GoodFellas
Reviewed by: Peter Cook
CONTRIBUTOR
| Moral Rating: | Very Offensive |
| Moviemaking Quality: |
|
| Primary Audience: | Adults |
| Genre: | Biography Crime Drama |
| Length: | 2 hr. 25 min. |
| Year of Release: | 1990 |
| USA Release: |
September 19, 1990 |
murder in the Bible
deception / lying
interfaith marriage
FILM VIOLENCE—How does viewing violence in movies affect families? Answer
gangsters / organized crime / mafia
selling illegal drugs / cocaine
psychopath
sexual harassment
police corruption
revenge
witness protection program
paranoia
father son relationship
mother son relationship
mother daughter relationship
brother brother relationship
mass murder
betrayal
| Featuring |
|---|
|
Robert De Niro … James Conway Ray Liotta … Henry Hill Joe Pesci … Tommy DeVito Paul Sorvino … Paul Cicero Tony Darrow … Sonny Bunz Mike Starr … Frenchy Samuel L. Jackson … Stacks Edwards Lorraine Bracco … Karen Hill Debi Mazar … Sandy Michael Imperioli … Spider Tony Sirico … Tony Stacks See all » |
| Director |
|
Martin Scorsese |
| Producer |
|
Irwin Winkler Warner Bros. |
| Distributor |
“Three decades of life in the mafia.”
The movie “GoodFellas” begins with a Mafia cliché. Three men are driving down a deserted road. They hear a thump. They pull over and check the trunk. Sure enough, the person in there is not quite dead. Two of the characters graphically remedy the situation.
Fortunately for the viewer, that is the only cliché contained in Martin Scorsese’s “GoodFellas”, one of the best films of its genre. The movie is based on the book Wiseguy by Nicholas Pileggi, the true story of Henry Hill, whose career in the mafia lasted three decades.
Hill is played perfectly by Ray Liotta, who also narrates the film. The movie follows Hill and his friends Jimmy “the Gent” Conway [Robert De Niro, and Tommy DeVito (Joe Pesci)]. Other supporting actors include Lorraine Bracco as Henry’s wife, Karen and Paul Sorvino as Paul Cicero, head of the crime family.
The strength of this movie is in its realistic portrayal of criminal life. At the beginning, Liotta enjoys his life and brags of the benefits, but at the end is a man who realizes he is in over his head and sees only one way out.
The film does portray loyalty as commendable, and shows the negative side of drug use. It can bring up questions about how far people will go to be part of something larger than themselves.
Scorsese’s eye for a shot is flawless in this film, and the acting is superb. The film was nominated for seven Academy Awards®, including Best Picture. As with many Mafia movies, though, this contains a considerable amount of violence and pervasive strong language. There are at least five murders shown in the film, some quite graphically, and scenes of people being hit or otherwise abused. Other murder and violent behavior is insinuated.
The film also contains some sensuality (but no nudity) and adulterous behavior. Drug use is also evident, as is deception. Characters are almost constantly being shown performing or condoning criminal acts.
Children should not watch this film. Christians should exercise discernment, if thinking of seeing this film. “GoodFellas” is extremely well made and Scorsese’s best film, but contains a great deal of material that may be offensive to many.
- Language: Extreme— for example, 300 f-words (over 2 a minute)
Be wise, every follower of Christ should avoid spiritual darkness and seek spiritual light
Learn about DISCERNMENT, wisdom in making personal entertainment decisions
Every time you buy a movie ticket or buy or rent a video you are in effect casting a vote telling Hollywood, “I’ll pay for that. That’s what I want.” Read our article
Moral rating: Extremely Offensive / Moviemaking quality: 4
Based on True Events The film is inspired by the real-life story of Henry Hill, who became deeply involved in the mafia. It portrays how organized crime may appear glamorous and exciting at first, but ultimately leads to ruin: prison, addictions, broken families, or even death. Scorsese does not glorify crime; instead, he exposes it with brutal realism, reminding us that this lifestyle is a path to self-destruction.
Content Warning Goodfellas is extremely violent. It includes sexual scenes (though without nudity), heavy profanity with over 300 uses of the “F-word, ” and disturbing depictions of drug abuse. Many scenes are tense and unsettling. This is not a film for all audiences—it is intended for mature adults and stands as a work of auteur cinema rather than a mainstream blockbuster.
Christian Reflection While Goodfellas is an excellent film artistically, it is not suitable for everyone. Its purpose is not to deliver a positive message but to reveal the harsh reality of a dishonorable and corrupt life. From a Christian perspective, the film reminds us that “the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23).
The apparent glory of crime fades quickly, leaving only emptiness and destruction. It is a powerful reminder that the path of violence and corruption never leads to true life, but only to ruin.
Moral rating: Extremely Offensive / Moviemaking quality: 5