or was he terrified he himself might get killed due to his involvement?
6* AluminumChristmasTrees:
7** The Hill family buys a ''literal aluminum Christmas tree'' in the late 1970s — for many viewers who grew up in the TheNineties or later, this specific film is what taught them these trees existed.
8** Jimmy Two-Times apparently has [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palilalia Palilalia]], a real speech disorder that causes people to repeat words and phrases.
9** The director himself believed that Henry's LuxuryPrisonSuite was at most, an exaggeration until actual prison guards told him otherwise.
10* AwardSnub:
11** At the UsefulNotes/{{Academy Award}}s, the movie, Creator/MartinScorsese, and Creator/LorraineBracco lost to ''Film/DancesWithWolves'', Creator/KevinCostner, and Creator/WhoopiGoldberg for Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Supporting Actress, respectively. In hindsight, ''[=GoodFellas=]'' is considered Scorsese's greatest film (and one of the greatest films ever). For some (most notably, ''Series/SiskelAndEbert''), the loss for Best Director was particularly galling. Kevin Costner was already listed as a co-producer for ''Dances With Wolves'' (the heavy frontrunner for Best Picture), so it seemed redundant for the Academy to honor him again as a Director over Scorsese, especially given how much the latter's direction was specifically praised and analyzed. To make matters worse, ''Wolves'' was Costner's film debut, and many already thought Scorsese was due for recognition after losing out for ''Film/RagingBull'' against Creator/RobertRedford and ''Ordinary People'' (coincidently enough, Redford had beaten Marty for a directorial debut, also).
12** Creator/RayLiotta wasn't even nominated. Even Scorsese was disappointed.
13** Also nominated but failing to win was Thelma Schoonmaker for Best Editing. The fast-pace editing of ''[=GoodFellas=]'' was controversial at the time but in hindsight it's considered one of the most expertly edited films of the last 30 years. In an anecdote in ''Made Men'', a book by critic Glenn Kenny on the making of the film, Schoonmaker surmises the film was penalized by voters for its multitude of continuity errors, since Scorcese and Schoonmaker would simply get the best shots and performances in a given shot, regardless if it shirked continuity with held items or the like.
14** Michael Ballhaus's cinematography wasn't nominated.
15%% Do not add CompleteMonster without a discussion in this thread https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=6vic3f9h1cy5qivsenw8llok&page=184#4577
16* CatharsisFactor: One cathartic moment is near the movie's end when Henry and Karen talk to a DA agent about going into witness protection. Henry and Karen ask what they can and can't do and try to request things, but the agent shuts them down. Throughout the film, Henry and Karen are used to getting whatever they want whenever they want. But now they're hit with the reality of their situation and told, full stop, "This is it. You have one option. Deal with it."
17* DoNotDoThisCoolThing: Despite the fact that the movie [[{{Deconstruction}} deconstructs]] many standard gangster film tropes and has something of a DownerEnding, it's still considered one of the coolest depictions of the Mafia ever put on film - by members of the Mafia themselves, even. The gangster that [=DeNiro=]'s character was based on was reportedly ''thrilled'' such a great actor was portraying him, and kept trying to get in touch with [=DeNiro=] ''from prison'' to give him pointers. Similarly, the real Henry Hill wrecked his witness protection because he couldn't resist bragging about the movie. (Not that anyone cared to kill him at that point.) Yet by the end of the movie almost the entire extended cast is either in prison, witness protection, or dead- almost universally via brutal murder, to say nothing of all the domestic abuse, paranoia, treachery, drug addiction, police investigations and violence that the characters end up going through. [[MisaimedFandom It is still loved by gangsters and wannabe gangsters]].
18* EveryoneIsJesusInPurgatory: If you search on Platform/YouTube and other sites, you'll notice that this movie has been extensively analyzed because it's filled with symbolism and allegories.
19* FandomRivalry:
20** Many fans of the movie still cannot get over it losing Best Picture to ''Film/DancesWithWolves'', along with Creator/MartinScorsese losing Best Director to Creator/KevinCostner, despite both movies standing the test of time and being great in their respective genres.
