I have always heard good things about the film “My Cousin Vinny”, but never got around to watching it. The film follows the experiences of two young men mistaken for murderers in fictional Beechum County, Alabama. When the boys, Bill Gambini (Ralph Macchio) and Stan Rothenstein (Mitchell Whitfield), discover that they weren’t being held for theft of a tuna can, but instead for murder, they anxiously call their families for help. The family employs Bill’s cousin, Vinny (Joe Peschi), a New York lawyer who passed his bar examination six weeks earlier (after six tries), to defend them. It is not only Vinny's first time in Alabama (which is quite clear from his entrance), but it is also his first time inside a courtroom as a practicing attorney.
…show more content…
The cast in the film is very good, as Vinny and his girlfriend, Mona Lisa, truly embody the traits and behaviors of a pure New Yorker. Throughout the film, we see the cultural differences between urban New York and rural Alabama, as the way of life is very different in these two places. When Mona Lisa drives up to the court house, she says "I bet the Chinese food in this town is terrible”, which was uttered in true New York fashion. Mona Lisa, in addition to being a fashionista and hard core New Yorker, is also an auto mechanic, which comes in handy during the trial later in the …show more content…
Vinny's ignorance and inexperience causes more harm, as at the beginning of the trial Vinny does not even bother to cross-examine any of the witnesses brought forward by the prosecution. After Vinny's poor performance, Bill and Stan decide to fire him and use the public defender, but Vinny pleads for one more chance to prove himself. After several weeks of preparation, with help from my favorite character, Mona Lisa, Vinny represents his cousin and the public defender represents Stan. Despite further minor mistakes, Vinny proves that he can make up for his ignorance and inexperience with an aggressive questioning style, using his New York background in his favor. From changing his attire from leather and chains to a suit, to changing his overall attitude in court, Vinny transforms from a joke to a competitive attorney, which convinces Stan to fire the public
The cast in the film is very good, as Vinny and his girlfriend, Mona Lisa, truly embody the traits and behaviors of a pure New Yorker. Throughout the film, we see the cultural differences between urban New York and rural Alabama, as the way of life is very different in these two places. When Mona Lisa drives up to the court house, she says "I bet the Chinese food in this town is terrible”, which was uttered in true New York fashion. Mona Lisa, in addition to being a fashionista and hard core New Yorker, is also an auto mechanic, which comes in handy during the trial later in the …show more content…
Vinny's ignorance and inexperience causes more harm, as at the beginning of the trial Vinny does not even bother to cross-examine any of the witnesses brought forward by the prosecution. After Vinny's poor performance, Bill and Stan decide to fire him and use the public defender, but Vinny pleads for one more chance to prove himself. After several weeks of preparation, with help from my favorite character, Mona Lisa, Vinny represents his cousin and the public defender represents Stan. Despite further minor mistakes, Vinny proves that he can make up for his ignorance and inexperience with an aggressive questioning style, using his New York background in his favor. From changing his attire from leather and chains to a suit, to changing his overall attitude in court, Vinny transforms from a joke to a competitive attorney, which convinces Stan to fire the public