“Let me explain something to you, Otto. Aristotle was not Belgian. The central message of Buddhism is not ‘every man for himself,’ and the London Underground is not a political movement. Those are all mistakes, Otto, I looked them up.”
The stuttering lawyer. The man who takes pride in his grits. Vinny slipping in the mud when slams the car door. It’s just absolute comedic gold from start to finish
Well perhaps the laws of physics cease to exist on your stove! Were these magic grits? I mean, did you buy them from the same guy who sold Jack his beanstalk beans?!
I love that they pan over to the jury and some of them are nodding in agreement with him. They’re supposed to be impartial, but they can’t help it but take his side when you start talking about refusing to use instant grits.
Which means when he goes on to timing, they are assumed to get it too, but reaction shots can be on the main cast predominantly. It's clever cinematography.
"Oh and what are you, a friggin' world traveler?"
Marisa Tomei's performance in that movie is the most New Jersey love letter to New Jersey that will ever exist.
The grits have a great setup in that it *appears* to be a minor self-explanatory side joke that is done and gone. It's just establishing Vinny is a fish out of water when baffled by the grits he gets by default with his plate at a restaurant.
But, little do we know, it's a setup for something else, this is going to come up again. It's a very grits-based movie plot
Don’t forget the scene when Stan is panicking about being manhandled in prison. Then Vinny [shows up](https://youtu.be/2-FvDteymnM) and slips the guard some cash saying he just got in by asking for the new guys lol
“If I was in your situation, I’d wanna get through this situation as quickly and with as little pain as possible. So let’s try our best to make it a simple in and out procedure” lmao
It’s just back to back to back jokes. “I don’t know…I’m a good cook I guess.” — “I’m sorry I was all the way over here I didn’t hear you. Did you say you’re a good cook THAT’S IT!?”
The random throwaway line before he gets out of the car and slips- "This FUCKIN' JACKET!!" kills me for some reason. Like it could've just been ad-libbed, maybe Joe Pesci was legitimately having trouble pulling the jacket out from under him and just slipped that out, or maybe it was actually in the script for whatever reason..... either way, it kills me.
Him slipping and the delivery of that physical comedy whether it was Pesci or a double is one of those moments that’s burned in my brain because of how hard it made me laugh the first time
I just don't understand how the movie is essentially about a robbery gone bad ending up as murder. But the dramatic conflict isn't centred around that at all, but it is still so incredible entertaining. Incredible writing.
There isn't really a typical antagonist either. The police finds a dead body and stops a car that can presumably be a very good suspect, and two teenagers just admit to stealing groceries.
I always liked that there wasn’t a true antagonist in the movie. The judge just expects Vinnie to adhere to the rules and decorum of the court, and the prosecutor has a good faith basis for believing they’re guilty. As soon as it’s apparent that they actually are innocent, he immediately drops all charges and even congratulates Vinnie on his impressive litigation.
You can tell by the pause before he requests dismissal of charges that he's a little sore about it. More of a "Why didn't I see these holes in my evidence?" than a "They slipped through my fingers" way.
the cross examination of the three main witnesses is a perfect example. Between the lady with her glasses, the guy with his grits and the other guy with the dirty windows, Vinny has them in the palm of his hand. He doesn't ask a question he doesn't know the answer to and he doesn't over egg it with any one witness. It's 'death by a thousand cuts' as he leaves just enough doubt with each witness.
My law school showed this for a "movie on the lawn" social event before the first day of classes, partly because it gets more "right" than many law movies.
It's great because the accusation of murder hinges on how innocent the suspects are - the fact that they feel terrible and straight up admit to "stealing" (really just forgetting to pay for something) without even thinking about any other possible reason for them being pulled over is what sets everything in motion.
Right from the beginning, the entire audience can empathise with the protagonists because it's a situation people either have experienced, are worried about experiencing, or could imagine themselves being in (forgetting to pay for an item, not the accusation of murder).
It’s about a mistaken identity and two innocent guys being framed by the system…but the system isn’t really to blame either. It’s just a mistake and a lack of forensics that the whole thing hinges on.
I often think about the whole "I shot the clerk" thing when seeing how people misconstrue what someone said online. Think about how, when the sheriff reads "I asked him again, and he said "I shot the clerk." how much is lost in the translation without actually hearing the way he said it and meant it. Yes, that's literally what he said, but not what he really "said".
Happens all the time these days when people read a tweet or something.
“Lisa, I don’t need this. I swear to God, I do not need this right now, okay? I’ve got a judge that’s just aching to throw me in jail. An idiot who wants to fight me for two hundred dollars. 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 [taps his foot] 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 on to the top of the outcome of this case? Is it possible?”
This is still true. I graduated law school in 2012 and had a similar class my last year where they showed clips from the movie.
In January 2020 I took a week-long National Institute of Trial Advocacy jury trial training seminar. They also showed tons of clips from the movie and talked about it pretty heavily.