21** It also has a major rivalry with ''Film/TheGodfather'' over which is the better gangster film. Both are made by Italian-American filmmakers and have achieved PopCulturalOsmosis with much iconic catch-phrases. Supporters argue that ''Goodfellas'' is more realistic gritty and far less romantic than ''The Godfather'' since its gangsters weren't romanticized with DelusionsOfEloquence, while others argue that ''The Godfather'' on account of being stylized, especially with ''Part II'', can have an epic historical sweep over the immigration experience. A third camp argues for both films, saying that ''The Godfather'' trilogy doesn't focus on lower-ranking mobsters like ''[=GoodFellas=]'', but rather on the top level of the Mafia and where the true power of the organization is concentrated.
22** There are ''Film/MillersCrossing'' fans who don't see ''Goodfellas'' as the better film and chafe about how it didn't win any Academy Awards or get the same iconic status as ''Goodfellas'', largely due to being DuelingMovies with ''Goodfellas'' and ending up the loser.
23* GenreTurningPoint: As the TropeCodifier of the mafia genre and one of the '''most''' popular and influential movies ever made in general, even outside the mafia genre, ''Goodfellas'' is a truly {{Troperiffic}} work — nearly every single trope associated with [[TheMafia Mafia]] media is used, [[UrExample created]] or codified at some point in the film. As for the storyline, the film certainly showed the crudest side of how lower-ranking mobsters operate, particularly associates, soldiers and captains. It also gave us a more complex look of how the American Mafia operated in the 70s and early 80s, when the organization started to decline. In fact, this modern look of the American Mafia [[FollowTheLeader was key]] to the development of series such as ''Series/TheSopranos''. As for its cinematography, the film has left a lasting mark on the craft due to its innovative narrative, distinctive visual style, standout performances, and the way it redefines and revitalizes the mafia genre. The influence of ''Goodfellas'' extends beyond the mafia genre, as it has inspired numerous filmmakers and has made a lasting impact on how stories are told in contemporary cinema.
24* HilariousInHindsight:
25** Tommy wants to run a restaurant, much to the displeasure of its owner who tells Tommy that he owes him $7,000. 5 years later in ''Casino'', Joe Pesci's character, Nicky, would run a restaurant, The Leaning Tower, in Vegas and is...[[HiddenDepths surprisingly good at it]].
26** Henry's moan at the end of the film that he can no longer get decent food was belied in 2002, when he wrote his own cookbook (''The Wiseguy Cookbook'', published by New American Library, no less), detailing how you can make decent Italian-American food when you don't have access to the best and freshest ingredients like he once did. It includes recipes for the entire meal he made the night he gets arrested (veal cutlets, ziti with meat sauce and green beans with garlic and olive oil) as well as many others, including the healthier diet he adopted later in life. Yes, now you too can eat like a mobster.[[note]]Whatever you may think of Henry Hill, it's a genuinely good and useful cookbook and incidentally a fascinating window on mid-20th century Italian-American food. Henry's aunt's meatball recipe is delicious.[[/note]]
27** Jimmy's first line is referring to himself as "the Irishman". [[Film/TheIrishman Twenty-nine years later...]]
28** [[spoiler:Creator/JoePesci's character kills Creator/FrankVincent's character. In ''Casino'', Vincent's character kills Pesci's character]].
29* HypeBacklash: The sheer amount of praise the movie gets causes some people to feel underwhelmed once they actually watch it (especially people who think some of Scorsese's other films are better or those on the other side of the FandomRivalry with ''Film/TheGodfather trilogy'' or ''Film/MillersCrossing'').
30* LoveToHate:
31** Interestingly, Tommy [=DeVito=] was incredibly memorable in this film. Of course, Creator/JoePesci's great performance earned him a well-deserved Oscar.
32** Jimmy Conway as well, as played by Creator/RobertDeNiro.
33* MagnificentBastard: [[TheDon Paul "Paulie" Cicero]] is a charismatic, feared, and respected capo who runs the daily criminal dealings around New York. Using his brother's store and other partners' businesses as a front for his outfit, Paulie runs a tight ship of extortion, embezzlement and burglary, using everything from bribery to murder to keep things under wraps. Paulie stays one step ahead of law enforcement and any rival gangs, facing even prison time with nothing but grace as he continues to rule from behind bars while cooking his fellow inmates delicious meals. Though having a soft spot for some of his minions, Paulie ultimately arranges the murderous Tommy's execution and ousts the drug addict Henry from his organization as a liability, nonetheless paying Henry a hefty sum before turning his back on him.
34* MemeticMutation: Tons, with the "Do I amuse you?" scene topping the list.
