Sterritt, David. "An Offer Hollywood Can't Refuse." Christian Science Monitor 04 Mar. 2005. 08 Apr. 2008.

The Godfather’s impact on Hollywood has been far more ideological than technical. It has provided inspiration and set an example for multiple works. At times, due to its popularity and the tremendous respect it has garnered, The Godfather has been parodied and spoofed. In Woody Allen’s comedy Annie Hall, Allen tells Diane Keaton that he no longer wants to wait in a movie line because he is tired and, “I’m standing with the cast of The Godfather.” The joke was based on Keaton, who played Kay Adams, the wife of Michael Corleone in The Godfather. More recently in the 1998 romantic comedy You’ve Got Mail, Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan discuss The Godfather as Ryan asks, “What is it with men and The Godfather.” Hanks replies, “The Godfather is the sum of all wisdom. The Godfather is the answer to any question. What should I pack for my summer vacation? 'Leave the gun, take the cannoli' ...” However, the HBO television show, The Sopranos, pays the most homage to The Godfather. Both The Godfather and The Sopranos show the popular appeal of organized crime rooted in the banality of everyday life. The film agent, Eric Meyers says, "Stories like these give us the frisson of knowing how close our lives could come to intersecting with those of organized crime figures, even if it rarely happens in reality." Often The Sopranos make direct references to The Godfather, such as when a mobster is killed by a shot in the eye, which is called the “Moe Green Special”. Even The Sopranos casting methods echo those of The Godfather; Coppola casted an actual former mob member Lenny Montana as Luca Brasi, while Tony Siricio who plays Paulie Walnuts in The Sopranos was once jailed for 5 years.

The Godfather established a legacy for which other works such as The Sopranos would learn from and imitate. The Sopranos has often been referred to as modern Godfather, and perhaps it is because of its eerily similar nature that the show has been so successful. In Tony Soprano, viewers can see glimpses of the classic Marlon Brando playing the Don himself. Although there appears to be more of a woman’s influence in The Sopranos, ultimately all mafia families are patriarchal. Other films have spun off of the actual Godfather material, yet in all situations the allusions are out of the utmost admiration for The Godfather. The movie has had by far the most influential effect on Hollywood of any gangster movie and continues to serve as an example for future filmmakers in all genres.

Patterson, John. "The Guide: Mob Mentality: Death Threats, Shootings, Strikes and Bomb-Scares... John Patterson Explains How - and Why - the Mafia Tried to Shut Down the Filming of the Godfather." The Guardian 22 Apr. 2006. LexisNexis. University of Pennsylvania. 7 Apr. 2008

            The Godfather’s cultural impact was widespread, yet one ethnic group found the movie to be particularly degrading: Italian-Americans. Led by the Italian-American Civil Rights League, thousands spoke out against the negative portrayal of Italians. Although, the movie did shine a more positive light on the mob than predecessors, the tremendous success and widespread proliferation of the movie, resulted in mafia members themselves protesting the validity of the film. Since the movie was advertised as extremely realistic due to the production help of mob boss, Joseph Colombo Jr., actual mafia members felt a need to defend themselves against the often ruthless violence and inhumanity displayed by some of the Corleone family. Frank Sinatra, who is the basis for the Don’s godson, Johnny Fontane, was not pleased with his portrayal as one who used alternative means to resurrect his career in the film, “From Here to Eternity”. Sinatra led an Italian-American Civil Rights League fundraiser at Madison Square Garden, decrying anti-Italian prejudice. During the latest stages of the film’s production, an Italian-American rally was held in Columbus Circle under the lead of criminal visionary and recent mafia start-up Joey Gallo. At the rally, Gallo had Colombo killed for his willingness to provide input in regards to beforehand secretive logistics of the mafia’s operation.

            The Godfather’s cultural impact extends to many parties, including Italian-Americans. Many worried that a negative stigma would stick with Italians and as a result affect job availabilities and social acceptance. Some would argue that if anything the ethnic group should be thankful for Coppola’s inclusion of the Corleone family’s sensitive, family oriented side. However, it is important to separate Italian-Americans and mafia members or associates; the percentage of those linked to organized crime, although larger than publicly documented, is still a small fraction of all Italian-Americans. Regardless of this reality, the movie inspired Italian- American stereotypes which have been maintained to this day.

Howell, Peter. "The Tao of the Godfather." Toronto Star 28 Sept. 2001, sec. B01. LexisNexis. University of Pennsylvania. 30 Mar. 2008.

            Many movies are influential within Hollywood, but few can claim that they are repeatedly referenced outside of the industry; The Godfather is one of them. Allusions have come in the form of music, political commentary, and the everyday lexicon. In 2001, when President George W. Bush demanded that Afghanistan turn in Osama bin Laden, political commentators remarked that the President was, “making an offer that can’t be refused.” This term was coined by The Godfather, but has become so prevalent, that many who have never seen the film use it on a regular basis. Other phrases such as “It’s not personal, it’s strictly business” and “Keep your friends close and your enemies closer” have equally intruded our speech.  In the music industry, rapper Raekwon of the Wu-Tang-Clan named two of his albums, Immobiality and Only Built 4 the Cuban Lynx in reference to The Godfather.  In a song entitled “Yae Yo”, Raekwon says, “I keep trying to get out, but they keep pulling me back in”, which is an exact line of Michael Corleone.  Furthermore, Slash of the rock band Guns N’ Roses recorded  his own version of The Godfather theme song based on the original written by the film’s composer Nina Rota. On bookstands there are hundreds of books written about The Godfather, its tremendous impact in the 1970’s, and the influence it still maintains to this day.  There still exists so much demand for Godfather material that a new book entitled The Godfather’s Revenge was written in 2006 even after the original author, Mario Puzo had passed away.

The Godfather’s influence has come to infiltrate popular culture. Perhaps no other movie, save The Wizard of Oz, has inspired as many copycats and tributes. One film critic remarks, "There are Hollywood people who hold The Godfather as their Gideon.” The Godfather’s incredible support can be considered a cult following. Websites such as TheGodfatherTrilogy.com, which require users to submit essays to display their knowledge, have thousands of users. Participants often abide much of their lives by the axioms of the films and often recite the memorable lines. It is evident that The Godfather’s impact is far reaching beyond a typical movie experience; it has come to exert influence on nearly all aspects of life, whether it is on the rest of the entertainment industry or parents instilling values in their children.