'My Cousin Vinny' turns 25
A look back at the film.
— -- Twenty-five years ago today, two "yoots" were put on trial for a murder they didn't commit and were saved by an unconventional lawyer. Yes, it's the 25th anniversary of "My Cousin Vinny."
The 1992 film starred Joe Pesci as Vincent LaGuardia Gambini, an inexperienced Brooklyn attorney who travels to a small Alabama town to defend his younger cousin, played by Ralph Macchio, and his friend against murder charges. Marisa Tomei played Vincent's automotive-expert fiancee, Mona Lisa Vito.
Most of the film's comedy comes from the contrast between tough New Yorkers and small-town Southerners, the latter epitomized by the presiding judge and prosecutor, played by the late Fred Gwynne and Lane Smith, respectively. In one memorable scene, Vinny's Brooklyn accent confuses the judge when Vinny refers to the defendants as "the two yoots," instead of "youths."
Tomei, a relative newcomer at the time, won the best supporting actress Oscar for her role, which required her to spout arcane, technical automotive details as Vinny's expert witness. It's her testimony about Chevrolet's positraction system that helps clear Vinny's cousin and his friend.
Believe it or not, "My Cousin Vinny" has been praised by legal professionals for its accurate depiction of courtroom scenes and trial strategy, as Vinny eviscerates the testimony of witnesses by pointing out inconsistencies in their stories.
It's even mentioned in one legal textbook as an "entertaining [and] extremely helpful introduction to the art of presenting expert witnesses at trial for both beginning experts and litigators." Not surprising, perhaps, given that director Jonathan Lynn has a law degree from Cambridge University.
