Normally, the judge doesn't need to vet the attorneys upfront. But, in this case, Vinny is a lawyer from another state, so the judge is required to approve him on a "pro hac vice" basis. This is actually one of the most legally-accurate films ever made.
@@asterix7842 While you can represent yourself without a license, you have to be licensed or come from a state that has a reciprocity agreement if you are going to defend someone else.
Something I really like about this movie is that there aren't any real villains - the cops aren't corrupt, the judge isn't corrupt, the prosecuting attourney isn't corrupt. Everyone's trying to get at the truth of the matter, and it's a simple case of mistaken identity gone too far. The "antagonist" is the situation, not a person.
I absolutely LOVE that too! Its not an east coast is so cool and southerners are so dumb kinda thing either. I think I remember the director saying something like that was important to him not to do that.
All the humor comes from fish-out-of-water, urban vs rural culture clash, but the movie doesn't take a side. Neither the city folk nor the country folk are portrayed as inherently dumb or inferior, just different.
The person closest to a villain was the pool hustler lol. He was constantly made a fool of, until he actually had the money, then Joe Pesci did like a flying burrito wrestling move on him lol. Classic
I do agree, though I think the judge does flirt with the line a few times just by being a complete dick. The arguing about attire and constant contempt of court charges are annoying, but believable. Especially from a bumpkin judge who is expecting some big city hot shot lawyer to be looking down his nose at their court. That being said, when he overrules Vinnie's completely valid objection over the FBI guy testifying with absolute no cause, then gives him an hour to review the evidence, thats when he starts feeling a tad villainous to me.... it ends up not mattering, and he's nice enough at the end, but that overruling is straight bullshit, not to mention giving him zero time to review highly technical new evidence to prepare a proper cross.
I would call the attention seeking witnesses villains. Not the sweet little old lady, she seemed genuinely surprised by how wrong she was. But the dude with the nasty windows for sure.
This movie is one of the most accurate courtroom movies that has come out of hollywood. Besides being funny as shit, they did a surprisingly good job of showing some of the laws of evidence used in a trial. Love it!
Marisa Tomei is a goddess and rules every second she is on the screen in "My Cousin Vinny". She stole the stage, my heart, and completely deserved that Academy Award she won for this role.
"How realistic or far-fetched is this?" My father is a lawyer and this movie is tied with "Legally Blonde" as his favorite courtroom movies in part because they're pretty damn accurate. I understand that a lot of lawyers love these two movies for that reason as well. As for the absurdity of the mistaken identity scenario, legal history is full of things that actually happened that are far more bizarre. This movie is trying to be nice and making this all an honest mistake despite everyone being competent and doing their job correctly, which *does* happen, but infuriatingly often, people just get railroaded because of laziness, incompetence, or political optics.
"As for the absurdity of the mistaken identity scenario, legal history is full of things that actually happened that are far more bizarre." I learned the hard way that don't talk to the police unless a your lawyer is present is great advice. It's a bit worrying that so many people still think it's not.
There are some reaction videos by real lawyers to My Cousin Vinny and the general consensus seems to be is that this is actually the most realistic portrayal of American law and courtroom tactics.
Everyone fell in love with Marisa Tomei in this movie when it came out. The Judge was famous as Herman from the TV Series The Munsters, which is worth watching. Or at least the intro.
She even won the best supporting actress oscar, which I think was deserved, bu came as a surprise to many. There have been conspiracy theories about that oscar ever since.
George was frustrated at the beginning of the movie confusion, but I was so frustrated with George being so confused. They were being accused of robbery and murder with witnesses identifying them and the car. Them saying oh sorry, we thought we were talking about tuna was not going to get them release. It’s not an easy case at all. Their being held on murder charges, tuna was irrelevant at that point.
I agree with this wholeheartedly. The tuna can bit was just for the comic misunderstanding and for the confession thats read later in the movie......the fact that George gets so hung up on this and is so glaringly qrong while also playing down a movie that is going over his head.......is irritating.......and he does this sometimes........I cant stand that people are always trying to be smarter than the movie these days.......well My Cousin Vinny is a pretty smart movie lol
Yeah, its clear he knows nothing about trial law in the US, which is fine, but he should acknowledge his ignorance in that area and not let it frustrate him so much. Like you said, I’ve never heard ANYONE say they were frustrated. That’s odd.
At the time George brought up the issue of frustration, none of the evidence supporting their incarceration had been revealed yet. It is pretty stupid that at no point prior to questioning the suspects did anyone confirm what the charges were and what crime they were being accused of.
The beginning of this movie demonstrates very well why you should never speak to the police by yourself, never without legal counsel present. If he had lawyered up immediately the first thing the lawyer would ask is "what is my client being charged with?" and then you avoid the false 'confessions' to murder and accessory to murder. Always speak to law enforcement through your lawyer and never by yourself, even or perhaps especially if you don't think you did anything illegal because you never know what's going on with the cops behind the scenes. In the US once you waive your right to remain silent anything you say can be used against you in court, including misinterpretations and misunderstandings. ALWAYS demand a lawyer but otherwise KEEP YOUR MOUTH SHUT.
And that’s not a knock at police. Any honest police officer would tell you exactly the same. Don’t be a dick. Just say you would like to not make any statements until you’ve consulted an attorney.
This is especially true if you are innocent. I made the dumb mistake to think that it would be obvious I was innocent and almost got charged with a serious crime.
In the US the police don't have a responsibility to use evidence the will exonerate a defendant. While most police and lawyers won't charge someone they know to be innocent they also don't have to look for reasons a defendant is innocent as that is the responsibility of the defense to present that evidence during trial.
@@quintoblanco8746 Yup; the desire to clear one’s name instantly is liable to make you say things which could later be used against you, even from seemingly innocuous statements.
@@kattahj -Exactly... As a supporting (comedic) actor, almost NONE of her lines were irrelevant or masked over. Her screen time in each scene was every-bit as important, and as well-delivered as Pesci's, especially when you consider that Joe's character and portrayal was damn near impossible to stop or match. Saw the movie when it came out, and thought it was great, but never realized how Tomei stepped up to the plate for this role until re-watching and dissecting it. No way was that Oscar decided in a 5 minute scene.
I liked how respectful he was to everyone. He could’ve gone the route of thinking they were all dumb hicks because they’re from the south and he’s from big city NY, but he didn’t and the movie didn’t take that route either. The whole movie is respectful to southern small towns in general and didn’t make them out to be stupid or nefarious with the whole mistaken identity thing.
@@Ivy94F That's so true. Because people from the Northeast and the West tend to treat Southern and Midwestern States and people as though they're better and above. And they're not. Cities aren't better than rural areas. Urban isn't better than Country. It's ridiculous
Marisa Tomei IS great in this movie, giving one of the funniest (semi-) contemporary comedy performances in the last 40 years. Her efforts were celebrated with an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress, one of the few times a comedy movie won an Oscar, something that is even more rare when it is for acting. Shockingly, there was a controversy around it at the time, where people asked if Jack Palance read the wrong name when announcing the winner. Nonsense! Also, if you two haven't seen Clue -- I don't remember it on the channel -- that's another great comedy by the same director as this film, Jonathan Lynn.
Yeah that “controversy” was one of the more vicious and disrespectful cases of moronic Hollywood rumors of the 90s, and that’s saying something. She won, and she deserved it. She was nominated again for The Wrestler (another film worthy of a reaction.)