35** From the same scene, the shot of Henry uproariously laughing to "You might fold under questioning" has gained traction as a reaction image to a ridiculous notion (ex: "When Californians complain about their cold weather").
36** "I'mma go get the papers, get the papers."
37** "As far back as I can remember... I always wanted to be a X"
38** Go to the comment section on any Website/YouTube video with either Joe Pesci, or Frank Vincent, (including clips from ''Film/RagingBull'', ''Film/HomeAlone'', ''Casino'' and ''Series/TheSopranos'', and even ''Film/DonnieBrasco'' which features neither actor but somewhat similar scenes) or the songs "The Boy I Love" and "Atlantis" and there's a good chance it'll be filled with "shinebox" jokes.
39** "There was nothing we could do about it... X was a made man and Y wasn't. And we had to sit still and take it. It was real greaseball shit."
40** [=DeNiro's=] "lil' bit" line during the Billy Batts scene.
41** “Fuck you. Pay me.” has become a bit of a meme in TheNewTwenties among job hunters who are sick of being offered crap pay and benefits, and sometimes no pay at all.
42* MisaimedFandom: Just like with most gangster movies, there are those who share Henry Hill's warped views of the perks of being a gangster, namely that it's better "to be a gangster [[BeingGoodSucks than a schnook]]" who waits in line.
43* MoralEventHorizon:
44** Tommy crosses it when he kills Spider.
45** Jimmy crosses it when he has his conspirators in the heist murdered, rather than share money with them.
46* OnceOriginalNowCommon: ''Goodfellas'' is one of the most widely imitated and referenced films of Scorsese's career and indeed in American cinema as a whole, so first-time viewers may find that it seems remarkably familiar. In celebration of the film's 25th anniversary, [[https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/arts-and-entertainment/wp/2015/04/29/goodfellas-is-25-heres-an-incomplete-list-of-all-the-movies-that-have-ripped-it-off/?arc404=true this article]] compiled a list of the various media that drew inspiration of one kind or another from it, including ''Series/TheSopranos'', ''Film/ReservoirDogs'', ''Film/PulpFiction'', ''Film/BoogieNights'' and ''Film/RequiemForADream''.
47** This is especially the case when it comes to younger viewers discovering the movie for the first time and it being one of the Scorsese films they check out last- it's not uncommon for said fans to [[MagnumOpusDissonance consider this among one of his weaker efforts]]- believe it or not, ''especially'' compared to ''{{Film/Casino}}'', despite there being [[GrowingTheBeard a lot of similarities between the two]] that don't exactly stop at the story.
48* OneSceneWonder:
49** Jimmy Two-Times. He only has one line, but everyone remembers it.
50--->'''Jimmy Two-Times:''' I'm gonna go get the papers, get the papers.
51** To a lesser extent, Pete the Killer from the same scene, who makes one of the best NoodleIncident lines in all of film.
52--->'''Pete the Killer:''' Hey, I took care of that thing for ya.
53** Billy Batts appears, drops his shinebox line, is killed and attains cinema immortality and memetic godhood for it.
54** Though technically she shows up a few times Tommy’s mother is certainly one of the most remembered characters in the film. The fact that the scene where Tommy, Henry, and Jimmy show up in the middle of the night had no script and was entirely improvised makes it one of the movie’s signature scenes. Bonus points as well that Tommy’s mother is played by Martin Scorsese’s real-life mother Catherine.
55* PeripheryDemographic: Considered one of the quintessential mob films, reportedly by gangsters ''themselves''.
56* PopCultureHoliday: May 11 is nowadays honored as "Good Fellas Day" in honor of Henry Hill's Worst Day.[[note]]The day that Hill was arrested for his drug dealing was a different day in real life, but the movie date-stamped it for May 11, 1980.[[/note]]
57* RetroactiveRecognition:
58** Creator/SamuelLJackson in one of his earliest film roles as Stacks Edwards.
59** Isaiah Whitlock, Jr. (Senator Clay Davis from ''Series/TheWire'') has a small role as the doctor treating Henry's brother who notices Henry's haggard appearance.
60** Several actors from this film would later become best known as cast-members on ''Series/TheSopranos'':
61*** Perhaps the more well-known example is Creator/LorraineBracco (Dr. Jennifer Melfi), who plays Karen Hill here. If anything, [[TwoHitWonder those two roles are the only ones she's best known for.]]
62*** Creator/MichaelImperioli (Christopher Moltisanti) has one of his first roles in this film as the waiter who runs afoul of Tommy.
