My Cousin Vinny

Released 1992
Stars Joe Pesci, Marisa Tomei, Fred Gwynne, Ralph Macchio
Directed by Jonathan Lynn
 
Despite earlier fine performances including as a bumbling burglar in Home Alone, as Leo Getz in Lethal Weapon 2, and as gangster Tommy DeVito in Goodfellas, it’s his performance in My Cousin Vinny that really allowed Joe Pesci to shine with a leading role that put him on the comedy map. Jonathan Lynn’s My Cousin Vinny is a non-stop hilarious fish-out-of-water comedy.

Bill Gambini (Ralph Macchio) and his friend Stan (Mitchell Whitfield) are on a driving trip through Alabama on their way to college when Bill inadvertently shoplifts a can of tuna at a roadside convenience store. After being pulled over by the police and confessing to the crime, the two yutes, umm...youths, are mistakenly arrested for murder, and Bill calls on his family for help. Fortunately, his cousin Vincent “Vinny” La Guardia Gambini the First (Pesci) is a lawyer.

Jonathan Lynn’s direction is impeccable, with solid performances from the entire cast. The comedic content is original and well-paced, playing on Pesci and Tomei’s Brooklyn accents for a fair amount of the humour. The prison sequence and Tomei’s unforgettable speeches about deer hunting and her biological clock are must sees. This is comedy at its finest. All in all, this is a near perfect comedy, and a must have film.

Summary by Erik Childress