9. Scorsese Encouraged Joe Pesci To Write The 'Funny Like A Clown' Scene Himself
Everyone knows the scene: Tommy and Henry are at the Bamboo Lounge - their local hangout - discussing mob business while surrounded by business associates and women. Tommy is regaling his friends with a humorous anecdote to which Henry replies "that's funny, you're a funny guy Tommy". The light mood suddenly falls into one of extreme tension and discomfort as Tommy reacts with hostility towards Henry's comments; taking them as a snub against his character... Or so you're supposed to think.What makes the brilliant scene even more flawless is not only how Scorsese decided to frame the scene - opting to keep the surrounding characters in view to show their discomfort - but also that he decided to let Pesci write and improvise the scene himself. We can only speculate on how different the scene would have been had Scorsese scripted the entire thing, but giving Pesci free reign to establish his character's personality is one of the reasons that the film is so memorable 20 years later.