History Film / MyCousinVinny

* DidntThinkThisThrough: Vinny lies to the judge about his legal experience without ever considering that the judge will actually contact the State of New York to confirm his story.

*** Vinny tries to act clever and sneaky in order to get access to Trotter's case files, only for Trotter to freely give them to Vinny. Lisa - who never even went to law school - has to explain to Vinny that Trotter was ''required to do this.''

* ClusterFBomb: It's a Pesci movie. What did you expect? Lisa actually manages to ''outdo'' him, to the point that Vinny complains, "What ''is'' it with you and that mouth?" To give you an idea, the movie has no nudity and no violence[[note]]apart from Pesci punching a guy at one point, and the murder which we don't actually see[[/note]]-- but is rated R based solely on this trope's presence.

** One tire spinning, the other tire motionless, when Vinny's car get stuck in the mud.
** When Vinny and Trotter are discussing the case, Trotter says he has a pretty good one, but he'd like to have the murder weapon. Later, Sheriff Farley, on a "hunch," testifies that the gun with the same caliber bullet used in the murder was found with the actual killers that were arrested in Georgia.

* NoAntagonist: The judge can be antagonistic towards Vinny (mostly because Vinny keeps violating court procedure), but there's certainly no true villain in the movie. Everyone, including the judge and prosecutor, are working for justice according to the best information they have. [[spoiler:When it becomes clear the boys are innocent, the prosecutor immediately drops the charges]].

* BadGuysPlayPool: The reason Vinny's supposed to fight the idiot redneck is because he stiffed Lisa when she won $200 at pool.

** Anyone who works as a defense lawyer will tell you that this is TruthInTelevision, as they know referring to a victim by name will make the jury more likely to sympathize with their death and find the defendant guilty. Tellingly, Vinny only refers to Jimmy by name [[spoiler:after he has proven Bill and Stan's car did not leave the tire marks in the store parking lot and Sheriff Farley just testified that two men fitting their descriptions were found with the same weapon used to commit the murder.]]

Two college kids from New York, Bill Gambini (Macchio) and Stan Rothenstein (Whitfield), are driving through Alabama when they are arrested for the armed robbery of a convenience store and the shooting of its clerk -- due to a misunderstanding for why they were being questioned (Bill forgot to pay for a can of tuna while at the store and thinks he's being arrested for shoplifting), Bill accidentally "confesses" to the crime and the two are put on trial for first-degree murder and accessory. Fortunately Bill has an attorney in the family, [[TitleDrop his cousin Vinny]], and Vinny soon comes down to Alabama with his argumentative fiancée Mona Lisa Vito to help the boys [[ClearTheirName clear their names]]. HilarityEnsues.

** Vinny did have an opportunity to get the case thrown out at the preliminary hearing, and likely could have gotten the charges dropped, but due to his major inexperience, he asks absolutely no questions. He excuses it by saying that since a bunch of New Yorkers killed a [[GoodOlBoy fellow rural Alabamian]], there was no way they would let them get away without a trial. [[AlternativeCharacterInterpretation Whether this was actually true, showing how Vinny is far smarter than given credit for, or showing how Vinny was letting his prejudices cloud his judgement is up for debate.]]

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-->'''Vinny''': Lisa, I don't need this. I swear to ''God'', I do not need this right now, OK? I got a judge that's just ''achin'' to throw me in jail. An ''idiot'' who wants to fight me for $200. ''Slaughtered pigs. Giant loud whistles.'' I ain't slept in ''five days.'' I got ''no money''. A dress-code problem. ''And'' a little murder case which, in the balance, holds the lives of ''two innocent kids''. Not to mention ''your''... ''(rhythmically stomps foot three times)'' ...biological clock, ''my'' career, ''your'' life, ''our'' marriage--and let me see, what else can we ''pile'' on?! Is there any more ''shit'' we can pile onto the ''top'' of the outcome of this case?! Is it ''possible?!''
-->'''Lisa''': Maybe it was a bad time to bring it up.

-->'''Vinny''': Your Honor, my clients--
-->'''Judge Haller''': Don't talk to me sittin' in that chair!
-->'''Vinny''': ''(confused, pointing to bailiff)'' But he told me to sit here.

* HangingJudge: {{Subverted}}. Judge Haller initially appears this way as he is quite severe and determined to run his courtroom by the book, but he's ultimately fair and honest, except for one occasion where after weeks of dealing with Vinny's antics, he lets his personal animosity get the better of him in what is ultimately a reversible error.[[note]] Letting Mr. Wilbur testify as a SurpriseWitness. Vinny's objection ''is'', as Haller notes, lucid and well thought out, as well as ''correct''. Prosecutors aren't allowed surprises period. By the letter of the law, the case should have been held over for continuance until Vinny was able to examine Wilbur's testimony and contact his own expert. Not doing so opened the case up to a reversal on appeal had Vinny's clients been convicted. Though it should be noted that this paves the way for Vinny to introduce his own surprise witness, Lisa, who conclusively wins the case for him.[[/note]]
* HeroAntagonist:
** The prosecuting attorney is actually a really nice, honest servant of the people. He's very friendly with Vinny and even offers his cabin for Vinny and Lisa to stay in. He's also revealed to have left a lucrative private practice because he didn't like defending criminals. He's prosecuting Stan and Bill because the evidence suggests that they're guilty, [[spoiler: and he immediately dismisses the charges when Vinny proves that they're not.]]