@@thormelsted - agreed. The fact that people couldn't wrap their heads around the fact that her work in Vinny was Oscar-worthy seems especially preposterous when you consider that Jack Palance was presenting. He'd won a Supporting Actor Oscar for his role in "City Slickers." And frankly, while he was fine, it's not like his role of Curly was some deep, profound achievement which dwarfed Tomei's work in My Cousin Vinny. If anything, it should've made it more "acceptable" for a supporting comedic performance to be recognized. No one had a problem when Palance won for what was essentially a light comedy.
The "Two Yutes" bit between Vinnie and the judge was based on a real-life accent-interpretation problem between Joe Pesci and the film's director, during production. After the misunderstanding was cleared up, they (correctly) decided that it was funny enough that it should be added to the film. Also - your edit doesn't directly show this, so it's unclear if this joke 'landed' with you: A scene in the film shows the jail corridor with sounds of a prison riot occurring. Then the camera pans over to Vinnie, who is sleeping like a baby during the riot. That gives a new context to all the previous scenes of 'stupid noises preventing him from sleeping.' No, it was •unfamiliar, country noises• that kept him up. As soon as he was surrounded by •familiar city noises•, he slept with no problem! 😀
Thank you for clarifying the sleeping thing, I've seen this movie dozens of times and never picked up on that distinction lmao I always just thought he was so tired he could sleep through anything at that point
margaritakmp - You're welcome. The idea that Vinnie could sleep through anything at that point, "I ain't slept in FIVE DAYS!..." is not in any way a bad or invalid interpretation, and it also 'fits' what we see in the film just fine! ...The only reason to go with the 'country/city, familiar/unfamiliar noises' interpretation, is that the country/city frame is funnier, and seems to integrate better with the rest of the film. (The entire film explores the concrete problems of Vinnie and Mona Lisa Vito being two 'fish out of water'. So Vinnie being "temporarily re-inserted into an environment he feels familiar with" - a prison during a riot - and that being the only place he can get a night's sleep - seems indeed funnier. It's also an interpretation that makes the film more of an 'equal opportunity offender' - "we don't only pick on the insanity of life in rural Alabama - we pick on life in The Big City, too!' (although indirectly.) I also genuinely cannot recall whether the 'country-city sleeping' interpretation was evident to me the first few times I saw the film. I may have had it pointed out to me too, at some point. 😀
@@tranya327 as someone who grew up near NYC, I never looked at it like that....makes sense though. i just thought he was able to sleep because it was continual noise. Like an air conditioner, or television in the background.
@@mikeshoe74 Yeah, the 'continual, loud noises' vs 'sudden loud bursts' thing is also pretty consistent w/what we see in the film, so that interpretation is valid enough. :) (I also grew up near-ish to NYC - maybe 35 mi from the Queens border, out in L.I. Close enough that I'd regularly make trips in.)
That is a great point about city noises vs country noises. I live in a city, and I'm so accustomed to the city noise that I only notice it when it's gone, like when I go out to the country for a weekend.
Fred Gwynne (the judge) is awesome in this movie. It’s also his last film performance. He passed away the year after this movie was released. He is also well known as Herman Munster, of the tv series “The Munsters”. Such an iconic series, and a huge part of my personal childhood. You might also recognize him if you ever saw the original Pet Cemetery movie He plays the old man that tells them about the cemetery
Thank you for blessing me with the knowledge that he was in the Munsters before this🤣 That must have been a bit of whiplash for people seeing this for the first time. Amazing performance though👏
This is such a great movie, and Marisa Tomei just steals the film. No wonder she won an Oscar for the role. If you really want to see Joe Pesci in a role where he's not a villianous sort, you can't miss "With Honors". Absolutely an amazing film and well worth watching. Others starring in "With Honors" include Brendan Frazier, Moira Kelly, and Patrick Dempsey while he was still young and geeky. Great review!
@@datbenbuford1863 Are you kidding me? That’s how he starts out because he’s an informant, but he becomes a close friend of theirs and even gave riggs some comfort and advice when he was mourning his wife. He was also with the whole family at the hospital when riggs baby was born. Did u see the rest of the movies?
“Why don’t they just tell them they didn’t do it?” Ya cause no criminals ever thought of that to be let go. 🤣🤣🤣🤣 these kids that think they are so smart.
This may come as a shock, but that defense actually works in Canada where George (and I) is/are from. :) Telling the police you're innocent and explaining actually does work. It's also mandatory in Canada as opposed to optional in the States since there's no right to remain silent in Canada.
I love this movie. It’s one of the few comedies where all the jokes and bits still land even after fifty or sixty viewings. Lol I still quote this movie a lot, especially when I’m with friends and we’re going to a restaurant we’ve never been before to. “Breakfast?” “You think?” Lol
I got my undergrad degree from a well-known state university in the South. To get there from my hometown I used to take some of the back roads, which took me through some very small towns (I literally came up on a dog sleeping in the middle of the road once). In this one town, there was just a single restaurant, and it was named "House of Food." Truth in advertising, for sure.
Joe Pesci was in a movie with Brendan Fraser called "With Honors" that is a must watch, completely different movie than what you're used to seeing him in.
That is indeed what a Screech Owl sounds like. I have foxes in the woods behind my house and they have a bark that sounds pretty eerie as well. I always liken it to the sound of a ghost child shrieking, it’s freaky.
It just annoys me when George questions things that he has no reason to question. .ie -Do southerners actually sound like that? You’re from Canada brother…take their word for it.
At around 8:08, Judges normally don't have to meet the lawyers before the trial but this is a special case. Vinny is from out of state and thus doesn't have a license in Alabama. The judge has to approve him representing the defendant. This movie does take some licenses with the way the law works in a courtroom but it's better than most. Check out LegalEagle's reaction to this movie to get a better sense of how accurate it is.
Marisa is a timeless beauty. I had a crush on her ever since this movie was on VHS. I even remember my parents renting this when it was released for rental. This had the whole family dying of laughter. Absolute great movie. A legend/classic movie amongst my family.
I'm a licensed attorney in the State of Michigan. This movie is very accurate to the law. Besides the time compression required for the narrative, the only thing which is grossly inaccurate is the two defendants being tried at the same time. As one was a principal and the other was an accessory, their defense interests are materially adverse because they could accuse each other as being the actual principal or coercing the other. So they couldn't both have Vinny as an attorney or be tried at the same time for issues related to the fifth and sixth amendment. But it's a great movie and is actually a good tutorial on how to cross examine witnesses effectively.
Number one rule with cops, especially if you're innocent: Keep Your Mouth Shut And Lawyer Up Immediately. The "can and will be used against you" part of the Miranda Rights is there for a reason. That part is far more realistic and far more common than people are led to believe.
But in the UK, after "You do not have to say anything", they add "but it may harm your defence if you do not mention when questioned something which you later rely on in court" Followed immediately by "Anything you do say may be given in evidence" ! Also, in Canada at least, it's a crime to lie to police during questioning, even if it has no direct bearing on the reason you're being questioned in the first place, while it's perfectly ok for police to lie to you about almost anything to trick you into incriminating yourself (not quite anything). What a minefield. I assume there are places where refusing to answer police questions is indeed held directly against you (?)
The movie is logical and generally legally accurate. The two "utes" made the mistake of talking to the police without a lawyer present. A lawyer would have explained the charges and the collected evidence. The police had no obligation to explain anything.
The Sheriff lied about looking up the car "on a hunch" because his testimony would've been inadmissible if he admitted he was doing it to help Vinny's case. He was doing Vinny a favor, and taking a big personal risk to get the truth out, but at that point he was convinced of the defendants' innocence and wanted to help make things right.
