Goodfellas’ “Funny How” Scene Hinted At Henry Hill’s Mob Betrayal

One of the most memorable scenes in Goodfellas ended up foreshadowing Henry Hill’s fate, all thanks to Tommy DeVito – here’s which one and how. Martin Scorsese has explored a variety of genres in his career as a filmmaker, which has earned him the respect of the audience and other artists, but he continues to be best known for his gangster movies – and the one often regarded as his best is the 1990 movie Goodfellas.

Based on the book Wiseguy by Nicholas Pileggi, Goodfellas tells the story of mob associate Henry Hill (Ray Liotta), from his days as a teenager running errands for Paul Cicero (Paul Sorvino) and his crew to his full involvement with the Lucchese crime family. As part of the mob, Henry committed many crimes and became acquainted with many big names as were Tommy DeVito (Joe Pesci) and Jimmy “The Gent” Conway (Robert De Niro). Tommy was one of the most dangerous members of the crew, and his bad temper and impulsive personality shone through in a memorable scene set at a restaurant.

In it, Henry and Tommy were having dinner at a restaurant along with many other gangsters. Tommy was telling them one of his many stories and making everyone laugh, so Henry told him he was a “funny guy”. Tommy didn’t like that and he questioned him, creating a lot of tension as Henry didn’t mean any harm by calling him a funny guy and was intimidated by Tommy’s reaction. The tension was broken once Henry started laughing and Tommy broke character, laughing with Henry and the rest. Tommy told Henry he was “messing with him” and “almost had him”, but he later said a line that ended up foreshadowing Henry’s fate at the end of the movie.

Tommy asked Frankie Carbone if Henry was shaking and told the latter that he worried about him as he might “fold under questioning”. This was a hint of what Henry was going to become, as he ended up cooperating with the FBI and joining the Witness Protection Program along with his family. Henry’s testimonies and inside information led to the arrest and imprisonment of Paulie and Jimmy, so Tommy was right in worrying about Henry breaking under pressure. Tommy didn’t get to see Henry’s betrayal, as he was killed most likely in retaliation for the murder of Billy Batts, and he was also betrayed, as Paulie’s brother was the one who pulled the trigger – that in the movie, as Tommy’s real murder is still unsolved.

Tommy’s “funny how?” scene is one of the most memorable moments in Goodfellas, and while it stood out thanks to Pesci’s performance and the authenticity of the reactions of the rest of the cast, it offers a lot more to the story than just being an example of Tommy’s personality and sense of humor. Martin Scorsese pays close attention to even the smallest details, and that seemingly innocent line in one of Tommy’s most unforgettable scenes is a good example of that.

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Adrienne Tyler
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Adrienne Tyler is a features writer for Screen Rant. She is an Audiovisual Communication graduate who wanted to be a filmmaker, but life had other plans (and it turned out great). Prior to Screen Rant, she wrote for Pop Wrapped, 4 Your Excitement (4YE), and D20Crit, where she was also a regular guest at Netfreaks podcast. She was also a contributor for FanSided’s BamSmackPow and 1428 Elm. Adrienne is very into films and she enjoys a bit of everything: from superhero films to heartbreaking dramas, to low-budget horror films. Every time she manages to commit to a TV show without getting bored, an angel gets its wings.

When she’s not writing, you can find her trying to learn a new language, watching hockey (go Avs!), or wondering what life would have been like had Pushing Daisies, Firefly, and Limitless not been cancelled. Breakfast food is life and coffee is what makes the world go round.

Guillermo del Toro said “hi” to her once. It was great.

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