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Joe Pesci, Ralph Macchio, Marisa Tomei, Mitchell Whitfield, Fred Gwynne ... see more see more... , Lane Smith , Austin Pendleton , Suzi Bass , Michael Burgess , Maury Chaykin , Bill Coates , J. Don Ferguson , Michael Genevie , Ken Jones , Ron Leggett , Jeff Lewis , Bruce McGill , Thomas Merdis , Pauline Meyers , Muriel Moore , Aubrey J. Osteen , Bob Penny , James Rebhorn , Raynor Scheine , Larry Shuler , Lou Walker , Chris Ellis , Jill Jane Clements , Michael Simpson

When sweet Northern college kid Bill (Ralph Macchio) and his buddy Stan (Mitchell Whitfield) are picked up and thrown into the slammer in a hick Southern town, at first it looks like no big deal. Then... read more read more... they are informed that they are accused of murder. Penniless and without a single friend in the area, Bill decides to call his goofy cousin Vinny (Joe Pesci), who has somehow recently become a lawyer. Full of family feeling and bravado, Vinny, who has never tried a criminal case in his short life as a lawyer, rides south to defend his trusting relative. He's an expert motormouth and street-level logician from the wilder reaches of metropolitan New York, complete with a thick accent and the attitude to go with it. Otherwise, he's much less well qualified than your average public defender. When he arrives on the scene with his equally brassy girlfriend Lisa (Marisa Tomei), Bill is fairly sure he's going to be sentenced to death. His buddy Stan is even less confident of his legal representative, if that's possible, and the first thing Vinny has to do is to regain the consent of his clients to represent them. The local judge doesn't seem any too sympathetic to Vinny's verbal shenanigans either, and even the most optimistic supporter of the boys would begin to have doubts at this point -- and Vinny's no exception. With the insistent moral encouragement of his girlfriend, Vinny somehow accomplishes the impossible and wins grudging (if very irritated) respect from all concerned, for once studying as if his life depended on it. ~ Clarke Fountain, Rovi

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47% want to see it

95,991 ratings

Critics

85% liked it

39 critics

R, 2 hr.

Directed by: Jonathan Lynn

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DVD Release Date: August 14, 2001

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Flixster Reviews (4,442)

  • blkbomb
    October 12, 2011
    blkbomb
    Vinny: Uh... everything that guy just said is bullshit... Thank you. 

    "Truth, Justice and the Gambini Way."

    My Cousin Vinny is one of the funnier comedies I have ever seen. The cast is great, with Joe Pesci, Marisa Tomei and Fred Gwynn. The film has some of the funniest individ... read moreual scenes I have ever seen because of Pesci. He's pretty good at playing a monster, but damn did he give a great performance as a lawyer who doesn't know all that much about law. Going in, I have to say I didn't think this was going to be as good as I had heard, but it delivered everything you'd want from a comedy.

    Two young college students are traveling through Alabama when they stop at a local convenient store for some food. After buying their food and getting back on the road, they get pulled over. They think it is for stealing a can of tuna, but actually they are bing accused of murder. They can't afford a good attorney, so they settle for a cousin, by the name of Vinny. He has graduated from law school, but it took him six tries to pass the BAR. Now he has been a lawyer for a whole six weeks, hasn't gone to trial, knows nothing about the procedures and is being tossed into a murder trial that concerns a family member, who if convicted wouldn't just go to prison, but probably would be put to death. How could this not be funny?

    I love the banter back and forth between the actors. Tomei and Pesci have great chemistry and make every scene that they are in together interesting. But the best back and forth came in the courtroom scenes between the judge(Fred Gwynn) and Vinny. Most of their conversations go something like this:

    Judge:I don't like your attitude. 
    Vinny: So what else is new? 
    Judge: I'm holding you in contempt of court. 
    Vinny: Now there's a fucking surprise. 
    Judge: What did you say? What did you just say? 
    Vinny: Huh? What did I say? 

