This iconic dinner scene in Goodfellas was almost completely improvised. Scorsese cast his own mother, Catherine Scorsese, to play the mother and gave her just one direction: “Act motherly.” Her natural performance and authentic Italian-American presence bring warmth and humor, making the family moments feel incredibly real. Goodfellas is a masterpiece of storytelling, blending the intensity of mob life with rich, lived-in details like this. Scenes like this show Scorsese’s genius for capturing

192K views · 14 reactions | Martin Scorsese’s mother, Catherine Scorsese, portrayed Tommy DeVito’s mother in Goodfellas (1990). Notably, she prepared the entire dinner herself for this scene. In fact, whenever characters in Scorsese’s films are having Italian food, it’s actually *HER* Italian food. Her inclusion adds a personal touch to the films, reflecting Scorsese’s emphasis on realism and family connections.  #Goodfellas | Fuckinggoodmovies | Facebook