--> '''Bill:''' ''[to his mother]'' We think they're setting us up as patsies. You know how corrupt it is down here -- they all know each other...\\

--> '''Judge:''' Let the record show that Counsel is holding up two fingers.
--> '''Vinny:''' Your Honor, please!
--> '''Judge:''' Oh. [[{{Beat}} ...]] Sorry.

** Bill and Stan when Lisa, on the stand, announces, "The defense is wrong." [[spoiler: Subverted immediately when she proves that the car that drove away from the store right after the murder was a 1963 Pontiac Tempest, not their car, a '64 Buick Skylark.]]

--> '''Judge:''' Now, the next words out of your mouth are either going to be "guilty" or "not guilty". I don't want to hear commentary, argument, or opinion. If I hear anything other than "guilty" or "not guilty", you'll be in contempt. I don't even want to hear you clear your throat. I hope I've been clear. Now. How. Do. Your clients. Plead?
--> '''Vinny:''' [[ComicallyMissingThePoint I think. I get. The point]].
--> '''Judge:''' No, I don't think you do. You're now in contempt of court. Would you like to go for two counts of contempt?

** The prosecutor himself ''is'' trying to have Stan and Bill locked up, but only because he truly believes they are guilty, with all the damning evidence. [[spoiler: When his case is completely eroded, he moves to dismiss all charges.]] He also invites Vinny to spend time in his cabin.

--> '''Judge Chamberlain Haller:''' That is a lucid, intelligent, well thought-out objection.
--> '''Vinny Gambini:''' Thank you, Your Honor.
--> '''Judge Chamberlain Haller:''' [firm tone] Overruled.

-->'''Vinny''': [[LampshadeHanging I find it hard to believe that this kind of information could be ascertained simply by looking at a picture!]]
-->'''Lisa''': Would you like me to explain it?
-->'''Vinny''': [[LargeHam I would]] '''[[LargeHam LOVE]]''' [[LargeHam to hear this!]]
-->'''Judge''': So would I.

-->'''Bill:''' We got an attorney in the family!
-->'''Stan:''' Great. Who?
-->'''Bill:''' My cousin Vinny!

* NoAntagonist: The judge perhaps acts as an antagonist, but there's certainly no true villain in the movie. Everyone, including the judge and prosecutor, are working for justice according to the best information they have. [[spoiler:When it becomes clear the boys are innocent, the prosecutor immediately drops the charges]].

* SleepDeprivation: A recurring gag throughout the film is that CityMouse Vinny (and Lisa) can't get a good night's sleep due to being unfamiliar with a noise of mostly rural small Southern town. The first two places they stay they get woken up incredibly early (by a pig farmer, and early train). The prosecution attorney loans them his cabin in the woods, but the sounds of animals keep them awake. It gets the point where the third time he's held in contempt of court, he refuses to let Lisa bail him out, hoping to finally get some rest. The scene cuts to a riot going on, with Vinny sound asleep as it reminds him of home. The next scene he's looking well-rested and chipper in court.

The film is also notable for ''not'' leaning on DeepSouth stereotypes -- the residents of the small Alabama town are shown to be folksy but definitely not stupid, and are overall decent and sensible folk. And unlike most legal films and television shows, the prosecutor and the judge are not portrayed as antagonists; the prosecutor is a reasonable professional who sincerely believes he is bringing two murderers to justice and has no animosity with Vinny nor Vinny with him, and while the judge dislikes Vinny it's not without merit and he doesn't let his opinion of Vinny influence his moderation of the trial proceedings (with one single exception). The humor is derived from its FishOutOfWater premise with the proud New Yorker Vinny having to adjust to temporarily living in a southern town, since of course [[CultureClash New York and Alabama are two very different places with very different people and cultures]]. It's also soon revealed that while he ''is'' a lawyer, it took him ''six tries'' to clear the bar exam and this is his first actual trial case, and there's a lot of pressure on him since his cousin's life is on the line.

The film is famous for being extremely accurate on the legal side. Jonathan Lynn studied college law and wanted the film to be realistic in its depiction of proceedings. Lawyers and judges have widely praised the film not just for doing a good job showing what the trial process is actually like, but also [[ShownTheirWork its attention to smaller details that aren't focused on]], such as how Vinny effectively uses cross-examination to discredit eyewitnesses and demonstrate they aren't reliable as solid evidence. Law professors have been known to show the film to their classes to discuss and dissect the film and demonstrate what to do and what ''not'' to do in a trial. When the film is often mentioned alongside ''Film/ToKillAMockingbird'' as one of the best legal films, you know it's doing something right. Tomei won the 1993 UsefulNotes/AcademyAward for Best Supporting Actress for her role in the film.