My Cousin Vinny (1992) Review

My Cousin Vinny (1992)

My Cousin Vinny follows New York lawyer, Vinny Gambini, who has never won a case, but after his cousin Stan and his friend Bill are accused of murdering a gas station clerk in Alabama, it’s up to Vinny to pull himself together and win the case. 

If you told me that My Cousin Vinny, a Joe Pesci starring comedy about a lawyer who’s never lawyered before would be one of the most accurate portrayals of a real courtroom in all of cinema, as well as shown in law school as an example on how to be a successful lawyer, never in a million years would I believe you. And yet, it is, commanding a particular presence that is both hilarious and impressive, that if it accomplishes nothing else, sets forth the proposition that it's probably a good thing to have a lawyer in the family. 

Aside from it’s astounding portrayal of life in the courtroom, that only gets better and better as we chug along, admittedly still leaving me cheering at the sheer imagination and fashion scenes were pulled off, what carries so much of the movie is Vinny (and by proxy, Mona Lisa) and the culture clash between him and the residents of Beechum County. His spats with the hard nosed Judge Chamberlain Haller, whose disdain for Vinny only grows with each ridiculous outfit, outburst, or foul mouthed comment, are downright hilarious, forcing Vinny to fight two battles in court, on top of the myriad of other issues he encounters in this podunk of a town. 

‘Vinny’ boasts a sensational cast, starring Bruce McGill, Mitchell Whitfield, Ralph Macchio, Lane Smith, Fred Gwynne, Marisa Tomei, and Joe Pesci. The one-two punch of Pesci and Tomei is honestly picture perfect, with Pesci’s trademark crude, Italian humor and stubbornness put on full display, while Tomei adds a particular brainy sassiness that is wonderful to watch, as the two carry this film from start to finish, especially inside the courtroom however. 

My Cousin Vinny, directed by Jonathan Lynn, is a hilarious courtroom comedy that never really outstays its welcome, providing for a fun showcase on the culture wars of the north and south that is equally as enjoyable in its antics and heart, let alone its grasp on the complexities of the legal system. 

8.8/10