63*** Creator/FrankVincent (Phil Leotardo) is Billy Batts.
64*** Creator/TonySirico (Paulie Walnuts) is one of Paulie Cicero's henchmen in the 1955 scenes.
65*** Tony Darrow (Larry Boy Barese) is the hangout owner who complains to Paulie about Tommy.
66*** Chuck Low (Shlomo Teittelman) is Morrie Kessler.
67*** Creator/VincentPastore (Big Pussy Bonpensiero) is the guy carrying a coatrack.
68** A blink and you'll miss it appearance from Creator/TobinBell as Jimmy's parole officer.
69* SignatureLine:
70** "As far back as I can remember, I always wanted to be a gangster."
71** "What do ya mean, funny? Let me understand this 'cause, I don't know, maybe it's me, I'm a little fucked up maybe, but I'm funny how? Funny like I'm a clown, I amuse you? I make you laugh...I'm here to fuckin' amuse you? What do you mean funny, funny how? How the fuck am I funny? What the fuck is so funny about me?"
72** "Now go home and get your fucking shinebox."
73** "I'm gonna go get the papers, get the papers."
74** "There was nothing that we could do about it. Batts was a made man and Tommy wasn't, and we had to sit still and take it. As among the Italians, it was real greaseball shit."
75* SignatureScene: One of several depending on who you ask.
76** The opening scene, with one of the movie's [[SignatureLine Signature Lines]] ("as far back as I can remember, I always wanted to be a gangster") seguing into a {{Flashback}} to TheFifties.
77** Tommy's reaction to Henry calling him "funny".
78** The EpicTrackingShot of Henry and Karen breaking the line at a restaurant and entering through the kitchen, scored to "And Then He Kissed Me".
79** Tommy beating up [[spoiler:Billy Batts]] to the tune of {{Music/Donovan}}'s "Atlantis".
80** The scene where Tommy, Jimmy, Henry, stop over at Tommy's House and have dinner with his kindly mother (played by Creator/MartinScorsese's mom Catherine, in a scene-stealing turn), and simply shoot the breeze in the middle of their hit of Batts (who is trapped in the trunk during the entire detour).
81** Tommy [[spoiler:being whacked for killing Billy Batts]] and Jimmy's reaction to the event.
82** The bodies from [[spoiler:the Lufthansa heist]] being found, to the tune of "Layla" by Derek and the Dominoes.
83** The final shot showing [[spoiler:Henry Hill spending the rest of his life as a schnook, and having no real remorse for his crimes]].
84* SpecialEffectsFailure: During [[spoiler:Stacks's]] BoomHeadshot death, it's possible to see that the massive spray of gore shoots in from offscreen rather than from the character's head, likely fired by some sort of air cannon. Also noticeable is the slide on the pistol doesn't move when the trigger is pulled, as the gun wasn't loaded for safety reasons. [[note]]Because it was placed directly against someone's head rather than held a few feet away like in the next shot, a blank could create enough pressure to blow a hole in a skull (this is exactly how [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jon-Erik_Hexum Jon-Erik Hexum]] died).[[/note]]
85* {{Wangst}}: Having watched Henry become a major player in the Mafia, act as an accomplice in several major crimes (including murder and a major armed robbery), become a drug dealer, abuse his wife and eventually rat out all his friends and colleagues, it's hard to feel too sorry for him at the end when he whines about the fact that, now that he's in witness protection having [[KarmaHoudini escaped any prosecution and even mob retribution for his crimes]], he's no longer a bigshot.
86** The delivery of his final speech, more angry than sad, indicates that the lightness of his punishment was intentional to an extent.
87** This might be to keep him from being too much of a KarmaHoudini -- the punishment seems light to everyone else, but it's torture for him. Compare his "egg noodles and ketchup" complaint about the misery of living life as an "average nobody" to when he was in prison as a wiseguy and eating like a king every night.
88* WheelchairWoobie: Henry's brother Michael uses a wheelchair. It's never explained in the film -- he suffers from spina bifida.
89* TheWoobie:
90** She may be a stereotypical overbearing JewishMother but Karen's mother is completely right about Henry, and in the end she loses her daughter to the Witness Protection Program with no promises of ever seeing her again.
91** Then there's the kids, helplessly watching their parents' madness. And the baby cocaine mule, who’s too young to even know what’s happening.

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