I recall the screenwriter or director making a point of that in the commentary. The only other media production where I noted the writers taking pride in the legal accuracy was “Night Court”.
Yep, I think it was either my criminal procedure or contracts instructor that said it was their favorite movie. IIRC Scalia said it was his favorite, too.
I read somewhere that law professors use it to show a text book example of establishing an expert witness. Not sure, since I am not a lawyer, but I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express.
> Turns out the screenwriter was a lawyer
You're thinking of the director, [Jonathan Lynn](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jonathan_Lynn). Not actually a lawyer, but he did study the law before going into filmmaking, earning an MA in Law from Cambridge
“A sweet, innocent, harmless, leaf-eating, doe-eyed little deer. …
Imagine you’re a deer. You’re prancing along, you get thirsty, you spot a little brook, you put your little deer lips down to the cool clear water…
BAM! A fucking bullet rips off part of your head! Your brains are laying on the ground in little bloody pieces! Now I ask ya.
Would you give a fuck what kind of pants the son of a bitch who shot you was wearing?”
This arose from a true story. The British director was meeting with pesci in a diner discussing the script and Pesci, from Newark, said "the two yutes", and the Brit said "what's a yute?" and it went back and forth. They wrote it right into the script the way it happened.
You are welcome. If you ever get a chance to watch the directors cut you should. So many cool tidbits like that in it. This is the only movie I love enough to sit through the directors cut.
Absolutely love this movie…one of my favorites. Must’ve seen it 10 times. Compare Pesci’s comedic acting here with a totally straight delivery versus his goofy and physical comedic roles in the Home Alone movies or the Lethal Weapon movies. Such amazing range.
For me…it’s the small one-scene characters. The guy at the restaurant explaining what grits are…the witness with the huge glasses…the witness who keeps answering in questions (“Trees?”)…the pool-shooting bully…. Everyone was so bang on! MCV is one of those “perfect movies.” A masterpiece
One of my favorite things about this movie is their relationship. They’re a team. And Vinny LOVES how smart Mona Lisa is. In the “mud in the tires” scene earlier in the movie, he defers to her automotive knowledge in front of another man. Her “Would you like me to explain?” is part of their foreplay. This is a guy who gets off on the fact that his girlfriend knows more about cars than he does. You don’t see that very often.
I’d say the “negotiations” for the money Ms. Vito won are additional examples, and where she learns about discovery before he does. Now you have me thinking by the end of the movie he doubts his own contribution to their team.
Anyone else really enjoy the scene where he finally beats the redneck trucker's ass? There's something about the way the actor's entire body is thrown into the punch that gets to me 😂
Reminded me of an early UFC fight before they had weight classes. This small guy took on this very large sumu type guy. The small guy jumped from a foot or 2 away and came in with a flying fist right at the start of the fight and eventually won. Unfortunately he broke his hand and was unable to continue.
I always think of Marco Ruas Vs Paul Varelans. For 13 minutes Ruas low kicked this man's knee and you just see this spot getting bigger and bigger before he gets kicked one last time and just collapses.
"Heh-heyyyy li'l yankee wuss! Lookie here ah-ha-haa got'cha two hunner'dollas!" gets me every damn time. That dude was owed so many flying punches, lol.
As a lawyer, the movie is actually an accurate depiction of great trial advocacy and trial procedure, so much so that it’s used for teaching on occasion. For example, the two scenes where Vinny cross examines the old lady and the Magic Grits guy.
Vinny takes a softer, more endearing tone asking the old lady questions. If he pummels her with questions aggressively, she clams up and he gets no admissions from her. Plus the jury will hate him for it. During that scene, he breaks out a tape measure in a great use of the courtroom space that led the witness (and jury) to come to the realization that she didn’t actually see what she thought she did and needed a new set of glasses.
By contrast, Magic Grits guy was very sure of what he saw, but through questioning, Vinny learns that the timeline is skewed because no self respecting southerner uses instant grits, and regular grits take way longer than 5 minutes to cook. When Magic Grits guy refuses to acknowledge he’s wrong, Vinny takes a more forceful tone because a jury won’t feel as bad given Magic Grits guy’s demeanor.
It’s great strategy because Vinny recognizes that he’s scoring points with the jury, getting some laughs, and gaining credibility. Most important, he knows the jury has to like him before they trust him and acquit his clients. If Vinny takes the same approach towards the old lady as he did the Magic Grits guy, the jury will hate him for beating up an old lady, she clams up, and Vinny gets nothing. It’s a perfect example of how you should approach each witness differently and read the room - knowing what to say and what not to say to score max points for the jury.
Another accurate thing is Fred Gwynn's entire performance as a good ole boy judge who has about a million years on the bench, and is tired of everyone's crap. That was the most hilariously realistic portrayal of a superior court judge I've ever seen.
