Review of My Cousin Vinny (1992) by Mellori V — 03 Aug 2010

There are so many things to be said about "My Cousin Vinny," but if I had to sum it up in a short one-liner, I'd have to proclaim it as "my favorite comedy" (no shame).

I was delighted to see Pesci put the brakes on his signature not-wrapped-too-tight gangster persona for a light-hearted and witty comedy. Granted, he still brought forth the Pesci cockiness, only here coupled with his role as an inexperienced criminal defense attorney taking on his first big murder case, which made for utter hysteria.

The obvious, film critic kicker is that Tomei took home the Best Supporting Actress Oscar that year for her role as Vinny's smart-mouthed and ultra sexy fiance, Lisa. My sentiments on the win are relative to Family Guy's parodical depiction of this famous Academy Award moment. Nevertheless, I absolutely loved her character and know virtually every line of Lisa's dialogue.

Other notable and equally funny actors include, Fred Gwynne as the monotone, no-BS Judge and Ralph Macchio as Vinny's cousin who's wrongfully accused of murder in rural Alabama.

An absolute must-see with memorable quotes and timeless laughter.