Bring on the tough stuff. There’s not just one right answer.
- Henry has two families: his traditional family and his mafia family. How are they different? How are they similar?
- How do Henry and his crew fit into the idea of the American Dream?
- Director Martin Scorsese is famous for his involvement in his films' soundtracks. How is music used to tell the story in Goodfellas?
- He lies, he cheats, he steals. Why won't Karen divorce Henry?
- How does the movie's violence provide context for the wiseguys' other actions?
- They say looks make the man. How is the mobsters' masculinity demonstrated through their physical appearances and material possessions?
- Film critic Gene Siskel has said that Goodfellas is "anything but a recruiting film for the Mafia." (That emphasis on but is ours.) What do you think Siskel means by those words?
- Do you think Henry feels guilt over breaking the mafia's code of silence and ratting out his friends?
- Where does Goodfellas fit into the grand tradition of gangster flicks?
- Let's be real: Are there actually any "good fellas" in Goodfellas?
- The Godfather vs. Goodfellas: best of all time?