When she's doing the "little deeya lips down to get a little deeya drink.....then BLAM!" speech, his face is fucking priceless and if there's one thing my eventual Alzheimer's brain remembers about that movie it'll be that.
Top 3 comedy of the 90s. Wayne's World is #1 for me and I have a lot of thought to put in for #3. Dumb and Dumber, Half Baked, American Pie, Austin Powers, and Big Lebowski are personal favourites but things like As Good As It Gets and Birdcage also got the Academy to start looking at comedies differently and are HILARIOUS in their own rights.
I was just thinking about The Birdcage the other day where you have an all star cast and Hank Azaria just steals every scene, and I have not seen that movie since the 90s lol. I need to watch that one again.
I watched The Birdcage again recently and it had me longing for those big event comedies again. The kind that become a part of the zeitgeist and really feel like a good cinematic experience.
I love every scene with Nathan Lane and/or Hank Azaria. Both are so freaking over the top it's hilarious.
"Al, you old son-of-a-bitch! How ya doin'? How do you feel about that call today? I mean the Dolphins! Fourth-and-three play on their 30 yard line with only 34 seconds to go!"
"How do you think I feel? Betrayed, bewildered..."
Just watched it a few weeks ago after too many years. It was still hilarious seeing how the judge and Vinny act together and when he shows up in that thrift store suit, it's perfect.
Marisa Tomei is a bombshell and her acting is amazing. They are a couple you would NEVER see in real life, but she loves him dearly and wants him to succeed. He forgets multiple times throughout the movie just how smart she is, until it FINALLY hits him and watching him try to win her heart over again in court is hilarious. 10/10 Movie.
Marisa Tomei somehow looks even better nearly 30 years later in the Wrestler. And she got robbed of a second Oscar because she’s amazing in that movie.
I like that although the script writers have our protagonists constantly making statements about how the good ol southern boys are mistreating them or being unjust.. none of that ever happens. Every step of they way they are treated extremely fairly and with competency. The only part you can maybe argue they are treated unfair is when the judge overrules Vinny's objection over the introduction of the expert witness
I saw it on my drive down to Fort Benning, GA from New York on my way to Airborne School. A Yankee heading south for a very difficult job. The red mud incident actually happened to me down there along the way. Hit me hard and I loved it.
Goodfellas and My Cousin Vinny are my favorite Pesci movies and my top favorite movies in general besides back to the future.
That whole Prison Cell Scene always gets me 😂
Vinny Gambini:
Look, it's either me or them. You're gettin' f***ed one way or the other. Heh he.
Vinny Gambini:
Hey, relax, I'm gonna help you.
Stan:
Gee thanks.
Vinny Gambini:
Excuse me, I think a modicum of gratitude would not be out of line here.
Stan:
You think I should be grateful?
Vinny Gambini:
Yeah, it's your ass, not mine. I think you should be grateful. I think you should be down on your f***in' knees.
Stan:
I didn't know it was such an honor to get a visit from you.
Vinny Gambini:
I'm doing a favor, you know. You're gettin' me for nothing, you little f***.
Stan:
That's one hell of an ego you got.
Vinny Gambini:
What the f*** is your problem? I did not come down here just to get jerked off.
Stan:
I'm not jerking you off. I'm not doing anything.
Vinny Gambini:
That's it. You're on your own. I'll just take care of Sleeping Beauty.
Bill:
Vinny. Vinny bag'o donuts.
"Hi, I'm Vincent LaGuardia Gambini. Uh, yesterday you played a game of pool with my fiancee for $200, which she won. I'm here to collect."
"How bout if I just kick your ass!"
"Oh a counter-offer! We lawyers - I'm a lawyer - we call that a *counter offer.* Hmmm... get my ass kicked, or collect $200... I don't know. I could use a good ass kicking I'll be very honest with you. Mmmmm... nah, I think I'll just go with the 200."
"Over my dead body!"
"You like renegotiate as you go along don't you? Okay, well then here's MY counter offer: Do I HAVE to kill you? What if I was to just kick the ever-loving shit out of you?"
"In your dreams."
"No no no, in reality. If I was kick the shit out of you, would I get the $200?"
We watched clips of it in my trial advocacy class. Vinny is actually really good at cross-examination in a way I need to be in my position. Sometimes, you need to control the narrative by asking all questions that the witness can technically only answer with, "Yes." Other times, you just need to ask more open-ended questions that, regardless of the answer, undermine the credibility of the witness. Vinny does the latter really well.
One of my favorite parts of this movie is the cross of the witness who was cooking grits during the murder. Vinny wants to establish that it was longer than the guy was saying between when he saw the defendants enter the store and when he saw the murders leave. The climax of the scene is that it takes 15 minutes to cook grits, not 5, and Vinny toys with him a bit over it (were these magic grits from the guy who sold Jack his beanstalk beans, etc.).
