Al Pacino in "Kramer vs. Kramer"—a role that Pacino had declined. During the 1970s, Pacino had four Oscar nominations for Best Actor, for his performances in "Serpico", "The Godfather Part II", "Dog Day Afternoon", and "...And Justice for All". Pacino's career slumped in the early 1980s; his appearances in the controversial "Cruising", a film that provoked protests from New York's gay community, and the comedy-drama "Author! Author!", were critically panned. However, his performance in "Scarface" (1983), directed by Brian De Palma, proved to be a career highlight and a defining role. Upon its initial release, the film was critically panned due to
Donnie Brasco: My Undercover Life in the Mafia Donnie Brasco: My Undercover Life in the Mafia Donnie Brasco: My Undercover Life in the Mafia (Hodder & Stoughton. ) is a 1988 autobiographical crime book written by Joseph D. Pistone (assisted by Richard Woodley) about his story as an FBI agent going undercover and infiltrating the Mafia. In 1997, the book was made into a feature film titled "Donnie Brasco", starring Johnny Depp and Al Pacino. Louis DiGiaimo, a casting director who worked on "The Godfather" and a childhood friend of Pistone, consulted on the book and film. The book was re-released in a second edition the same year