My Cousin Vinny

3/13/19922h 0m

Theatrical Release (US)

~ There have been many courtroom dramas that have glorified the Great American Legal System. This is not one of them. ~

Overview:

Two carefree pals from Brooklyn traveling through rural Alabama on their way back to college are mistakenly arrested, and charged with murder. Fortunately, one of them has a cousin who's a lawyer - Vincent Gambini, a former auto mechanic from Brooklyn who just passed his bar exam after his sixth try. When he arrives with his leather-clad girlfriend, to try his first case, it's a real shock - for him and the Deep South!

Director:

Jonathan Lynn

Status:

Released

Language:

English

Buget:

$11,000,000.00

Revenue:

$64,088,552.00

Key words:

prison
small town
court case
court
southern usa
alabama
suspicion
cousin
lawyer
fish out of water
convenience store robbery
courtroom
defense attorney
wrongful arrest
expert witness
nostalgic
curious
murder suspect
engaged couple
courtroom drama
unassuming
ironic
best friends
deep south
joyous
understated
absurd
hilarious
amused
cheerful
joyful

Cast

Joe Pesci

~ as ~

Vincent 'Vinny' Gambini

Marisa Tomei

~ as ~

Mona Lisa Vito

Ralph Macchio

~ as ~

William 'Bill' Gambini

Mitchell Whitfield

~ as ~

Stan Rothenstein

Fred Gwynne

~ as ~

Judge Chamberlain Haller

Lane Smith

~ as ~

Jim Trotter III

Austin Pendleton

~ as ~

John Gibbons

Bruce McGill

~ as ~

Sheriff Farley

Maury Chaykin

~ as ~

Sam Tipton

Paulene Myers

~ as ~

Constance Riley

View full cast & crew

Reviews (2)

Wuchak
Written 5 year(s) ago
7
Funny, with characters you care about

"My Cousin Vinny" was a hit when it was released in 1992. Two youths from New York are wrongly accused of murder while traveling through Alabama and one of them (Ralph Macchio) calls on his inexperienced lawyer cousin, Vinny (Joe Pesci), to defend them. Vinny roles into town with his hot fiancé (Marisa Tomei) intent on winning his first big case.

I've heard a lot about this movie over the years, but never got around to seeing it till the other night and was pleasantly surprised. It's part fish-out-of-water comedy and part courtroom drama. The hulking Fred Gwynne plays the staunch judge, an amusing performance. It was Gwynne's last film.

The movie is filled with laughs throughout, but it's more than just a goofball comedy. At some point early in the second act I strangely found myself liking Vinny and wanting him to succeed. I also found myself warming up to Vinny & his fiancé as a couple. They're an odd couple, but somehow click. I guess this is where Marisa got the reputation for liking short, stocky men.

Speaking of Marisa, she's just stunning here, although I prefer her more as she gets older, e.g. 2008's "The Wrestler.”

The film was shot in Georgia and runs 120 minutes.

GRADE: B+
GenerationofSwine
Written 2 year(s) ago
10
This never stops being funny no matter how many times you watch it.

I think Marisa Tomei won or was nominated for an Oscar for this... and it was well deserved. In a lot of her movies she played the role of "a pretty face" but she not only stood her ground against Joe Pesci but she actually out shined him in a few scenes.

That is a hard thing to do, usually when Pesci is cast he's the best part of the film... and he was priceless in this... and Marisa Tomei out did him.

So what you have is a movie that is endlessly quotable, completely hysterical, and has two of the best performances you'll see in any movie, drama or comedy... with a script that backs it up.

Movies don't get better than this.