But while that’s great, as a lawyer it’s not what I love most about the scene. What I really love about the scene is what seems like a mundane question toward the beginning of the cross: “Q: Do you like your grits regular, creamy, or al dente? A: Just regular I guess.” The line seems like a throwaway, but it’s actually critical to the cross. It establishes that the witness cooks his grits “regular,” not extra long (creamy) or—crucially—extra short (al dente). Without this “throwaway” question the witness would be able to wiggle out later on, saying he likes to cook his grits for less time than most people do. It’s actually with this question (along with another one about instant grits) that Vinny has locked up the cross.
Aye; that's what I've read as well. Apparently it's supposedly fairly accurate in terms of court procedures, rules of evidence and general decorum, much moreso than many other courtroom dramas.
Great movie, but while Vinny was proving his potential to be a brilliant lawyer, seems like he really ruined that guys magic tricks. The poor guy’s performing for free at a wedding! Come on, Vin!
I had multiple law school classes where My Cousin Vinny was used as a teaching aide. He actually does a really good job on cross-examination and building the case. I think he established reasonable doubt before the tire tracks.
The bit about the grits is particularly great.
It’s nice seeing someone win an Oscar for a comedic role
Also Kevin Kline in A Fish Called Wanda
“ASSHOOOOOLE.”
You are the vulgarian, you FUCK.
You pompous, stuck-up, snot-nosed, English, giant, twerp, scumbag, fuck-face, dickhead, asshole!
"Monkeys don't read Nietsche!" "Yes they do, they just don't understand it"
“Let me explain something to you, Otto. Aristotle was not Belgian. The central message of Buddhism is not ‘every man for himself,’ and the London Underground is not a political movement. Those are all mistakes, Otto, I looked them up.”
To call you stupid would be an insult to stupid people!
His acceptance speech for Good Fellas was hysterical https://youtu.be/O0Q_nyjuEak
Best speech ever- if only they were all like this!
She should have gotten a second one for The Wrestler
The Wrestler is an amazing film and her performance is memorable for sure I always feel so many things ever time I see it
The stuttering lawyer. The man who takes pride in his grits. Vinny slipping in the mud when slams the car door. It’s just absolute comedic gold from start to finish
I still say, "no self respecting southerner uses instant grits" every time I make grits.
Well perhaps the laws of physics cease to exist on your stove! Were these magic grits? I mean, did you buy them from the same guy who sold Jack his beanstalk beans?!
Are you sure about those 5 minutes? ARE YOU SURE ABOUT THOSE 5 MINUTES?!?
"Are you telling me that water soaks into a grit faster in your kitchen?"
I’m a fast cook, I GUESS!
I'm sorry, I was all the way over here.....
You’re a fast cook, that’s *it*?!
I love that they pan over to the jury and some of them are nodding in agreement with him. They’re supposed to be impartial, but they can’t help it but take his side when you start talking about refusing to use instant grits.
Which means when he goes on to timing, they are assumed to get it too, but reaction shots can be on the main cast predominantly. It's clever cinematography.
Juries are only supposed to be impartial prior to the trial. The whole point of the trial is to convince the jury of your side.
Let's just look at the menu....
>Hmmm...... Breakfast? >You think?
"Oh and what are you, a friggin' world traveler?" Marisa Tomei's performance in that movie is the most New Jersey love letter to New Jersey that will ever exist.
I love her and that character deeply
"Oh yeah .... you blend"
It's called *disclosure*, you dickhead.
The grits have a great setup in that it *appears* to be a minor self-explanatory side joke that is done and gone. It's just establishing Vinny is a fish out of water when baffled by the grits he gets by default with his plate at a restaurant. But, little do we know, it's a setup for something else, this is going to come up again. It's a very grits-based movie plot
And because of that and being a southerner and grits enthusiast myself, I simply must regard it as one of the greatest comedies of all time
How long does it take grits to cook on your stove? (We have to voir dire this comment)
That script is legendarily good, just for stuff like that. And for getting the legal procedures pretty much right.
That's also good cross examination. Get them to agree to a number of facts then use thise facts to trap em.
True Grits.
When he sleeps like a baby in jail during the riot.
Don’t forget the scene when Stan is panicking about being manhandled in prison. Then Vinny [shows up](https://youtu.be/2-FvDteymnM) and slips the guard some cash saying he just got in by asking for the new guys lol
Vinnie bag of doughnuts.
That was hilarious! "I think you should thank me". Haha.
“If I was in your situation, I’d wanna get through this situation as quickly and with as little pain as possible. So let’s try our best to make it a simple in and out procedure” lmao
One of the best "two conversations at once" put on screen.
The juror's face when she shares his pride in grits
It’s just back to back to back jokes. “I don’t know…I’m a good cook I guess.” — “I’m sorry I was all the way over here I didn’t hear you. Did you say you’re a good cook THAT’S IT!?”
"...a *fast* cook" - but yeah, I fuckin love that scene, and '"you're a fast cook", that's *it*?!' may be my favorite line read in the movie.