    Then there's his back and forth with the witnesses:

    Vinny: How could it take you five minutes to cook your grits when it takes the entire grit-eating world 20 minutes? 
    Tipton: Um... I'm a fast cook, I guess. 
    Vinny:  What? I'm sorry I was over there. Did you just say you were a fast cook? Are we to believe that boiling water soaks into a grit faster in your kitchen than any place on the face of the earth? 
    Tipton: I don't know. 
    Vinny: Perhaps the laws of physics cease to exist on your stove. Were these magic grits? Did you buy them from the same guy who sold Jack his beanstalk beans? 

    The dialogue in My Cousin Vinny is extremely funny and most of the time very smart. It has its occasional goofy scene that is all about being stupid, but for the most part it is highly intelligent. This movie gave me a new appreciation for everyone involved. I love Joe Pesci and Marisa Tomei, but this just took them to a whole new level in my book. Also, Fred Gwynn; I've never seen him in anything outside of The Munsters, that I know of. He has that same quality that makes him so fun to watch as Herman Munster, in this movie as a Judge. 

    If you're looking for a movie to make you laugh; it doesn't get to much better than this. I mean, this movie is in Blazing Saddles country when it comes to how funny it is. That is saying something.
  • TheGame90
    September 18, 2011
    TheGame90
    Remember the first time I saw it. Had never heard of it...and I was blown away
  • moonrivers
    August 22, 2011
    moonrivers
    Riotous fish-out-of-water tale as New Yorkers are trapped down South and fed grits! Pesci is one tough little a--hole (doh! again! but he's good at it) as he and his babe deluxe go shake up the yokels. Though this is Pesci's film look for Marisa Tomei, she's a bearcat.
  • murphmann93
    June 23, 2011
    murphmann93
    Hilarious!
  • TheDudeLebowski65
    June 13, 2011
    TheDudeLebowski65
    My Cousin Vinny is a fun and humourous comedy. After being arrested in a hick town and accused of murder, two teens who are unable to afford a good lawyer hire one of their cousins who became a lawyer. Unfortunately for them, he's fairly eccentric and not very qualified to take o... read moren the case. This film is filled with terrific comedy and really good performances by its actors. This is a smartly crafted comedy thats superbly well well written and delivers a few good laughs. Part courtroom film and comedy film, My Cousin Vinny is a smart film with effective laughs.Marisa Tomei gives a great performance and so does Joe Pesci. This a comedy with style and is guaranteed to make you laugh and smile at the antics of Joe Pesci. Joe Pesci takes a break from his serious films and is able to carry on a terrific performance with a comedy. This performance is a far better one than the comedy performances he delivered in both Home Alone films. A solid comedy with great acting and a good story, its no wonder that so many people like this film. My Cousin Vinny is a entertaining and funny film that is not your regular comedy film. I thoroughly enjoyed this film, and I recommend it to anyone looking for a well written smart and funny film.
  • CloudStrife84
    May 17, 2011
    CloudStrife84
    Courtroom comedy of the highest order. Joe Pesci is as funny as ever, and Marisa Tomei tops herself as his sassy and street mart girlfriend. I can't say this reminds me of any other movie that I've seen, which makes it rather original as far as comedies go. Nice humor, interestin... read moreg plot and wonderfully written dialogue. A must-see if you're a fan of either Pesci or Tomei.
  • jennifxu
    April 28, 2011
    jennifxu
    It is so rare for me to come across a good, good comedy and here I think I've found one. Also, Marisa Tomei was really beautiful, and continues to be today.
  • jjnxn
    March 6, 2011
    jjnxn
    The script is a perfectly ridiculous fish out of water story but the irresistible combo of Pesci and Tomei make this a terrific viewing experience. While Macchio and Whitfeld are rather bland as the accused that actually helps since too many strong characters would have thrown th... read moree focus of the film off. Marisa Tomei's controversial Oscar win for this performance is a matter of opinion, as most awards are anyway, and there were four other fine performances that year but without her sensational work here the picture would be considerably less than it is. The supporting cast is peppered with fine actors doing good work, Lane Smith and Austin Pendleton are memorable but the real standout is Fred Gwynne as the judge in his last role, a great way to wrap up a career. A charmer that can be watched over and over and provide pleasure each time.
  • Chiefilms
    December 26, 2010
    Chiefilms
    Fish out of water, fish out of water. New York vs. Southern accents, that shiz is played out but for its time it was considered great, much like that whiny biatch who won an Oscar for Bonnie and Clyde.
  • FrizzDrop
    November 3, 2010
    FrizzDrop
    There are no reservations against this laugh out loud comedy. Pesci and Tomei are absolutely brilliant. It's almost a Legally Blonde-Guido addition.

