2025 GoodFellas 35th Anniversary Screening with Q&A

4K Restored GoodFellas To Be Screened at Park Theatre in Jaffrey with Talkback with Actor from Film

 

GoodFellas (1990), directed by Martin Scorsese, is a seminal gangster film that chronicles the rise and fall of Henry Hill (Ray Liotta), a young man seduced by the allure of the Mafia. Based on Nicholas Pileggi’s book Wiseguy. This film has become part of cinema history and has gone through an extensive 4K video restoration along with Dolby® sound enhancement. In celebration of the film’s 35th anniversary, the film will have a special one-time screening at The Park Theatre in Jaffrey, New Hampshire on Friday, August 8 at 6:30pm. Actor Lisa Bostnar will have a talkback Q&A with the audience about her experience of being in the film. The film is part of the theatre’s Filmmakers Series and tickets are $10/$9. The screening will take place in The Park’s 330-seat Eppes Auditorium with a giant 27-foot wide screen and 17-speaker surround sound.

 

GoodFellas follows Hill’s journey from a starry-eyed teenager to a seasoned mobster, navigating the violent and glamorous world of organized crime alongside associates like Jimmy Conway (Robert De Niro) and Tommy DeVito (Joe Pesci, whose iconic “Funny how?” scene remains legendary). With a stellar cast, including Lorraine Bracco as Henry’s wife Karen, the film blends gritty realism with Scorsese’s kinetic storytelling, featuring rapid-fire dialogue, freeze-frames, and a pulsating soundtrack. The synopsis centers on Hill’s immersion in the Lucchese crime family, his descent into drug addiction, and his eventual betrayal as an FBI informant, offering a raw, unromanticized portrait of mob life. 

 

GoodFellas redefined the genre with its innovative narrative style and moral ambiguity, earning six Academy Award nominations, with Pesci winning Best Supporting Actor. Its influence endures, shaping films and series like The Sopranos. 

 

Critics past and present laud its impact: Roger Ebert in 1990 called it “a breathless, exhilarating tour de force” (Chicago Sun-Times), while a 2020 retrospective in The Guardian praised it as “a masterclass in storytelling that still feels fresh.”

 

The film’s preservation has ensured its legacy for future generations. The 35mm negative of Goodfellas underwent a meticulous 4K digital restoration by Warner Bros. and The Film Foundation, spearheaded by Scorsese. This process corrected color fading and repaired physical damage, preserving the film’s vibrant visuals and dynamic energy. The restored version, released in 2015 for the film’s 25th anniversary, was screened at festivals and re-released on Blu-ray, earning praise for its clarity and fidelity. Variety in 2015 noted, “The restoration brings Scorsese’s vision into sharper focus, making every frame pop with intensity.” Goodfellas holds a significant place in cinema history for its stylistic innovation and unflinching portrayal of the American underworld, cementing Scorsese’s reputation as a cinematic titan. Its inclusion in the National Film Registry in 2000 underscores its cultural importance, with modern reviews, like a 2023 IndieWire piece, calling it “a timeless blueprint for crime cinema.” The restoration ensures that its visceral storytelling and technical brilliance continue to captivate audiences, solidifying its status as a cornerstone of modern filmmaking.

 

Lisa Bostnar is an actor with an extensive background in film, television and New York theatre. Last fall, Ms. Bostnar starred in the new play Thistles at the 59E59 Theatre in New York. Additionally, she played at the Peterborough Players for many seasons. Her television work includes Blindspot, Blacklist, Law & Order, Criminal Intent, and Pan Am. Most recently, her films include Ernest Thompson’s new short film, The Constituent as well as the provocative new independent film, Pointing Fingers, which just wrapped production in Boston.

 

Please note the film is for mature audiences only. It is rated “R” for violence, language, and sexual references.

 

Tickets for GoodFellas are $10/$9 and available online at theparktheatre.org or by calling the box office at (603) 532-8888. Tickets can also be purchased at the box office one hour before the film.