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Filmmaking was the domain of Oscar-winning director Martin Scorsese before Joe and Anthony Russo turned it into a family affair. How? The director ofTaxi Driver,81, has worked on almost every movie in which his family was involved.Catherine Scorsese, his late mother, was one of his closest collaborators and made appearances in several of her son’s films.
Her most famous role, however, is that of Mrs. DeVito (Tommy’s mother) in theRobert De Niro starrer filmGoodfellas. And Scorsese once shared a cute little fact about this cameo. Having said that, even though it is unquestionably a superbly made film, one of its most memorable scenes was still largely improvised.
Indeed, the dinner scene with Catherine Scorsese is unquestionably hilarious in this biographical crime drama film, and to make the scene even better, she improvised most part of it.
A Look Back at the Special Moment When Martin Scorsese’s Mother Appeared inGoodfellas
A scene from the legendaryMartin Scorsesefilm,Goodfellas,is particularly noteworthyfor its sincerity and heartwarming touch. And it is all thanks to a special cameo by the director’s mother, Catherine Scorsese.
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In this scene,Joe Pesci’s character, Tommy DeVito, brings his fellow mobsters to his home to grab a shovel for a grim task, only to unexpectedly run into his mother (Catherine Scorsese).What follows is a beautifully improvised moment that captures the essence of family, even in the midst of the dark nature of the film.
Scorsese himself has revealed that the entire scene was mostly unscripted, with only one line of dialogue given to his mother. The rest was left up to the actors to react and respond naturally, creating a sense of warmth and familiarity that resonates with audiences to this day.
As stated by Scorsese in anEWinterview:
“There was some violence, and the aftermath of it was they have to stop off at Joe Pesci’s house, his mother’s house, to pick up a shovel so they can bury the guy. They enter the house around three in the morning, and they’re met by Joe Pesci’s mother, Tommy’s mother, and that’s played by my mother. All we told her to do was just welcome her son home; she hasn’t seen him in a while.”
Even though Scorsese’s gangster films areknown for their violence(Mean Streets, The Departed), they often contain subtle, lovely moments that steal the show.
Well, note thatGoodfellaswas a highly acclaimed flick; mostRotten Tomatoesreviewers concur that it is “arguably the high point of Martin Scorsese’s career”.After all, his mother made such a significant impact with her creativity!
An Ode to Creativity: Martin Scorsese’s Shared Mother’s ‘Improvisation’ in Great Detail
Moments like these highlight Martin Scorsese’sgenius as a director, allowing his actors to explore their characters and relationships in a way that feels veritable and genuine. And the presence of his mother as Mrs. DeVito inGoodfellasadds a personal touch to the scene, taking it to a new level of emotional depth.
In the same interview with Entertainment Weekly, Scorsese went into further detail about his mother’s improvisation in that iconic scene, also featuringRobert De Niroas Jimmy:
“The key there is ultimately the warmth between all of them and particularly my mother playing his mother; he may be a psychopathic killer, but he’s still her son. When people talk about improvisation, this really was improvisation….Joe answered her, Bob [De Niro] did what he did, Ray [Liotta] did what he did.. and I think the only written line was about a painting that she did.”
While most newcomers would find it intimidating to be on screen in a Martin Scorsese film, especially with De Niro, Joe Pesci, and Ray Liotta, the former’s mother was not. And with such a beautiful cameo, it proves that sometimes the best performances are the ones that come straight from the heart!
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WithGoodfellasstanding tall in the annals of gangster films, isn’t it intriguing to discover how one of cinema’s greatest directors infused his work with the spirit of improvisation and familial charm?
Goodfellascan be rented on Apple TV.
Siddhika Prajapati
Senior Journalist & Content Head
Articles Published :3310
With over 3,300 articles carved into the digital walls of FandomWire, Siddhika Prajapati excels at creating, curating, and elevating engaging stories. She takes pride in giving these stories a home and, of course, she’s got a Google Knowledge Panel to prove it!Whether it’s reviewing the latest drop on Netflix, Amazon Prime, or Apple TV+, or analyzing the cultural echoes of a streaming hit on Paramount+ or Max, Siddhika is always writing three steps ahead of the discourse.
