Talk:The Godfather

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The Godfather is a former featured article candidate. Please view the links under Article milestones below to see why the nomination was archived. For older candidates, please check the archive.

The Godfather has been listed as one of the Media and drama good articles under the good article criteria. If you can improve it further, please do so. If it no longer meets these criteria, you can reassess it.

Article milestones
Date	Process	Result
August 16, 2005	Peer review	Reviewed
September 3, 2005	Featured article candidate	Not promoted
June 23, 2006	Good article nominee	Not listed
March 13, 2007	Peer review	Reviewed
January 21, 2017	Peer review	Reviewed
April 10, 2020	Good article nominee	Listed
October 27, 2024	Featured article candidate	Not promoted
Facts from this article were featured on Wikipedia's Main Page in the "On this day..." column on March 15, 2010, March 15, 2011, March 15, 2014, March 15, 2017, and March 15, 2022.
Current status: Former featured article candidate, current good article

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Nomination for FA

Nominating for FA. Caleb Stanford (talk) 20:01, 26 October 2024 (UTC)[reply]

@Betty Logan: @Mazewaxie: @Vaselineeeeeeee: @Wrath X: I think the article is in pretty good shape, would any of you like to bring it to FA status? See discussion here. Caleb Stanford (talk) 22:54, 16 November 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Opening Paragraph

As noted in the article, this film is one of the greatest and most influential films of all time. Yet, the article's entire first paragraph makes absolutely no note of this. Has this issue been discussed before? Johnadams11 (talk) 01:26, 9 January 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Its influence and the regard it is held in is covered by the fourth paragraph in the lead. I don't see this as an issue as these elements as a rule are not discussed in the opening paragraph. Indeed, MOS:FILMLEAD (by which GA status is assessed) recommends covering these aspects after the opening paragraph, and states "Summarize awards and achievements using proper context in a later paragraph" [my emphasis]. Obviously there are many valid ways of writing a lead, but the lead in this article follows a common format. Betty Logan (talk) 02:00, 9 January 2025 (UTC)[reply]

@Betty Logan Thank you. The resource you linked is helpful and I can see where the first paragraph is uniform. However, to me at least, it is obvious that the fourth paragraph should be move to second. The film's acclaim is of far more notability than the standard intrigue and deal making that accompanies many film productions. One example of what I'm suggesting is the Citizen Kane article. Your thoughts? Johnadams11 (talk) 03:30, 9 January 2025 (UTC)[reply]

New Introductory Section

I am proposing a new introductory section which gives improved visibility the universal acclaim and historical importance of this film. The present treatment relegates this information to the fourth paragraph. Comments welcome.

The Godfather is a 1972 American epic gangster film directed by Francis Ford Coppola, who co-wrote the screenplay with Mario Puzo, based on Puzo's best-selling 1969 novel. The film stars an ensemble cast including Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, James Caan, Richard Castellano, Robert Duvall, Sterling Hayden, John Marley, Richard Conte and Diane Keaton.

The Godfather is regarded as one of the greatest and most influential films ever made, as well as a landmark of the gangster genre. It was selected for preservation in the U.S. National Film Registry of the Library of Congress in 1990, being deemed "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant" and is ranked the second-greatest film in American cinema (behind Citizen Kane) by the American Film Institute. It was followed by sequels The Godfather Part II (1974) and The Godfather Part III (1990).

The Godfather was the highest-grossing film of 1972. It was for a time the highest-grossing film ever made, earning between $250 and $291 million at the box office. The film was acclaimed by critics and audiences, who praised its performances—particularly those of Brando and Pacino—direction, screenplay, story, cinematography, editing, score and portrayal of the mafia. The Godfather launched the successful careers of Coppola, Pacino and other relative newcomers in the cast and crew. At the 45th Academy Awards, the film won Best Picture, Best Actor (Brando) and Best Adapted Screenplay (for Puzo and Coppola). In addition, the seven other Oscar nominations included Pacino, Caan and Duvall, all for Best Supporting Actor, and Coppola for Best Director.

Johnadams11 (talk) 02:06, 10 January 2025 (UTC)[reply]