Original Release Date
September 19, 1990
Rotten Tomatoes
95%
Letterboxd Score
4.5/5
Official Synopsis
"As far back as I can remember, I always wanted to be a gangster." Based on Nicholas Pileggi’s non-fiction book Wiseguy, Scorsese’s crime epic tells the true story of Henry Hill and his life in the Lucchese crime family. Spanning three decades, the film traces Hill's rise from a young errand boy to a high-rolling mobster, alongside the volatile Tommy DeVito and the cool, calculated Jimmy Conway, until the lifestyle's inherent paranoia and betrayal lead to a shattering collapse.
The Wise Guys
- Ray Liotta: Henry Hill
- Robert De Niro: James "Jimmy the Gent" Conway
- Joe Pesci: Tommy DeVito
- Lorraine Bracco: Karen Hill
- Paul Sorvino: Paul Cicero
- Frank Vincent: Billy Batts
The Architects
- Director: Martin Scorsese
- Writers: Nicholas Pileggi & Martin Scorsese
- Cinematography: Michael Ballhaus
- Editing: Thelma Schoonmaker
- Producer: Irwin Winkler
The Official Trailer
The Accolades
- 🏆 Academy Award Winner: Best Supporting Actor (Joe Pesci).
- ✨ BAFTA Sweep: Winner of 5 awards including Best Film and Best Director.
- 📽️ National Film Registry: Selected for preservation in 2000.
Vault Intelligence
- The famous "Funny how?" scene was based on an actual interaction Joe Pesci had in a restaurant; Scorsese allowed Pesci and Liotta to improvise the dialogue.
- To achieve the famous Copacabana steadicam shot, the crew had to film it eight times. It remains one of the most celebrated one-take sequences in history.
- Scorsese’s mother, Catherine Scorsese, played Tommy’s mother and famously improvised her dialogue during the late-night dinner scene.
Film Specifications
| Financial Backing | $25 Million Budget |
| Theatrical Earnings | $47 Million (Domestic) |
| Cinematic Format | 35mm / 1.85:1 Spherical |
Retrospective Pending
"Ray’s full 2026 Northstar analysis for this kinetic crime masterpiece is currently being restored from the vault."
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
A Flawless Crime Epic