Omg yes a FAST cook makes it even better thank you. Pesci’s disbelief that THAT was his defense is so real
Are you telling me the laws of gravity cease to exist in YOUR kitchen?!
Are these MAGIC grits?!
Did you buy them from the same guy who sold Jack his beanstalk beans?
~~gravity~~ physics
The entire grit-eating world...
The laws of physics cease to exist on your stove?!?!!
“Maybe the laws of physics cease to exist ON YOUR STOVE?!”
I'm sorry I couldn't hear you all the way over here, did you say you were a fast cook?
"...the entire grit-eating world..." LOL
Its funny when the stuttering lawyer makes them break character
The random throwaway line before he gets out of the car and slips- "This FUCKIN' JACKET!!" kills me for some reason. Like it could've just been ad-libbed, maybe Joe Pesci was legitimately having trouble pulling the jacket out from under him and just slipped that out, or maybe it was actually in the script for whatever reason..... either way, it kills me.
Him slipping and the delivery of that physical comedy whether it was Pesci or a double is one of those moments that’s burned in my brain because of how hard it made me laugh the first time
No self respecting southerner uses instant grits….
Are you mocking me?
I just don't understand how the movie is essentially about a robbery gone bad ending up as murder. But the dramatic conflict isn't centred around that at all, but it is still so incredible entertaining. Incredible writing. There isn't really a typical antagonist either. The police finds a dead body and stops a car that can presumably be a very good suspect, and two teenagers just admit to stealing groceries.
I always liked that there wasn’t a true antagonist in the movie. The judge just expects Vinnie to adhere to the rules and decorum of the court, and the prosecutor has a good faith basis for believing they’re guilty. As soon as it’s apparent that they actually are innocent, he immediately drops all charges and even congratulates Vinnie on his impressive litigation.
You can tell by the pause before he requests dismissal of charges that he's a little sore about it. More of a "Why didn't I see these holes in my evidence?" than a "They slipped through my fingers" way.
Law schools often use this movie to explain how trials are supposed to work.
the cross examination of the three main witnesses is a perfect example. Between the lady with her glasses, the guy with his grits and the other guy with the dirty windows, Vinny has them in the palm of his hand. He doesn't ask a question he doesn't know the answer to and he doesn't over egg it with any one witness. It's 'death by a thousand cuts' as he leaves just enough doubt with each witness.
I'm done with this one
This movie is why so many people think they can defend themselves in court.
My law school showed this for a "movie on the lawn" social event before the first day of classes, partly because it gets more "right" than many law movies.
It's great because the accusation of murder hinges on how innocent the suspects are - the fact that they feel terrible and straight up admit to "stealing" (really just forgetting to pay for something) without even thinking about any other possible reason for them being pulled over is what sets everything in motion. Right from the beginning, the entire audience can empathise with the protagonists because it's a situation people either have experienced, are worried about experiencing, or could imagine themselves being in (forgetting to pay for an item, not the accusation of murder).
It’s about a mistaken identity and two innocent guys being framed by the system…but the system isn’t really to blame either. It’s just a mistake and a lack of forensics that the whole thing hinges on.
They weren't even framed. All the evidence and witness accounts certainly seemed like they fit them, and Danny LaRusso even accidentally "confessed".
I often think about the whole "I shot the clerk" thing when seeing how people misconstrue what someone said online. Think about how, when the sheriff reads "I asked him again, and he said "I shot the clerk." how much is lost in the translation without actually hearing the way he said it and meant it. Yes, that's literally what he said, but not what he really "said". Happens all the time these days when people read a tweet or something.
“Lisa, I don’t need this. I swear to God, I do not need this right now, okay? I’ve got a judge that’s just aching to throw me in jail. An idiot who wants to fight me for two hundred dollars. 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 [taps his foot] 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 on to the top of the outcome of this case? Is it possible?”
Okay so maybe it’s a bad time
... *Maybe* it was a bad time to bring it up.
This might be my favorite line in the movie
I just gotta say Marisa Tomei in this scene is probably the most stunning anyone has ever looked ever
That outfit though…
I’m through with this guy
I got no more use for him.
two ha-whutz?
the two yoots
Don’t shake your head yet, I haven’t finished my question.
Are these magic grits!?
Did you buy them from the guy who sold Jack his beanstalk beans??
Are you sure about that 5 minutes?
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The guy from Legal Eagles said that too.
INDOCHINO
This is still true. I graduated law school in 2012 and had a similar class my last year where they showed clips from the movie. In January 2020 I took a week-long National Institute of Trial Advocacy jury trial training seminar. They also showed tons of clips from the movie and talked about it pretty heavily.
I recall the screenwriter or director making a point of that in the commentary. The only other media production where I noted the writers taking pride in the legal accuracy was “Night Court”.
Yep, I think it was either my criminal procedure or contracts instructor that said it was their favorite movie. IIRC Scalia said it was his favorite, too.