"The Sheriff lied..." Under oath? He would do no such thing! He didn't say *who's* hunch it was...(And it was a hunch on Vinnie's part. Total Hail-Mary longshot that the real killers might have gotten picked up anywhere else for some reason)
This movie is so accurate to the trial process and procedure in particular that it is actually shown in law schools as a teaching aid as is claimed by many attorneys who also state this is their favorite film.
It's not ridiculous and it's not 'illogical'! The police think they know who did it, or more to the point they think they can make a case against them whether they did it or not. It's not as easy as 'oh, actually, I just stole a can of tuna', like no suspect has ever changed his story or come up with a weird excuse under questioning. The police don't care - they think they have their guy. It's not 'unbelievable' or stupid, it's a prime example of why you never talk to the police alone. EDIT: never mind, I'm tapping out
Yep. Even if the boys never "confessed" they'd absolutely still be going to trial due to the eye witnesses placing them at the scene during the murder. And in real life they probably would havd been convicted too.
The actor who played the public defender said that this was one of his hardest roles because he first took up acting to help him with his actual stammer!
Honestly people do get railroaded and wrongful convictions happen. Before I decided to major in psychology I was strongly considering criminology, and after taking a couple classes, including one that was all about wrongful convictions(which happen a LOT more than you’d think)the most important thing I learned is that you should never under any circumstances talk to the cops, always immediately ask for a lawyer, if they don’t arrest you then they can’t keep you, and if they either don’t read you your rights or don’t give you a lawyer once you’ve asked for one, and you can prove that they didn’t, you can get whatever is said after that point thrown out.
@@dandoll4405 They do still have to read you your rights. I think the change in the law you're referring to had to do with the fact they can't be sued for not doing it anymore.
My favorite thing about this movie is how respectful it is to everyone. So many take every opportunity to shit all over the south. It’s a different culture and the movie was fair to all parties. The cops, judge, and prosecutor pursued the case passionately but fairly. They weren’t trying to railroad the little Yankees - they had good cause to believe they were the killers. When they were shown to be innocent, the prosecutor gladly dropped the case with a smile on his face. The locals were portrayed very accurately as well. Just regular folks, and no, the accents are not over the top. We don’t all talk that way but many do, especially in rural areas.
A great fish-out-of-water comedy that still provides LOL moments thanks largely to its cast - Pesci is tailor-made for a New Yorker out of his element (and yes he can do comedies HOME ALONE anyone?) and the divine Tomei who proved she was no fluke with her justified Oscar win (yeah it was an 'upset'; so fucking what!) with her Noo Yawk accent and the hair and yes those great outfits! Kudos also to director Jonathan Lynn ( a British filmmaker) in hitting all the slapstick and funny business all around (that drumstick scene alone is gold). Also props to the late great character actors Lane Smith (as the prosecutor), James Rebhorn as the FBI expert and of course Fred Gwynne as the dispeptic judge (best known for his immortal Herman Munster of the classic '60s sitcom THE MUNSTERS and Stephen King's PET SEMATARY). Great watch as always guys.
So it drives George crazy when characters don't say everything they know? I'd like to see him watch some old comedies like, say, Top Hat with Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. Misunderstanding is an age-old source of humor. Marisa Tomei won the Oscar for best actress in a supporting role for portraying Mona Lisa Vito. People were surprised, because it wasn't the type of role or performance that usually gets recognition from the Academy. There were rumors that there was some sort of mistake, and that the Oscar was supposed to have gone to one of the other nominees. This is ridiculous, of course. Her performance in My Cousin Vinny really was great, and as we've seen since then, if they make a mistake in awarding the Oscar to the wrong party, they immediately correct it. The rumors were very unfair to Marisa Tomei. I hope by now people realize how good she is. The judge with the "obscenely large skull" was played by Fred Gwynne. He also played Herman Munster in the sixties TV comedy The Munsters. Before that, he was Officer Muldoon in Car 54, Where Are You? My Cousin Vinny was his last real movie. The same year that My Cousin Vinny came out (1992), he voiced Edwin Stanton in the TV documentary Lincoln.
Not to mention that not mentioning the can if tuna had no effect. It was funny for the audience, but if they had said "sorry, we stole tuna!", the sherrif would have said "yeah, right" and still arrested them based on the three eye witnesses that described the convertible.
I love all the subtle touches here and there (i.e. Mr. Tipton giving a quick look at a juror during his grits remark and her giving a knowing smile back). It's polish like that that makes everything feel so much more real.
I can watch this anytime it's on and laugh like it's the first viewing. Fred Gwynne's voice and presence are just as amazing as James Earl Jones or Morgan Freeman. My favorite movie judge ever. The hotel room foreplay scene is so good at showing how both are just a natural lawyer and mechanic, respectively.
For the actual courtroom scenes this is regarded as one of the most accurate portrayal of how trials actually go. I watched scenes from this movie in my evidence class.
I like how triggered George gets in this watch. Its the right response. At the same time, I like how George is laboring under the presupposition that simply being honest with the police would be beneficial. lol
Legal Eagle did an episode on this. It was decently accurate. The reason they needed to meet the judge was because he's only a lawyer in NY, so he needed special permission to practice anywhere else.
Absolute classic and started a generation off on a Tomei infatuation. She was most definitely the best part of the film and won awards for her performance.
Congratulations on finding this absolute gem of a movie. For another dose of Joe Pesci you should enjoy continuing the Lethal Weapon series you have already started. Marisa Tomei won Best supporting actor Oscar for this performance and rightly so. The screenwriter also wrote Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (Steve Martin, Michael Caine) which I highly recommend.
My ex-wife and I love this movie. When ever we would watch it, I would see my ex mouthing along with the dialogue. :D Marisa Tomei fully deserved her Oscar for this, because she carried this film. She was amazing.
To be honest every time I watch this film I fall in love with Marissa. I also only watch the Spiderman movies just for her. She is brilliant and a tremendous actress. You should check out her early stuff in "A Different World"
This has to be one of my favorite movies. It's so out of nowhere, because looking at everything about it you'd expect it to suck. But it's one of the best, and i've seen it dozens of times by now.
This movie's emotional range and arc is amazing. It somehow manages to deliver an immensely satisfying conclusion even though the adversity is never really threatening.
Did you guys notice who the judge was? That's Fred Gwynne. He played Herman Munster in The Munsters tv show that ran from September 24, 1964, to May 12, 1966. Seventy episodes were produced.
This and “the rainmaker” are the two movies that are most realistic from a courtroom legal standpoint (according to lawyers I know). You can’t just practice law anywhere in the US. You generally have to pass the bar in each state or be approved by the judge, sometimes sponsored by a local attorney. It mostly depends on the case, judge and local jurisdictions. Again I’m not a lawyer but this is my understanding.
I really like The Rainmaker for that reason. Danny DeVito was Matt Damon's co-chair, but his law license had expired. They just had to risk that the Court would never check, and it didn't.
This movie is extremely accurate on court procedure, so accurate in fact that it is shown to students in law school to give them an idea of what to expect
Fun Fact about Joe P, grew up in New Jersey during the days of the American Mob, he is an Italian and we the first manager for the Singing Group "The Four Seasons" which the Broadway Musical Jersey Boys is based on...
If you love Marisa Tomei, absolutely check out Before The Devil Knows You’re Dead. She stars alongside Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Ethan Hawke, and Albert Finney, and it’s stunning from start to finish. The Wrestler is another one where she totally nails her part.
