Why was Karen Hill watching The Jazz Singer in Goodfellas?
When the feds came with a search warrant to comb over the Hill residence in Goodfellas (and get the wheels greased), Karen allows them in a blasé manner, and resigns herself to watch TV with her children.
We see she is watching Al Jolson in The Jazz Singer:
Scorsese doesn't so much as breathe on set without having a good reason. Why did he choose this program? Is Karen hearkening to a simpler time? She was born in the mid-40's. (too late to have lived in an era where this a part of her upbringing) Surely there must be a purpose or statement that Scorsese put this in the film.
Best Answer
Karen Hill was a Jewish kid alienated from her family, much as Jakie Rabinowitz (Al Jolson) in The Jazz Singer. I've also read that Scorsese was implying that his film was groundbreaking, similar to The Jazz Singer in that it was groundbreaking because it was the first ever movie to use synchronized sound.
There's also an interesting dichotomy between the chaos going on around her, while some guy joyously whistles and chirps on her TV.
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What did Karen see in Goodfellas?
Uneasily, Karen makes her way down the sidewalk, and when she looks into the building, sees some random guys in shadow and smoke. As Jimmy continues to try to steer her into the store, Karen decides to quickly head to her car, despite his insistence that she follow through.Why was Karen scared in Goodfellas?
While it seems there is ample evidence for Jimmy's sinister plan, both Karen and Henry Hill were quite clearly in the midst of a paranoid downward spiral that was being propelled by cocaine use and their constant fear of being busted on drug charges.Who is the singer in Goodfellas?
But it was Jerry Vale who we listened to pretty much all the time.\u201d Vale has a big role in a crucial scene in Scorsese's new drama, \u201cThe Irishman.\u201d The singer, as embodied by Steven Van Zandt, performs at a gala thrown in honor of Frank Sheeran, the mob hit man at the center of the movie.Is Goodfellas based on a true story?
The movie Goodfellas is based on the biographical book Wiseguy, written by Nicholas Pileggi. The book is based on the account of Henry Hill, an associate of the Luchese crime family before he became an FBI informant. The main characters were all based around real people in Hill's life.Lorraine Bracco on playing Goodfella's Karen Hill: \
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Answer 2
Al Jolson also did a film in 1936 called The Singing Kid and it has been said that the Jolson clip is in the film to foreshadow Henry (The Kid) singing to the FBI to stay out of prison. I know the clip is from the Jazz Singer so the theory may not be accurate but I like the idea very much.
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Images: Edward Eyer, Brett Sayles, Lucas Allmann, Pixabay