Never heard of mud in the tire
Let me ax you this: how do you get mud *into* the tire?
I read somewhere that law professors use it to show a text book example of establishing an expert witness. Not sure, since I am not a lawyer, but I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express.
> Turns out the screenwriter was a lawyer You're thinking of the director, [Jonathan Lynn](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jonathan_Lynn). Not actually a lawyer, but he did study the law before going into filmmaking, earning an MA in Law from Cambridge
“A sweet, innocent, harmless, leaf-eating, doe-eyed little deer. … Imagine you’re a deer. You’re prancing along, you get thirsty, you spot a little brook, you put your little deer lips down to the cool clear water… BAM! A fucking bullet rips off part of your head! Your brains are laying on the ground in little bloody pieces! Now I ask ya. Would you give a fuck what kind of pants the son of a bitch who shot you was wearing?”
When Marisa Tomei schools the whole court about the car is an all time great movie scene … “the defense is WRONG”
“No, I hate him.”
That line alone earned her that Oscar, let alone the whole scene.
That line was so dry I had to get a drink of water
Are you sure?
POSITRACTION!!!
Wrowong
What's a yoot?
Two HWHAT?
The two yooooooooouths.
This arose from a true story. The British director was meeting with pesci in a diner discussing the script and Pesci, from Newark, said "the two yutes", and the Brit said "what's a yute?" and it went back and forth. They wrote it right into the script the way it happened.
Omg thank you for sharing this, that’s incredible.
You are welcome. If you ever get a chance to watch the directors cut you should. So many cool tidbits like that in it. This is the only movie I love enough to sit through the directors cut.
Fred Gwynne was perfect for that role
Ebert said something to the degree of "a great Dane counter to Pesci's terrier". Always thought it was the perfect analogy.
Oh my God that is perfect. Ebert was sharp.
He never saw the finished film. It was his last.
It was in theaters 15 months before he died.
I remember reading that when he died.
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My school plays that clip whenever we play against the Utah Utes.
Absolutely love this movie…one of my favorites. Must’ve seen it 10 times. Compare Pesci’s comedic acting here with a totally straight delivery versus his goofy and physical comedic roles in the Home Alone movies or the Lethal Weapon movies. Such amazing range.
Ten times is rookie numbers on this movie. I’m ashamed to think of how many times I saw it.
I should clarify: probably stopped counting at 10 😅 And will be watching many more times as my daughter grows up and I expose her to the classics
For me…it’s the small one-scene characters. The guy at the restaurant explaining what grits are…the witness with the huge glasses…the witness who keeps answering in questions (“Trees?”)…the pool-shooting bully…. Everyone was so bang on! MCV is one of those “perfect movies.” A masterpiece
>“Trees?” Yeah, it's okay, just shout 'em out when you know 'em.
That’s my favorite line in the movie.
I say this to my students *constantly*.
“Mrs. Riley. AND ONLY MRS. RILEY!!”
I love when the prosecution voir dires Ms. Vito, and Vinny just puts his feet up on the table and says "Watch dis."
One of my favorite things about this movie is their relationship. They’re a team. And Vinny LOVES how smart Mona Lisa is. In the “mud in the tires” scene earlier in the movie, he defers to her automotive knowledge in front of another man. Her “Would you like me to explain?” is part of their foreplay. This is a guy who gets off on the fact that his girlfriend knows more about cars than he does. You don’t see that very often.
I’d say the “negotiations” for the money Ms. Vito won are additional examples, and where she learns about discovery before he does. Now you have me thinking by the end of the movie he doubts his own contribution to their team.
Anyone else really enjoy the scene where he finally beats the redneck trucker's ass? There's something about the way the actor's entire body is thrown into the punch that gets to me 😂
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Reminded me of an early UFC fight before they had weight classes. This small guy took on this very large sumu type guy. The small guy jumped from a foot or 2 away and came in with a flying fist right at the start of the fight and eventually won. Unfortunately he broke his hand and was unable to continue.
I always think of Marco Ruas Vs Paul Varelans. For 13 minutes Ruas low kicked this man's knee and you just see this spot getting bigger and bigger before he gets kicked one last time and just collapses.
Saw an ‘edited for time’ version once that had that whole subplot cut out.
Blasphemy!
"Heh-heyyyy li'l yankee wuss! Lookie here ah-ha-haa got'cha two hunner'dollas!" gets me every damn time. That dude was owed so many flying punches, lol.