The judge is Fred Gwynne also known as.....HERMAN MUNSTER!! he was a great actor. Killed this role. Also, he looked so large because he was. He was 6'5".
To answer George's question: I am a lawyer, and this movie is the most realistic (and best!) trial attorney movie ever made. But yeah, you are expected to know trial procedure of the state in which you are participating in a trial, and commonly that state will have a book that lays out that procedure. Also, George needs to chill out.
@YT That is not true at all. A lawyer can take a photo and have it introduced as evidence as long as it is authenticated by a witness with knowledge or an expert as circumstances require. Stop spouting off about things you don't know anything about.
@YT You wrote, "the lawyers can't take photos themselves and introduce them as evidence." But they actually can, as long as someone authenticates it. For example, Vinny in this movie took pictures of the dirty trees, screens, and whatnot, AND introduced them as evidence. As long as the witness verifies "yes, those are pictures of the trees outside my house," that evidence is good. The lawyer doesn't "need to use an investigator for that stuff" at all.
All the misunderstandings in the beginning had to happen to establish that the judge, sheriff, and prosecuting attorney are just wrong but not corrupt. They legitimately think they have the right people.
My ex loves this movie (don’t ever marry a lawyer). Luckily, I love it too, cuz I’ve seen it a thousand times, but it still stands up. So many great performances, so much hilarious fish out of water comedy, and as a southerner, it’s especially dear to my heart (no, I DO NOT use instant grits!). Just a great flick, great story, great characters, great acting. Love it.
"This movie is infuriating." I think the problem is you're trying to take a comedy seriously. You would've hated "Three's Company" if you saw it, back in the day. This kind of comedy was it's staple.
The confession scene is extremely accurate. False confessions are given all the time. The, people are often pressured into confessing to things to get a lighter sentence in order to avoid trial. Often a DA doesn't really want to go to trial so if you make them they will charge a defendant with the biggest charges they think they can win and ask for the biggest amount of jail time. The defendant is threatened with huge jail time and told how the jury will see him as just a criminal (which is very common especially for people of color) and when faced with 10 years or 2 years and out in a few months on parole people will sometimes just plead to a crime they didn't commit.
Idk if someone else commented this, but When Vinny stays in jail the joke is that the noise and sirens are supposed to be reminiscent of the familiar sounds of New York City. That is why he sleeps so comfortably. Such an awesome movie!!
Normally, the judge doesn't need to vet the attorneys upfront. But, in this case, Vinny is a lawyer from another state, so the judge is required to approve him on a "pro hac vice" basis. This is actually one of the most legally-accurate films ever made.
From what I believed, Vinny would never be allowed to defend his cousin being that he isn't a licensed attorney in the state of Alabama.
You don’t have to be licensed in the state (you’re allowed to represent yourself) but it has to be approved by the judge.
@@andrewcharles459 the defense is always allowed to recall witnesses, to rebut either theirs or others testimony
@@deanromanado5850 Depends if NY and Alabama have a reciprocity agreement. Many states have those agreements among themselves.
@@asterix7842 While you can represent yourself without a license, you have to be licensed or come from a state that has a reciprocity agreement if you are going to defend someone else.
Marisa Tomei absolutely deserved her Academy Award for this role. Her role was one of the greatest performances I have seen in a comedy. 😂
Yep! ua-cam.com/video/INgvHcRYyG0/v-deo.html
Absolutely.
She's also fantastic in "Oscar" with Sly Stallone
@@kaizen5023 loved that one
@@kaizen5023 It's a great movie, and she was a lot of fun in it, but it's probably Stallone's best comedy.
This movie is commonly quoted in law classes as by far Hollywood's most realistic depiction of an actual trial
And it's because most trials have a debate about the word youths/utes before anything else is done.
100% true!
Came to say this as soon as they asked. Legal Eagle's video on this is a great watch!
Good, someone else said it.
Calling the "most realistic depiction" is a stretch but it is definitely more realistic than many.
Something I really like about this movie is that there aren't any real villains - the cops aren't corrupt, the judge isn't corrupt, the prosecuting attourney isn't corrupt. Everyone's trying to get at the truth of the matter, and it's a simple case of mistaken identity gone too far. The "antagonist" is the situation, not a person.
I absolutely LOVE that too! Its not an east coast is so cool and southerners are so dumb kinda thing either. I think I remember the director saying something like that was important to him not to do that.
All the humor comes from fish-out-of-water, urban vs rural culture clash, but the movie doesn't take a side. Neither the city folk nor the country folk are portrayed as inherently dumb or inferior, just different.
The person closest to a villain was the pool hustler lol. He was constantly made a fool of, until he actually had the money, then Joe Pesci did like a flying burrito wrestling move on him lol. Classic
I do agree, though I think the judge does flirt with the line a few times just by being a complete dick. The arguing about attire and constant contempt of court charges are annoying, but believable. Especially from a bumpkin judge who is expecting some big city hot shot lawyer to be looking down his nose at their court. That being said, when he overrules Vinnie's completely valid objection over the FBI guy testifying with absolute no cause, then gives him an hour to review the evidence, thats when he starts feeling a tad villainous to me.... it ends up not mattering, and he's nice enough at the end, but that overruling is straight bullshit, not to mention giving him zero time to review highly technical new evidence to prepare a proper cross.
I would call the attention seeking witnesses villains. Not the sweet little old lady, she seemed genuinely surprised by how wrong she was. But the dude with the nasty windows for sure.
This movie is one of the most accurate courtroom movies that has come out of hollywood. Besides being funny as shit, they did a surprisingly good job of showing some of the laws of evidence used in a trial. Love it!
Lawyers also agree that the judge shouldn't have overruled Vinny's objection to the new witness.
Marisa Tomei is a goddess and rules every second she is on the screen in "My Cousin Vinny". She stole the stage, my heart, and completely deserved that Academy Award she won for this role.
"How realistic or far-fetched is this?"
My father is a lawyer and this movie is tied with "Legally Blonde" as his favorite courtroom movies in part because they're pretty damn accurate. I understand that a lot of lawyers love these two movies for that reason as well.
As for the absurdity of the mistaken identity scenario, legal history is full of things that actually happened that are far more bizarre. This movie is trying to be nice and making this all an honest mistake despite everyone being competent and doing their job correctly, which *does* happen, but infuriatingly often, people just get railroaded because of laziness, incompetence, or political optics.
Not to mention Prosecutorial Bias and tunnel vision by investigating officers.
"As for the absurdity of the mistaken identity scenario, legal history is full of things that actually happened that are far more bizarre."
I learned the hard way that don't talk to the police unless a your lawyer is present is great advice. It's a bit worrying that so many people still think it's not.
ua-cam.com/video/a1I7QBCHqng/v-deo.html Your answer is here. An actual attorney tells you.
There are some reaction videos by real lawyers to My Cousin Vinny and the general consensus seems to be is that this is actually the most realistic portrayal of American law and courtroom tactics.
Technically Sheriff Farley didn't lie when he said "on a hunch". He just didn't specify that it was Vinnys hunch, not his own.
I'm not sure lies of omission don't count as perjury in a courtroom. I'd have to double-check...
Everyone fell in love with Marisa Tomei in this movie when it came out. The Judge was famous as Herman from the TV Series The Munsters, which is worth watching. Or at least the intro.
She even won the best supporting actress oscar, which I think was deserved, bu came as a surprise to many. There have been conspiracy theories about that oscar ever since.
was the judge in pet sematary?
