It's been 25 years since Martin Scorsese's seminal gangster film "Goodfellas" opened to the adulation of critics, among them Vincent Canby of the New York Times, who hailed it as "breathless and brilliant." Although it's now considered a classic, the tale of the rise and fall of Henry Hill, his wife, Karen, and his patron, Paulie, left early audiences cold.

The film's principals recently talked about their recollections of the production, including Nicholas Pileggi, who adapted the screenplay with Scorsese from Pileggi's nonfiction best seller "Wiseguy."

Paul Sorvino, who played Paulie, said, "I would have done a 'dinner is served' role in a Scorsese picture, that's how much I wanted to work with him. I met with him and saw immediately he wanted me for the role. I was overjoyed but very worried. … I'd never done a really tough guy."

After filming, Sorvino said, "I felt guilty about it for about six months. My image of myself is artist, painter, poet, sculptor, thinker, author. What am I really? Am I a killer? It bothered me. It unsettled me."

Lorraine Bracco, who played Karen Hill, said the role defined her career. "I can't go somewhere without someone screaming, 'Karen!' Twenty-five years later people still yell, 'Karen!' " she said.

"I get a lot of 'Hey, Paulie!' every day," Sorvino said. "It's a little rankling. I didn't want that to be my legacy. Later on, I made my peace with it. I'm tremendously proud that I was part of it."

New York Times