Directed by: Jonathan Lynn
Starring: Joe Pesci, Marisa Tomei, Ralph Macchio, Mitchell Whitfield, Fred Gwynne, Lane Smith, Austin Pendleton, Maury Chaykin, Bruce McGill
My Cousin Vinny is a fish-out-of-water tale combined with courtroom comedy that succeeds at both. If there is anyone in this movie completely out of his depth, it's Vinny Gambini (Pesci), a Brooklyn lawyer who has been practicing "for almost six weeks" when he is tapped by his cousin Bill (Macchio) and his friend Stan (Whitfield) to represent them after they are charged with murdering a store clerk in rural Alabama.
Bill and Stan are innocent, but can't afford a decent attorney. Vinny steps in as a favor to Bill's mother, but he is learning as he goes, which annoys Judge Haller (Gwynne), a stickler for procedure. Vinny lies to the judge about his experience, saying he practices under the name Jerry Gallo, which leads to a funny payoff. Vinny travels to Alabama from Brooklyn in his giant convertible with fiancee Lisa (Tomei-in her Oscar-winning role) in tow. Both stick out like sore thumbs with their Brooklyn accents, direct manner of speaking, and clothes. Vinny wears a black leather jacket and black t-shirt his first day in court, causing Judge Haller to throw him in jail for contempt of court.
Vinny is a smart man, but has to learn how to be an attorney on the fly. Once he gains his rhythm, he is an effective attorney. It didn't start out that way. He screws up the arraignment and his inability to just enter a plea causes issues. Stan opts to go with the public defender, whose stutter manifests itself in the worst way at the worst time. I won't go further into how the trial proceeds, but there are other obstacles, including Vinny being woken by mill whistles, screeching owls, pigs, and a loud train coming by his hotel each morning at 5:00am. Vinny and Lisa try to adjust to Southern ways with mixed results, but that's part of the charm of My Cousin Vinny.
Pesci plays the lovable smart-ass to a tee. Tomei not only provides laughs by playing off Pesci, but Lisa's intelligence in the automotive field pays huge dividends later. Gwynne, in his final film role, is the picture of exasperation as he clashes with Vinny's inexperience and his Brooklyn attitude. Ultimately, My Cousin Vinny is a comedy gem because it doesn't just depend on formula, it finds the big laughs even in the smaller moments.
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