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My Cousin Vinny (1992)
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Overview
User Rating:
Director:
Writer (WGA):
Dale Launer (written by)
Release Date:
13 March 1992 (USA)
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Tagline:
Rambo. Terminator. Indiana Jones. Vinny Gambini. more
Plot:
Bill and Stan are mistaken for murderers while on vacation, and Bill's family sends his cousin to defend them for his first case as a lawyer. full summary | full synopsis
Awards:
Won Oscar.
Another 3 wins
&
1 nomination
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NewsDesk:
(41 articles)
Veteran's Day, 'Precious' And 'Fantastic Mr. Fox' In Today's Twitter-Wood
(From MTV Movies Blog. 11 November 2009, 3:00 PM, PST)
Ta Follows The Stars: Rachelle Lefevre And Peter Facinelli
(From TwilightersAnonymous. 5 November 2009, 3:01 PM, PST)
(From MTV Movies Blog. 11 November 2009, 3:00 PM, PST)
Ta Follows The Stars: Rachelle Lefevre And Peter Facinelli
(From TwilightersAnonymous. 5 November 2009, 3:01 PM, PST)
User Comments:
Brooklyn lawyer Pesci tries to save the "two yutes" from frying in the electric chair. Classic!
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Cast
(Cast overview, first billed only) | Joe Pesci | ... | Vincent 'Vinny' Gambini |
 | Ralph Macchio | ... | William 'Billy' Gambini |
 | Marisa Tomei | ... | Mona Lisa Vito |
 | Mitchell Whitfield | ... | Stan Rothenstein |
| Fred Gwynne | ... | Judge Chamberlain Haller |
 | Lane Smith | ... | D.A. Jim Trotter, III |
 | Austin Pendleton | ... | John Gibbons |
 | Bruce McGill | ... | Sheriff Dean Farley |
| Maury Chaykin | ... | Sam Tipton |
| Paulene Myers | ... | Constance Riley (as Pauline Meyers) |
| Raynor Scheine | ... | Ernie Crane |
| James Rebhorn | ... | George Wilbur |
 | Chris Ellis | ... | J.T. |
| Michael Simpson | ... | Neckbrace |
| Lou Walker | ... | Grits Cook |
Additional Details
MPAA:
Rated R for language.
Parents Guide:
Runtime:
120 min
Country:
Language:
Color:
Aspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Certification:
Iceland:L |
Argentina:13 |
Australia:M |
Canada:14A |
Chile:14 |
Finland:S |
France:U |
Germany:6 |
Norway:15 |
Spain:T |
Sweden:7 |
UK:15 |
USA:R |
Singapore:PG
Filming Locations:
Company:
Fun Stuff
Trivia:
Lorraine Bracco was the first choice for the role of Mona Lisa Vito but declined the role.
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Goofs:
Errors made by characters (possibly deliberate errors by the filmmakers): During the climax when Lisa is describing the difference between the two automobiles, she mentions that positraction is a limited slip differential. She explains that a limited slip differential sends equal power to both wheels. This is the description of a closed differential. A limited slip differential ensures that not all power goes to one wheel, but does not create a 50/50 split in power.
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Quotes:
Mona Lisa Vito:
The car that made these two, equal-length tire marks had positraction. You can't make those marks without positraction, which was not available on the '64 Buick Skylark!
Vinny Gambini: And why not? What is positraction?
Mona Lisa Vito: It's a limited slip differential which distributes power equally to both the right and left tires. The '64 Skylark had a regular differential, which, anyone who's been stuck in the mud in Alabama knows, you step on the gas, one tire spins, the other tire does nothing.
[the jury members nod, with murmurs of "yes," "that's right," etc]
Vinny Gambini: Is that it?
