Roger Ebert’s four-star, best-of-1990 review is discussed, including his claim that no finer organized-crime film had been made and his praise of Scorsese at his peak.
Two audible final choices favor the Billy Batts sequence continuing into Tommy’s mother’s house; another final choice favors the funny-guy exchange, after a broad scene-by-scene field.
The young Henry performance, freeze frames, Sopranos connections, narration, comedy, color, wigs, music, food, the unseen Lufthansa heist, and Henry and Karen’s fights lead a dense aged-best field.
Sopranos associations, Janice’s casting, two later Lufthansa adaptations, a BC-basketball reference, ketchup on pasta, Boogie Nights echoes, and pre-9/11 airline cocaine transport make up the explicit aged-worst field.
De Niro’s choice of Jimmy, Malkovich and William Petersen alternatives, Liotta and Sean Penn possibilities, Sorvino’s self-discovery, and Cruise/Madonna rumors are discussed.
Mike Starr wins a deep supporting-actor field.
Morrie and Liotta’s flushed-cocaine reaction are the eligible finalists; Liotta’s funny-guy laugh is raised but ruled ineligible, and the flushed-cocaine reaction is favored.
Frank Vincent wins over Debi Mazar, Chuck Low, Paul Sorvino, and Michael Imperioli.
Linda Fiorentino is selected as a stronger Janice or gumar option, over Annabella Sciorra.
The research pass covers the Scorsese–Pileggi call, Henry Hill payment, a pistol-whip accident, filmmakers’ relationships, Imperioli’s injury, the painting, Oscar-winning killer roles, the closing shot, music planning, made-man rules, ratings edits, and profanity.
The panel runs apex judgments across Scorsese, gangster movies, a director rivalry, the Copacabana, gangster names, De Niro, garlic, Lufthansa, Pesci, mob codes, pistol-whipping, wigs, prison sauce, Bracco, Sorvino, profanity, Cutty Sark, and Pittsburgh drug dealers.
Age mismatches, Sonny confronting Tommy publicly, absent strip clubs, prison meals, a mannequin-like assault victim, post-wedding housing, Billy Batts’s party, Lufthansa associates who fail to flee, Karen locating Henry, and payphones supply distinct nitpicks.