@@nicebluejay Yes! Fred Gwynne. I forgot he was in that.
Marisa Tomei won an oscar for convincing us she was attracted to Joe Pesci
In the early 60s he played Officer Muldoon in 'Car 54 Where are You'.
George was frustrated at the beginning of the movie confusion, but I was so frustrated with George being so confused. They were being accused of robbery and murder with witnesses identifying them and the car. Them saying oh sorry, we thought we were talking about tuna was not going to get them release. It’s not an easy case at all. Their being held on murder charges, tuna was irrelevant at that point.
I agree with this wholeheartedly. The tuna can bit was just for the comic misunderstanding and for the confession thats read later in the movie......the fact that George gets so hung up on this and is so glaringly qrong while also playing down a movie that is going over his head.......is irritating.......and he does this sometimes........I cant stand that people are always trying to be smarter than the movie these days.......well My Cousin Vinny is a pretty smart movie lol
Yeah, its clear he knows nothing about trial law in the US, which is fine, but he should acknowledge his ignorance in that area and not let it frustrate him so much. Like you said, I’ve never heard ANYONE say they were frustrated. That’s odd.
Absolutely! I couldn't believe how naive he was being.
@@Ivy94F tbf the US Law is frustrating too.
At the time George brought up the issue of frustration, none of the evidence supporting their incarceration had been revealed yet. It is pretty stupid that at no point prior to questioning the suspects did anyone confirm what the charges were and what crime they were being accused of.
The beginning of this movie demonstrates very well why you should never speak to the police by yourself, never without legal counsel present. If he had lawyered up immediately the first thing the lawyer would ask is "what is my client being charged with?" and then you avoid the false 'confessions' to murder and accessory to murder. Always speak to law enforcement through your lawyer and never by yourself, even or perhaps especially if you don't think you did anything illegal because you never know what's going on with the cops behind the scenes. In the US once you waive your right to remain silent anything you say can be used against you in court, including misinterpretations and misunderstandings. ALWAYS demand a lawyer but otherwise KEEP YOUR MOUTH SHUT.
And that’s not a knock at police. Any honest police officer would tell you exactly the same. Don’t be a dick. Just say you would like to not make any statements until you’ve consulted an attorney.
This is especially true if you are innocent. I made the dumb mistake to think that it would be obvious I was innocent and almost got charged with a serious crime.
In the US the police don't have a responsibility to use evidence the will exonerate a defendant. While most police and lawyers won't charge someone they know to be innocent they also don't have to look for reasons a defendant is innocent as that is the responsibility of the defense to present that evidence during trial.
@@quintoblanco8746
Yup; the desire to clear one’s name instantly is liable to make you say things which could later be used against you, even from seemingly innocuous statements.
As explained by Burt Kreischer in his stand-up bit, The First 48. Hilarious
I think it's reasonable to conclude that Marisa Tomei's 5 minutes on the witness stand is what put her over the top for that Oscar victory.
That, but also when she talks about the deer, and the broken tap, and her biological clock... she had a lot of great moments!
@@kattahj -Exactly... As a supporting (comedic) actor, almost NONE of her lines were irrelevant or masked over. Her screen time in each scene was every-bit as important, and as well-delivered as Pesci's, especially when you consider that Joe's character and portrayal was damn near impossible to stop or match.
Saw the movie when it came out, and thought it was great, but never realized how Tomei stepped up to the plate for this role until re-watching and dissecting it. No way was that Oscar decided in a 5 minute scene.
“I’m holding you in contempt of court!”
“There’s a fucking surprise”
Favorite line of the whole movie
What? What’d I say?
This is the brilliance of the film. The characters are larger than life but playing the legal stuff straight yet within character.
I always loved how respectfully Vinny treated Mrs. Riley.
I liked how respectful he was to everyone. He could’ve gone the route of thinking they were all dumb hicks because they’re from the south and he’s from big city NY, but he didn’t and the movie didn’t take that route either. The whole movie is respectful to southern small towns in general and didn’t make them out to be stupid or nefarious with the whole mistaken identity thing.
@@Ivy94F That's so true. Because people from the Northeast and the West tend to treat Southern and Midwestern States and people as though they're better and above. And they're not. Cities aren't better than rural areas. Urban isn't better than Country. It's ridiculous
Marisa Tomei IS great in this movie, giving one of the funniest (semi-) contemporary comedy performances in the last 40 years. Her efforts were celebrated with an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress, one of the few times a comedy movie won an Oscar, something that is even more rare when it is for acting. Shockingly, there was a controversy around it at the time, where people asked if Jack Palance read the wrong name when announcing the winner. Nonsense!
Also, if you two haven't seen Clue -- I don't remember it on the channel -- that's another great comedy by the same director as this film, Jonathan Lynn.
Yeah that “controversy” was one of the more vicious and disrespectful cases of moronic Hollywood rumors of the 90s, and that’s saying something. She won, and she deserved it.
She was nominated again for The Wrestler (another film worthy of a reaction.)
Her acceptance "speech" was pretty cute. She deserved it
@@thormelsted - agreed. The fact that people couldn't wrap their heads around the fact that her work in Vinny was Oscar-worthy seems especially preposterous when you consider that Jack Palance was presenting. He'd won a Supporting Actor Oscar for his role in "City Slickers." And frankly, while he was fine, it's not like his role of Curly was some deep, profound achievement which dwarfed Tomei's work in My Cousin Vinny. If anything, it should've made it more "acceptable" for a supporting comedic performance to be recognized. No one had a problem when Palance won for what was essentially a light comedy.
@@thormelsted She was also nominated for In the Bedroom.
@@doughbafett yes she was - she’s pretty awesome
The "Two Yutes" bit between Vinnie and the judge was based on a real-life accent-interpretation problem between Joe Pesci and the film's director, during production. After the misunderstanding was cleared up, they (correctly) decided that it was funny enough that it should be added to the film.
Also - your edit doesn't directly show this, so it's unclear if this joke 'landed' with you: A scene in the film shows the jail corridor with sounds of a prison riot occurring. Then the camera pans over to Vinnie, who is sleeping like a baby during the riot. That gives a new context to all the previous scenes of 'stupid noises preventing him from sleeping.' No, it was •unfamiliar, country noises• that kept him up. As soon as he was surrounded by •familiar city noises•, he slept with no problem! 😀
Thank you for clarifying the sleeping thing, I've seen this movie dozens of times and never picked up on that distinction lmao I always just thought he was so tired he could sleep through anything at that point
margaritakmp - You're welcome. The idea that Vinnie could sleep through anything at that point, "I ain't slept in FIVE DAYS!..." is not in any way a bad or invalid interpretation, and it also 'fits' what we see in the film just fine! ...The only reason to go with the 'country/city, familiar/unfamiliar noises' interpretation, is that the country/city frame is funnier, and seems to integrate better with the rest of the film. (The entire film explores the concrete problems of Vinnie and Mona Lisa Vito being two 'fish out of water'. So Vinnie being "temporarily re-inserted into an environment he feels familiar with" - a prison during a riot - and that being the only place he can get a night's sleep - seems indeed funnier. It's also an interpretation that makes the film more of an 'equal opportunity offender' - "we don't only pick on the insanity of life in rural Alabama - we pick on life in The Big City, too!' (although indirectly.)
I also genuinely cannot recall whether the 'country-city sleeping' interpretation was evident to me the first few times I saw the film. I may have had it pointed out to me too, at some point. 😀
@@tranya327 as someone who grew up near NYC, I never looked at it like that....makes sense though. i just thought he was able to sleep because it was continual noise. Like an air conditioner, or television in the background.