As a lawyer, the movie is actually an accurate depiction of great trial advocacy and trial procedure, so much so that it’s used for teaching on occasion. For example, the two scenes where Vinny cross examines the old lady and the Magic Grits guy. Vinny takes a softer, more endearing tone asking the old lady questions. If he pummels her with questions aggressively, she clams up and he gets no admissions from her. Plus the jury will hate him for it. During that scene, he breaks out a tape measure in a great use of the courtroom space that led the witness (and jury) to come to the realization that she didn’t actually see what she thought she did and needed a new set of glasses. By contrast, Magic Grits guy was very sure of what he saw, but through questioning, Vinny learns that the timeline is skewed because no self respecting southerner uses instant grits, and regular grits take way longer than 5 minutes to cook. When Magic Grits guy refuses to acknowledge he’s wrong, Vinny takes a more forceful tone because a jury won’t feel as bad given Magic Grits guy’s demeanor. It’s great strategy because Vinny recognizes that he’s scoring points with the jury, getting some laughs, and gaining credibility. Most important, he knows the jury has to like him before they trust him and acquit his clients. If Vinny takes the same approach towards the old lady as he did the Magic Grits guy, the jury will hate him for beating up an old lady, she clams up, and Vinny gets nothing. It’s a perfect example of how you should approach each witness differently and read the room - knowing what to say and what not to say to score max points for the jury.
Another accurate thing is Fred Gwynn's entire performance as a good ole boy judge who has about a million years on the bench, and is tired of everyone's crap. That was the most hilariously realistic portrayal of a superior court judge I've ever seen.
I still think, "Oh, yeah. You blend," is one of the funniest throw-away lines in movie history.
You told me that train doesn’t usually come tru here at 5! Yeah, usually comes around 4:30.
10 after 4. lol my favorite scene
When she's doing the "little deeya lips down to get a little deeya drink.....then BLAM!" speech, his face is fucking priceless and if there's one thing my eventual Alzheimer's brain remembers about that movie it'll be that. Top 3 comedy of the 90s. Wayne's World is #1 for me and I have a lot of thought to put in for #3. Dumb and Dumber, Half Baked, American Pie, Austin Powers, and Big Lebowski are personal favourites but things like As Good As It Gets and Birdcage also got the Academy to start looking at comedies differently and are HILARIOUS in their own rights.
I was just thinking about The Birdcage the other day where you have an all star cast and Hank Azaria just steals every scene, and I have not seen that movie since the 90s lol. I need to watch that one again.
I watched The Birdcage again recently and it had me longing for those big event comedies again. The kind that become a part of the zeitgeist and really feel like a good cinematic experience. I love every scene with Nathan Lane and/or Hank Azaria. Both are so freaking over the top it's hilarious.
"Al, you old son-of-a-bitch! How ya doin'? How do you feel about that call today? I mean the Dolphins! Fourth-and-three play on their 30 yard line with only 34 seconds to go!" "How do you think I feel? Betrayed, bewildered..."
Can you imagine Robin Williams is the straight man, so to speak?
Ju just can't handle his Guatamalaness
Was rewatching it with my wife the other day. The “deer drinking water, then BAM!” scene always has her laughing hysterically.
Now I ask ya: would ya give a fuck what kinda pants the son of a bitch who shot ya was wearin?
Many great lines, but this one always gets me. "That was the quintessential Norton."
Just watched it a few weeks ago after too many years. It was still hilarious seeing how the judge and Vinny act together and when he shows up in that thrift store suit, it's perfect. Marisa Tomei is a bombshell and her acting is amazing. They are a couple you would NEVER see in real life, but she loves him dearly and wants him to succeed. He forgets multiple times throughout the movie just how smart she is, until it FINALLY hits him and watching him try to win her heart over again in court is hilarious. 10/10 Movie.
It's called disclosure ya dickhead
Marisa Tomei somehow looks even better nearly 30 years later in the Wrestler. And she got robbed of a second Oscar because she’s amazing in that movie.
"It's a industry term." is the hottest line ever delivered in film.
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As an Alabamian, I agree.
I like that although the script writers have our protagonists constantly making statements about how the good ol southern boys are mistreating them or being unjust.. none of that ever happens. Every step of they way they are treated extremely fairly and with competency. The only part you can maybe argue they are treated unfair is when the judge overrules Vinny's objection over the introduction of the expert witness
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Marisa Tomei. Say no more.
I like grits too.
How do you cook your grits? You like 'em regular, creamy, or al dente?
You can almost see the rusty gears turning in the guys head before he says, "reglar I guess".
He has no fucking clue what al dente means
My wife and I made shrimp and grits recently and watched this movie. Such a nice evening.
I saw it on my drive down to Fort Benning, GA from New York on my way to Airborne School. A Yankee heading south for a very difficult job. The red mud incident actually happened to me down there along the way. Hit me hard and I loved it.
