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The film GoodFellas was met with widespread critical acclaim upon its release in 1990, immediately establishing itself as a major work in the crime genre and a high point in Martin Scorsese's career.
Here is a detailed breakdown of its reception and reviews at the time:
The film was hailed as a masterpiece and a definitive film on organized crime.
The film's critical success was immediately recognized by major award bodies.
While critically adored, its box office performance was modest compared to other major releases that year.
The AI Summary mentions only Ebert and Siskel naming it best film, but Wikipedia states 'The film is ranked the best of 1990 by Roger Ebert, Gene Siskel and Peter Travers.'
The AI Summary could have mentioned USA Today's four-star review ('great cinema—and also a whopping good time'), Richard Corliss's Time review about the 'fastest, sharpest 2½-hr. ride,' and David Ansen's Newsweek review about the movie vibrating 'with outlaw energy.'
The wide release was September 21, 1990 (in 1,070 theaters), though Wikipedia mentions September 18 as the initial release date. This minor discrepancy could have been clarified.
The AI Summary could have mentioned the 92/100 Metacritic score and 94% Rotten Tomatoes rating to quantify the critical acclaim.
This provides insight into general audience reaction beyond just critical reception.
GoodFellas received overwhelming critical acclaim upon its release in September 1990, establishing itself as a landmark in the crime genre. The film premiered at the 47th Venice International Film Festival on September 9, 1990, where Martin Scorsese won the Silver Lion for Best Director, then opened in U.S. theaters with a wide release on September 21, 1990.
Critical consensus was extraordinarily positive. Roger Ebert and Gene Siskel both named it the best film of 1990, with Ebert famously writing that 'No finer film has ever been made about organized crime — not even The Godfather.' In a poll of 80 film critics, GoodFellas was named best film of the year by 34 critics, and Scorsese was chosen best director in 45 of 80 ballots. Vincent Canby of The New York Times praised the 'ensemble nature of the performances' and the film's authentic depiction of organized crime. Additional praise came from USA Today (four stars), Time's Richard Corliss, and Newsweek's David Ansen.
The film received six Academy Award nominations (Best Picture, Director, Supporting Actor, Supporting Actress, Adapted Screenplay, and Film Editing), with Joe Pesci winning the sole Oscar for Best Supporting Actor. At the BAFTA Awards, GoodFellas won five awards including Best Film and Best Director.
At the box office, GoodFellas opened at #1 with $6.3 million from 1,070 theaters and eventually grossed $46.8 million domestically against a $25 million budget. While profitable, it was modest compared to blockbusters that year, ranking around 30th in box office performance and losing the Best Picture Oscar to Dances With Wolves.
Some contemporary criticism addressed whether the film inadvertently glamorized the criminal lifestyle through its kinetic style and seductive early sequences, though most critics recognized Scorsese's ultimate condemnation of the mobster world. The film scored 94% on Rotten Tomatoes and 92/100 on Metacritic, with audiences giving it an A- CinemaScore grade.