@@mikeshoe74 Yeah, the 'continual, loud noises' vs 'sudden loud bursts' thing is also pretty consistent w/what we see in the film, so that interpretation is valid enough. :) (I also grew up near-ish to NYC - maybe 35 mi from the Queens border, out in L.I. Close enough that I'd regularly make trips in.)
That is a great point about city noises vs country noises. I live in a city, and I'm so accustomed to the city noise that I only notice it when it's gone, like when I go out to the country for a weekend.
The judge is played by Fred Gwynne. He is most known for playing Herman Munster in the Munsters. He was also the neighbor in the original Pet Semetary
and Car 54, where are you? Which no one will have seen.
And ironically, even though the Judge gives Vinny so much crap for being from New York, Fred Gwynne is actually from New York, and Joe Pesci isn't.
@@Jumpman67 I love that show and even the movie remake. nice call out
@@Jumpman67 He's also in the classic Marlon Brando film, "On The Waterfront", uncredited.
@@Jumpman67 I'm sure there must be a lot of us who grew up watching reruns of Car 54 on Nick at Nite, right?
Marisa Tomei is magnificent, but she's SO awesome (and so damn STUNNING) in this film, she absolutely deserved the Oscar.
Fred Gwynne (the judge) is awesome in this movie. It’s also his last film performance. He passed away the year after this movie was released.
He is also well known as Herman Munster, of the tv series “The Munsters”. Such an iconic series, and a huge part of my personal childhood.
You might also recognize him if you ever saw the original Pet Cemetery movie
He plays the old man that tells them about the cemetery
My parents are from AL and they said Gwynne did the accent perfectly.
He also stars as one of the cops in the classic comedy series "Car 54, Where Are You?" Great show.
Came here to say this! Also it's Pet Sematary, the sign was written by children that misspelled it
Wow! I had no idea he was Herman Munster.
Thank you for blessing me with the knowledge that he was in the Munsters before this🤣 That must have been a bit of whiplash for people seeing this for the first time. Amazing performance though👏
I love Lisa. She's so incredible. Even the judge has a crush on her by the end. I love Vinny too. They were so funny.
This is such a great movie, and Marisa Tomei just steals the film. No wonder she won an Oscar for the role. If you really want to see Joe Pesci in a role where he's not a villianous sort, you can't miss "With Honors". Absolutely an amazing film and well worth watching. Others starring in "With Honors" include Brendan Frazier, Moira Kelly, and Patrick Dempsey while he was still young and geeky. Great review!
Home Alone
I came to the comments to mention With Honors, also. Outstanding film!
Don't forget Lethal Weapon 2. I'm honestly surprised they haven't come around to that yet since they already did the first one.
@@Enigma1788 Actually, Pesci is pretty sleazy in the Lethal Weapon movies, although he’s not a mobster.
@@datbenbuford1863 Are you kidding me? That’s how he starts out because he’s an informant, but he becomes a close friend of theirs and even gave riggs some comfort and advice when he was mourning his wife. He was also with the whole family at the hospital when riggs baby was born. Did u see the rest of the movies?
“Why don’t they just tell them they didn’t do it?” Ya cause no criminals ever thought of that to be let go. 🤣🤣🤣🤣 these kids that think they are so smart.
This may come as a shock, but that defense actually works in Canada where George (and I) is/are from. :) Telling the police you're innocent and explaining actually does work. It's also mandatory in Canada as opposed to optional in the States since there's no right to remain silent in Canada.
Simone is correct, the music in Vinny’s intro scene is meant to be blaring out of his car.
Wow I have never seen someone react this way to this movie lol. George's patience was zero
I love this movie. It’s one of the few comedies where all the jokes and bits still land even after fifty or sixty viewings. Lol I still quote this movie a lot, especially when I’m with friends and we’re going to a restaurant we’ve never been before to.
“Breakfast?”
“You think?” Lol
Check out "With Honors" for a slightly different Joe Pesci performance, also starring Brendan Fraser.
@@joanjobs4359 That "The beauty of the Constitution" speech is still one of my favorites.
I got my undergrad degree from a well-known state university in the South. To get there from my hometown I used to take some of the back roads, which took me through some very small towns (I literally came up on a dog sleeping in the middle of the road once). In this one town, there was just a single restaurant, and it was named "House of Food." Truth in advertising, for sure.
Joe Pesci was in a movie with Brendan Fraser called "With Honors" that is a must watch, completely different movie than what you're used to seeing him in.
Came here to say this, amazing movie!
That is indeed what a Screech Owl sounds like. I have foxes in the woods behind my house and they have a bark that sounds pretty eerie as well. I always liken it to the sound of a ghost child shrieking, it’s freaky.
Yeah, foxes scream like someone getting murdered. Very unsettling in the middle of the night.
Fisher Cats too!
It just annoys me when George questions things that he has no reason to question. .ie -Do southerners actually sound like that? You’re from Canada brother…take their word for it.
@@waynecanning4122 Why should it annoy you? He doesn't know the answer, so is asking an honest question. Seems entirely appropriate to me.
peacocks. you will never forget the sound. murder is in the air.
It was actually filmed in Georgia, and if the judge looked familiar, it's because he played Herman in the sitcom, The Munsters.
At around 8:08, Judges normally don't have to meet the lawyers before the trial but this is a special case. Vinny is from out of state and thus doesn't have a license in Alabama. The judge has to approve him representing the defendant. This movie does take some licenses with the way the law works in a courtroom but it's better than most. Check out LegalEagle's reaction to this movie to get a better sense of how accurate it is.
I love LegalEagle's reaction. You can tell he looooves this movie.
Marisa is a timeless beauty. I had a crush on her ever since this movie was on VHS. I even remember my parents renting this when it was released for rental. This had the whole family dying of laughter. Absolute great movie. A legend/classic movie amongst my family.
Don't let the tag line fool you. This movie is an outstanding homage to the American legal system.
I've been in love with Marisa Tomei for 30 years because of this movie. 🥰
In my law classes in college this movie was cited often as it is the most accurate depiction of a trial process of any movie.
I'm a licensed attorney in the State of Michigan. This movie is very accurate to the law. Besides the time compression required for the narrative, the only thing which is grossly inaccurate is the two defendants being tried at the same time. As one was a principal and the other was an accessory, their defense interests are materially adverse because they could accuse each other as being the actual principal or coercing the other. So they couldn't both have Vinny as an attorney or be tried at the same time for issues related to the fifth and sixth amendment. But it's a great movie and is actually a good tutorial on how to cross examine witnesses effectively.
Legal Eagle did a great video reacting to the legal accuracy of this movie. It's apparently pretty darned accurate when compared to most legal movies.
Beat me to it!
That guy has the worst legal channel on UA-cam.
Legal Eagle is a tool...
Devin gave high praise to Vinny's blistering textbook-worthy cross-examination.
“The judge is scary”!?! That’s Fred Gwynne! He’s the most huggable monster ever. And the best TV dad.
Number one rule with cops, especially if you're innocent: Keep Your Mouth Shut And Lawyer Up Immediately. The "can and will be used against you" part of the Miranda Rights is there for a reason. That part is far more realistic and far more common than people are led to believe.
But in the UK, after "You do not have to say anything", they add "but it may harm your defence if you do not mention when questioned something which you later rely on in court"
Followed immediately by "Anything you do say may be given in evidence"
!
