Goodfellas, released in 1990, is regarded by many as Martin Scorsese's best picture, and often considered one of the greatest films in cinematic history. Based on the book "Wiseguy" by Nicholas Pileggi, the film follows the rise and fall of three gangsters, spanning a time period of over three decades. The movie opens with a young Henry Hill, a Brooklyn kid with both an Irish and Italian background and dreams of one day becoming a gangster like the wiseguys that line his neighborhood. To the horror of his family, Henry's dream begins to come true when he is offered a chance to work for the local gangsters doing things such as running errands, making sandwiches, and even holding their umbrellas. As time passes, Henry becomes a full-fledged member of his adopted crime family and begins to work closely with rusted friends Jimmy Conway and Tommy DeVito. As the bosses and the businesses change with the times, the crew experiences new highs in the organized crime world, but as with all highs, there's always a fall back down to Earth. Nominated for six Academy Awards, Goodfellas is a non-stop thrill from beginning to end, a pillar of American cinema, and an absolute must-see movie.moreless