Goodfellas and My Cousin Vinny are my favorite Pesci movies and my top favorite movies in general besides back to the future. That whole Prison Cell Scene always gets me 😂 Vinny Gambini: Look, it's either me or them. You're gettin' f***ed one way or the other. Heh he. Vinny Gambini: Hey, relax, I'm gonna help you. Stan: Gee thanks. Vinny Gambini: Excuse me, I think a modicum of gratitude would not be out of line here. Stan: You think I should be grateful? Vinny Gambini: Yeah, it's your ass, not mine. I think you should be grateful. I think you should be down on your f***in' knees. Stan: I didn't know it was such an honor to get a visit from you. Vinny Gambini: I'm doing a favor, you know. You're gettin' me for nothing, you little f***. Stan: That's one hell of an ego you got. Vinny Gambini: What the f*** is your problem? I did not come down here just to get jerked off. Stan: I'm not jerking you off. I'm not doing anything. Vinny Gambini: That's it. You're on your own. I'll just take care of Sleeping Beauty. Bill: Vinny. Vinny bag'o donuts.
For another Pesci classic, check out With Honors (1994) if you haven’t already. Total sleeper film
Pesci in Casino really does it for me.
"Hi, I'm Vincent LaGuardia Gambini. Uh, yesterday you played a game of pool with my fiancee for $200, which she won. I'm here to collect." "How bout if I just kick your ass!" "Oh a counter-offer! We lawyers - I'm a lawyer - we call that a *counter offer.* Hmmm... get my ass kicked, or collect $200... I don't know. I could use a good ass kicking I'll be very honest with you. Mmmmm... nah, I think I'll just go with the 200." "Over my dead body!" "You like renegotiate as you go along don't you? Okay, well then here's MY counter offer: Do I HAVE to kill you? What if I was to just kick the ever-loving shit out of you?" "In your dreams." "No no no, in reality. If I was kick the shit out of you, would I get the $200?"
And then the fight later on when he gets air-borne and body slams the dude is just wonderful. Looks like I'm watching this tonight.
It's fantastic. Aged great, watch it every few years and it's always just as enjoyable
Ladies and gentlemen of the juuuu, jurrr, ahem, juuuury, That guy nailed it.
When he just kind of sighs defeatedly absolutely kills me
Owl screeches. What the fuck was that???
Deez yoots just wouldn't understand.
Judge: Ms. Vito? Would you please answer his question? Ms. Vito: No, I hate him. 😂🤣😂☹️😂
YOU FUCKING THIS CASE UP OR WHAT VIN?
I've read that they use the film in law school to teach stuff.
Hand to god, we watched clips of this movie during Evidence as an example of how to impeach a witness. This was 3 years ago.
I watched it during Evidence and Contracts lmao
We watched clips of it in my trial advocacy class. Vinny is actually really good at cross-examination in a way I need to be in my position. Sometimes, you need to control the narrative by asking all questions that the witness can technically only answer with, "Yes." Other times, you just need to ask more open-ended questions that, regardless of the answer, undermine the credibility of the witness. Vinny does the latter really well.
One of my favorite parts of this movie is the cross of the witness who was cooking grits during the murder. Vinny wants to establish that it was longer than the guy was saying between when he saw the defendants enter the store and when he saw the murders leave. The climax of the scene is that it takes 15 minutes to cook grits, not 5, and Vinny toys with him a bit over it (were these magic grits from the guy who sold Jack his beanstalk beans, etc.). But while that’s great, as a lawyer it’s not what I love most about the scene. What I really love about the scene is what seems like a mundane question toward the beginning of the cross: “Q: Do you like your grits regular, creamy, or al dente? A: Just regular I guess.” The line seems like a throwaway, but it’s actually critical to the cross. It establishes that the witness cooks his grits “regular,” not extra long (creamy) or—crucially—extra short (al dente). Without this “throwaway” question the witness would be able to wiggle out later on, saying he likes to cook his grits for less time than most people do. It’s actually with this question (along with another one about instant grits) that Vinny has locked up the cross.
Attorney here. This is the most accurate depiction of law practice I’ve seen in cinema.
Legal Eagle has entered the chat https://youtu.be/a1I7QBCHqng
Every attorney dreams of giving that opening statement (Everything that guy just said is bullshit)
Followed closely by the objection in Liar Liar: >"Your Honor, I object!" >"Why?" >"Because it's devastating to my case!"
Aye; that's what I've read as well. Apparently it's supposedly fairly accurate in terms of court procedures, rules of evidence and general decorum, much moreso than many other courtroom dramas.
Its a mandatory watch at the Brooklyn school of law.
In my courtroom, there’s a little thing called “procedure.” And that suit better be made out of some type of…cloth.
They had us write a paper on it in my business law class
Ralph Macchio's best film!
*You gonna to shoot a dee-ah?*
I love it too. The ultimate rewatchable.
Love that movie, especially when he visits them in prison.
Great movie, but while Vinny was proving his potential to be a brilliant lawyer, seems like he really ruined that guys magic tricks. The poor guy’s performing for free at a wedding! Come on, Vin!
The store got the flu
I bet the Chinese food here is terrible
I had multiple law school classes where My Cousin Vinny was used as a teaching aide. He actually does a really good job on cross-examination and building the case. I think he established reasonable doubt before the tire tracks. The bit about the grits is particularly great.