Also, in Canada at least, it's a crime to lie to police during questioning, even if it has no direct bearing on the reason you're being questioned in the first place, while it's perfectly ok for police to lie to you about almost anything to trick you into incriminating yourself (not quite anything).
What a minefield.
I assume there are places where refusing to answer police questions is indeed held directly against you (?)
@@jek4837 But my point is that's exactly what happens whether it's written or not.
@@jek4837 every state has different case law on how Miranda is supposed to be administered
Marisa Tomei won an Oscar for this role. So awesome. One of my all-time favorite movies. You'll watch this EVERY time it comes on TV, trust me.
The movie is logical and generally legally accurate. The two "utes" made the mistake of talking to the police without a lawyer present. A lawyer would have explained the charges and the collected evidence. The police had no obligation to explain anything.
The two what?
@@asterix7842 the two utes, the defendants
@@Dularr I'm sorry, did you say "utes"?
For someone who hates “illogic”, this guy was illogically annoyed. To the point of cursing! Dude thinks he’s Spock when he just seems inexperienced
Sorry to seem harsh I guess it’s a video game thing
The Sheriff lied about looking up the car "on a hunch" because his testimony would've been inadmissible if he admitted he was doing it to help Vinny's case. He was doing Vinny a favor, and taking a big personal risk to get the truth out, but at that point he was convinced of the defendants' innocence and wanted to help make things right.
He had a hunch ... that Vinnie's request for information was worth pursuing.
"The Sheriff lied..."
Under oath? He would do no such thing!
He didn't say *who's* hunch it was...(And it was a hunch on Vinnie's part. Total Hail-Mary longshot that the real killers might have gotten picked up anywhere else for some reason)
This movie is so accurate to the trial process and procedure in particular that it is actually shown in law schools as a teaching aid as is claimed by many attorneys who also state this is their favorite film.
It's not ridiculous and it's not 'illogical'! The police think they know who did it, or more to the point they think they can make a case against them whether they did it or not. It's not as easy as 'oh, actually, I just stole a can of tuna', like no suspect has ever changed his story or come up with a weird excuse under questioning. The police don't care - they think they have their guy. It's not 'unbelievable' or stupid, it's a prime example of why you never talk to the police alone.
EDIT: never mind, I'm tapping out
Yep. Even if the boys never "confessed" they'd absolutely still be going to trial due to the eye witnesses placing them at the scene during the murder. And in real life they probably would havd been convicted too.
@Shasi iishi I'm not American, and cops are the same everywhere
The actor who played the public defender said that this was one of his hardest roles because he first took up acting to help him with his actual stammer!
Honestly people do get railroaded and wrongful convictions happen. Before I decided to major in psychology I was strongly considering criminology, and after taking a couple classes, including one that was all about wrongful convictions(which happen a LOT more than you’d think)the most important thing I learned is that you should never under any circumstances talk to the cops, always immediately ask for a lawyer, if they don’t arrest you then they can’t keep you, and if they either don’t read you your rights or don’t give you a lawyer once you’ve asked for one, and you can prove that they didn’t, you can get whatever is said after that point thrown out.
They don't have to read you your rights anymore, too many people got off on technicalities so they changed the law.
@@dandoll4405 Codswallop.
@@dandoll4405 They do still have to read you your rights. I think the change in the law you're referring to had to do with the fact they can't be sued for not doing it anymore.
@@pepperwilliams4303 oh, my mistake.
@@pepperwilliams4303 errrr.....incorrect. Miranda is only required when there is the combination of custody AND interrogation.
My favorite thing about this movie is how respectful it is to everyone. So many take every opportunity to shit all over the south. It’s a different culture and the movie was fair to all parties. The cops, judge, and prosecutor pursued the case passionately but fairly. They weren’t trying to railroad the little Yankees - they had good cause to believe they were the killers. When they were shown to be innocent, the prosecutor gladly dropped the case with a smile on his face. The locals were portrayed very accurately as well. Just regular folks, and no, the accents are not over the top. We don’t all talk that way but many do, especially in rural areas.
The judge who is the guy who played Herman Munster on the 60's sitcom The Munsters.
A great fish-out-of-water comedy that still provides LOL moments thanks largely to its cast - Pesci is tailor-made for a New Yorker out of his element (and yes he can do comedies HOME ALONE anyone?) and the divine Tomei who proved she was no fluke with her justified Oscar win (yeah it was an 'upset'; so fucking what!) with her Noo Yawk accent and the hair and yes those great outfits! Kudos also to director Jonathan Lynn ( a British filmmaker) in hitting all the slapstick and funny business all around (that drumstick scene alone is gold). Also props to the late great character actors Lane Smith (as the prosecutor), James Rebhorn as the FBI expert and of course Fred Gwynne as the dispeptic judge (best known for his immortal Herman Munster of the classic '60s sitcom THE MUNSTERS and Stephen King's PET SEMATARY). Great watch as always guys.
So it drives George crazy when characters don't say everything they know? I'd like to see him watch some old comedies like, say, Top Hat with Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. Misunderstanding is an age-old source of humor.
Marisa Tomei won the Oscar for best actress in a supporting role for portraying Mona Lisa Vito. People were surprised, because it wasn't the type of role or performance that usually gets recognition from the Academy. There were rumors that there was some sort of mistake, and that the Oscar was supposed to have gone to one of the other nominees. This is ridiculous, of course. Her performance in My Cousin Vinny really was great, and as we've seen since then, if they make a mistake in awarding the Oscar to the wrong party, they immediately correct it. The rumors were very unfair to Marisa Tomei. I hope by now people realize how good she is.
The judge with the "obscenely large skull" was played by Fred Gwynne. He also played Herman Munster in the sixties TV comedy The Munsters. Before that, he was Officer Muldoon in Car 54, Where Are You? My Cousin Vinny was his last real movie. The same year that My Cousin Vinny came out (1992), he voiced Edwin Stanton in the TV documentary Lincoln.
Not to mention that not mentioning the can if tuna had no effect. It was funny for the audience, but if they had said "sorry, we stole tuna!", the sherrif would have said "yeah, right" and still arrested them based on the three eye witnesses that described the convertible.
He might just have a stroke if he ever watched Three’s Company. Lol!
I love all the subtle touches here and there (i.e. Mr. Tipton giving a quick look at a juror during his grits remark and her giving a knowing smile back). It's polish like that that makes everything feel so much more real.
This is one of the few perfect movies. everybody comes out smiling
I can watch this anytime it's on and laugh like it's the first viewing. Fred Gwynne's voice and presence are just as amazing as James Earl Jones or Morgan Freeman. My favorite movie judge ever. The hotel room foreplay scene is so good at showing how both are just a natural lawyer and mechanic, respectively.
For the actual courtroom scenes this is regarded as one of the most accurate portrayal of how trials actually go. I watched scenes from this movie in my evidence class.
I like how triggered George gets in this watch. Its the right response. At the same time, I like how George is laboring under the presupposition that simply being honest with the police would be beneficial. lol
Legal Eagle did an episode on this. It was decently accurate. The reason they needed to meet the judge was because he's only a lawyer in NY, so he needed special permission to practice anywhere else.
Absolute classic and started a generation off on a Tomei infatuation. She was most definitely the best part of the film and won awards for her performance.
George, chill. :) You should know by now that many comedies are built on misunderstandings and what is not said.
@Shasi iishi honestly, no. Two entirely different things.
Congratulations on finding this absolute gem of a movie. For another dose of Joe Pesci you should enjoy continuing the Lethal Weapon series you have already started.