Mona Lisa Vito: No, there's more! You see? When the left tire mark goes up on the curb and the right tire mark stays flat and even? Well, the '64 Skylark had a solid rear axle, so when the left tire would go up on the curb, the right tire would tilt out and ride along its edge. But that didn't happen here. The tire mark stayed flat and even. This car had an independent rear suspension. Now, in the '60's, there were only two other cars made in America that had positraction, and independent rear suspension, and enough power to make these marks. One was the Corvette, which could never be confused with the Buick Skylark. The other had the same body length, height, width, weight, wheel base, and wheel track as the '64 Skylark, and that was the 1963 Pontiac Tempest.
Vinny Gambini: And because both cars were made by GM, were both cars available in metallic mint green paint?
Mona Lisa Vito: They were!
Vinny Gambini: Thank you, Ms. Vito. No more questions. Thank you very, very much.
[kissing her hands]
[...]
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Vinny Gambini: And why not? What is positraction?
Mona Lisa Vito: It's a limited slip differential which distributes power equally to both the right and left tires. The '64 Skylark had a regular differential, which, anyone who's been stuck in the mud in Alabama knows, you step on the gas, one tire spins, the other tire does nothing.
[the jury members nod, with murmurs of "yes," "that's right," etc]
Vinny Gambini: Is that it?
Mona Lisa Vito: No, there's more! You see? When the left tire mark goes up on the curb and the right tire mark stays flat and even? Well, the '64 Skylark had a solid rear axle, so when the left tire would go up on the curb, the right tire would tilt out and ride along its edge. But that didn't happen here. The tire mark stayed flat and even. This car had an independent rear suspension. Now, in the '60's, there were only two other cars made in America that had positraction, and independent rear suspension, and enough power to make these marks. One was the Corvette, which could never be confused with the Buick Skylark. The other had the same body length, height, width, weight, wheel base, and wheel track as the '64 Skylark, and that was the 1963 Pontiac Tempest.
Vinny Gambini: And because both cars were made by GM, were both cars available in metallic mint green paint?
Mona Lisa Vito: They were!
Vinny Gambini: Thank you, Ms. Vito. No more questions. Thank you very, very much.
[kissing her hands]
[...]
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Movie Connections:
Featured in "Seinfeld: The Cadillac (#7.14)" (1996)
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Soundtrack:
STAND BY YOUR MAN
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FAQ
How much sex, violence, and profanity are in this movie?How does Vinny know so much about the differences between GM's similar-looking cars?
Why weren't the parents of Bill and Stan present at the trial?
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"My Cousin Vinny," along with the megahit "Goodfellas," put Pesci on the map. Of course, he's been in the Scorcese's previous hit "Raging Bull," but didn't get a hell of a lot of recognition at the time. Joe Pesci's character of Vincent LaGuardia Gambini is a landmark character in comedy history. When his New Yauker street smarts collide with Southern hospitality--brilliant fish-out-of-water humor ensues!
Of course, Pesci should've be given all the credit. Marisa Tomei, who RIGHTFULLY won the Supporting Oscar for her excellent performance (please don't believe that urban myth about Jack Palance calling out the wrong name!!), is hilarious as Pesci's fiance with a foul mouth, a smart a**, the heaviest Brooklyn accent and an incredible expertise in automobiles. This was also the movie that made Marisa a star, and a performance I commend to this day.
What can I say? This movie has some of the most priceless bits of comedy. One, of course, involves Pesci's pronunciation of the word "youth" which sounds like "yute." One underrated bit is the one where Pesci first meets his cousin's friend (Mitchell Whitfield) in the jail cell. His cousin (Ralph Macchio) is asleep and Pesci suddenly pays the friend a visit. He doesn't know Pesci is the lawyer, and assumes he's some guy who...wants to make him his b**ch. The comic dialogue in that scene is so perfectly executed and I feel it's one of the funniest in the movie. I'm not going to give away any more of the film's slick, intelligent humor--You have to see it for yourself!!!
If you're in the mood for a smart, well-written, well-acted comedy that will have you on the floor--look no further! "My Cousin Vinny" doesn't disappoint in any of those aspects. This is a truly memorable piece of comedy, and though it was released in 1992, I'm sure comedy lovers will pay homage to this movie in the present day.
My score: 8 (out of 10)