View All My Cousin Vinny Reviews

Critic Reviews

Variety Staff
May 27, 2008
Variety Staff, Variety

Tomei, sashaying through the proceedings as kind of a sexy hood ornament, creates a buoyant chemistry with her combative b.f. Full Review

Jonathan Rosenbaum
May 27, 2008
Jonathan Rosenbaum, Chicago Reader

While it's easy to imagine an infinite number of bad courtroom comedies based on this scenario, this movie turns out to be wonderful -- broad and low character comedy that's solidly imagined and beaut... Full Review

Vincent Canby
May 20, 2003
Vincent Canby, New York Times

Easily the most inventive and enjoyable American film farce in a long time, even during those extended patches when it seems to be marking time or when it continues with a running gag that can't stay ... Full Review

Peter Travers
May 12, 2001
Peter Travers, Rolling Stone

You might not remember much about My Cousin Vinny an hour later, but the cast makes the jokes (even the bad ones) go down easy.

Desson Thomson
January 1, 2000
Desson Thomson, Washington Post

Joe Pesci is a total screen pleasure. He grabs whatever comes his way -- from GoodFellas to Home Alone Full Review

Roger Ebert
January 1, 2000
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

It's the kind of movie home video was invented for: Not worth the trip to the theater, but slam it into the VCR and you get your rental's worth. Full Review

Rita Kempley
January 1, 2000
Rita Kempley, Washington Post

Weighed down by a dull setup featuring Ralph 'Karate Kid' Macchio, the movie gets a much-needed charge from Pesci, a bundle of bandy-legged impudence as Macchio's lawyer cousin, Vincent Gambini. Full Review

Scott Nash
September 24, 2010
Scott Nash, Three Movie Buffs

Apart from Pesci being too old for the part as written, My Cousin Vinny holds up pretty well. Full Review

Peter Canavese
August 12, 2009
Peter Canavese, Groucho Reviews

The minor miracle of My Cousin Vinny is that--though the picture never scores any guffaws, the villains remain off-screen, and the conclusion is never in doubt--the movie's full two-hour running time ... Full Review

May 27, 2008
TV Guide's Movie Guide

A rare comedy that never quite wears out its welcome. Full Review

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Facts

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    • Vincent La Guardia Gambini: How many times have you said spontaneous is romantic?
    • Mona Lisa Vito: A burp is spontaneous. A burp is not romantic.
    • Vincent La Guardia Gambini: Take your time, pick the right words, get back to New York and give me a call.
    • Mona Lisa Vito: Imagine you're a deer. You're prancing along, you get thirsty, you spot a little brook, you put your little deer lips down to the cool clear water... BAM! A fuckin bullet rips off part of your head! Your brains are laying on the ground in little bloody pieces! Now I ask ya. Would you give a fuck what kind of pants the son of a bitch who shot you was wearing?
    • Vincent La Guardia Gambini: Well, I guess the laws of physics cease to exist on top of your stove. Were these magic grits? Did you buy them from the same guy who sold Jack his beanstalk beans?
    • Mona Lisa Vito: My biological clock is ticking like this, and the way this case is going, I ain't never getting married!
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My Cousin Vinny Trivia

  • Mona Lisa Vito: [Vinny looks at her funny] What? Vinny Gambini: Nothing. You stick out like a sore thumb around here. Mona Lisa Vito: Me? What about you? Vinny Gambini: I fit in better than you. At least I'm wearing cowboy boots. Mona Lisa Vito: Oh yeah, you blend.   Answer »
  • Judge: I thought I told you to wear a suit in my courtroom! Lawyer: "You were serious about dat? Is a quote from which film?   Answer »
  • In My Cousin Vinny, In what state does the movie take place?  Answer »
  • In My Cousin Vinny, Prior to defending William and Stan, in what area of law had Vinny tried cases?  Answer »
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