Marisa Tomei won Best supporting actor Oscar for this performance and rightly so.
The screenwriter also wrote Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (Steve Martin, Michael Caine) which I highly recommend.
+1 for Dirty Rotten Scoundrels! (:
I've never seen anyone watch this movie and describe it as infuriating 😂
Yeah, I thought he was going to have a coronary any second, the exact person who would ruin a movie screening for sure.
The actor who plays the judge was in the original " The Munsters " tv show & also in the movie " Pet Cemetery ".
My ex-wife and I love this movie. When ever we would watch it, I would see my ex mouthing along with the dialogue. :D
Marisa Tomei fully deserved her Oscar for this, because she carried this film. She was amazing.
The judge is Herman Munster. He was also the neighbor across the highway in "Pet Semetary"
To be honest every time I watch this film I fall in love with Marissa. I also only watch the Spiderman movies just for her. She is brilliant and a tremendous actress. You should check out her early stuff in "A Different World"
Academy Award™ Winner Marisa Tomei.
Excellent performance!
Lawyers apparently love this movie , aside from the quick pacing of the trial it is very legally accurate
The actor who plays the Judge also played Herman Munster (Frankenstein) in the 60's tv show the Munsters.
Marisa Tomei took the Oscar for Best Actress for her role in this movie.
Supporting but still impressive for her first major role.
best supporting actress
One of my favorite lines of hers (responding to Vinny's comment that she sticks out in town), "Oh yeah, you blend!" She's priceless!
This has to be one of my favorite movies. It's so out of nowhere, because looking at everything about it you'd expect it to suck. But it's one of the best, and i've seen it dozens of times by now.
This movie's emotional range and arc is amazing. It somehow manages to deliver an immensely satisfying conclusion even though the adversity is never really threatening.
Did you guys notice who the judge was? That's Fred Gwynne. He played Herman Munster in The Munsters tv show that ran from September 24, 1964, to May 12, 1966. Seventy episodes were produced.
This and “the rainmaker” are the two movies that are most realistic from a courtroom legal standpoint (according to lawyers I know). You can’t just practice law anywhere in the US. You generally have to pass the bar in each state or be approved by the judge, sometimes sponsored by a local attorney. It mostly depends on the case, judge and local jurisdictions. Again I’m not a lawyer but this is my understanding.
I really like The Rainmaker for that reason. Danny DeVito was Matt Damon's co-chair, but his law license had expired. They just had to risk that the Court would never check, and it didn't.
The Rainmaker is a tremendous movie. I think its Matt Damon’s 2nd best movie, after Good Will Hunting
I love Vinny sleeping soundly through the riot because he's from New York and used to that kind of noise.
Honestly shocked you've never seen this before. Such a classic. One of those movies I can watch over and over!
Yep, screech owls do sound like that. I did not experience that sound until I lived in the Okanogan.
This movie is extremely accurate on court procedure, so accurate in fact that it is shown to students in law school to give them an idea of what to expect
The judge in the movie is Fred Gwynne famous for playing Herman Munster in the tv show "The Munsters". He was also pretty tall just about 2 meters.
George says this movie is driving him crazy? Pssst, George: It is a COMEDY! And you laughed at just about every scene which "drove you crazy". LOL
Marisa Tomei won the Acadamy Award for best supporting actress for this movie
Lighten Up George
She won an oscar for her part in this.
Before "Vinny," I only knew Marisa as Maggie in season 1 of the sitcom "A Different World." She was just as adorable there.
Yup, in fact, Kadeem Hardison, who played Dwayne Wayne, predicted & told Marissa on the set of ADW that she was going to win an Oscar one day!
Fun reaction, George's laughter is contagious.
Marisa Tomei's best movie might be the early rom-com with a very young Robert Downey Jr -- "Only You."
🙋♂️ How do you get mad watching My Cousin Vinny? That’s on you.
Fun Fact about Joe P, grew up in New Jersey during the days of the American Mob, he is an Italian and we the first manager for the Singing Group "The Four Seasons" which the Broadway Musical Jersey Boys is based on...
If you love Marisa Tomei, absolutely check out Before The Devil Knows You’re Dead. She stars alongside Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Ethan Hawke, and Albert Finney, and it’s stunning from start to finish.
The Wrestler is another one where she totally nails her part.
And she kills it as aunt May as well. And still smoking hot as ever.
The judge is Fred Gwynne also known as.....HERMAN MUNSTER!! he was a great actor. Killed this role. Also, he looked so large because he was. He was 6'5".
To answer George's question: I am a lawyer, and this movie is the most realistic (and best!) trial attorney movie ever made. But yeah, you are expected to know trial procedure of the state in which you are participating in a trial, and commonly that state will have a book that lays out that procedure.
Also, George needs to chill out.
@YT That is not true at all. A lawyer can take a photo and have it introduced as evidence as long as it is authenticated by a witness with knowledge or an expert as circumstances require. Stop spouting off about things you don't know anything about.
@YT You wrote, "the lawyers can't take photos themselves and introduce them as evidence." But they actually can, as long as someone authenticates it. For example, Vinny in this movie took pictures of the dirty trees, screens, and whatnot, AND introduced them as evidence. As long as the witness verifies "yes, those are pictures of the trees outside my house," that evidence is good. The lawyer doesn't "need to use an investigator for that stuff" at all.
Interesting fact. The judge in the movie (Fred Gwynne) was the actor that played Herman Munster in the Munsters sitcom back in the 1960s.
Marisa Tomei won an Academy Award for this role🔥 Ralph Macchio is most famous for “Karate Kid”🔥
All the misunderstandings in the beginning had to happen to establish that the judge, sheriff, and prosecuting attorney are just wrong but not corrupt. They legitimately think they have the right people.
Every time I see this movie I fall in love with Marisa all over again! Lol
She's fantastic in this, absolutely deserved that academy award. 👍
The Judge is Fred Gwen who also played Herman Munster from the 60's The Munsters
My ex loves this movie (don’t ever marry a lawyer). Luckily, I love it too, cuz I’ve seen it a thousand times, but it still stands up. So many great performances, so much hilarious fish out of water comedy, and as a southerner, it’s especially dear to my heart (no, I DO NOT use instant grits!). Just a great flick, great story, great characters, great acting. Love it.
"This movie is infuriating." I think the problem is you're trying to take a comedy seriously. You would've hated "Three's Company" if you saw it, back in the day. This kind of comedy was it's staple.
The confession scene is extremely accurate. False confessions are given all the time. The, people are often pressured into confessing to things to get a lighter sentence in order to avoid trial. Often a DA doesn't really want to go to trial so if you make them they will charge a defendant with the biggest charges they think they can win and ask for the biggest amount of jail time. The defendant is threatened with huge jail time and told how the jury will see him as just a criminal (which is very common especially for people of color) and when faced with 10 years or 2 years and out in a few months on parole people will sometimes just plead to a crime they didn't commit.
And for every false confession they get, a criminal gets off free.
Baby owls are crazy loud. Insanely loud, and they don't stop. Impossible to scare off too, they're usually on very high branches.
Marisa absolutely OWNED this role! Soooo snarky and funny...she was brilliant in this 👏👏👏
Idk if someone else commented this, but When Vinny stays in jail the joke is that the noise and sirens are supposed to be reminiscent of the familiar sounds of New York City. That is why he sleeps so comfortably. Such an awesome movie!!
Marissa Tomei won the Academy Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role for this movie
I am amazed George was so frustrated with this movie. It is a comedy. Also fairly accurate in law according to many.