Goodfellas Goodfellas Goodfellas (stylized GoodFellas) is a 1990 American crime film directed by Martin Scorsese. It is an adaptation of the 1985 non-fiction book "Wiseguy" by Nicholas Pileggi, who co-wrote the screenplay with Scorsese. The film narrates the rise and fall of mob associate Henry Hill and his friends and family from 1955 to 1980. Scorsese initially titled the film "Wise Guy" and postponed making it; later, he and Pileggi changed the title to "Goodfellas". To prepare for their roles in the film, Robert De Niro, Joe Pesci, and Ray Liotta often spoke with Pileggi, who shared research material left over
Martin Scorsese and Robert De Niro was not released until 1969. The two reunited for the 1968 film "Greetings", which was De Niro's official film debut. In 1973, De Niro had been praised for his role in "Bang the Drum Slowly" while Scorsese had been working as an editor on the movie "Woodstock". The same year, Scorsese and De Niro collaborated for the first time on the gangster film "Mean Streets". Scorsese had been taught that entertaining films can be shot with little money by Roger Corman, who had helped prepare Scorsese for the difficulties of making "Mean Streets". The film, about a small-time gangster living