Film Snail

My Cousin Vinny
My Cousin Vinny

7.5

My Cousin Vinny

R·1992·120m

Summary

Two carefree pals traveling through Alabama 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!

Crew

Director

Jonathan Lynn

Screenplay

Dale Launer

Reviews

Wuchak

Wuchak

June 26, 2020

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+

Media

Status:

Released

Original Language:

English

Budget:

$11,000,000.00

Revenue:

$64,088,552.00

Keywords

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
murder suspect
engaged couple
courtroom drama
best friends
deep south