My Cousin Vinny

R

Released Mar 13, 1992

1 hr. 59 min.

Comedy

List

87%

60 Reviews

Tomatometer

87%

100,000+ Ratings

Audience Score

New York lawyer Vinny has never won a case. When his teenage cousin Bill and his friend Stan are accused of murder in a backwater Alabama town, it's up to the nervous Vinny to save him from jail, even though he's only ever tried personal injury cases before, and none of them successfully.

Read More

Read Less

Watch on Fandango at Home

Premiered Apr 10

Buy Now

Fandango at Home

Hulu

Prime Video

Apple TV

Watch My Cousin Vinny with a subscription on Hulu, rent on Fandango at Home, Prime Video, Apple TV, or buy on Fandango at Home, Prime Video.

Critics Consensus

The deft comic interplay between Joe Pesci and Marisa Tomei helps to elevate My Cousin Vinny's predictable script, and the result is a sharp, hilarious courtroom comedy.

Read Critics Reviews

Audience Member

One of the more awesome movies ever created. Really fun and funny!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

04/02/24

Full Review

Matthew D

A hilarious comedy of errors with courtroom drama! Jonathan Lynn's comedic courtroom drama My Cousin Vinny (1992) is a delightful comedy film. It takes great care with its clever script in order to maintain an accurate portrayal of a courtroom's procedure, while spoofing the entire ordeal. It is filled with fun outfits, music, and performances. Lynn's My Cousin Vinny is a rightful courtroom classic and a must see for fans of comedies and courtroom dramas. It brought me constant laughter and plenty to think about in regards to courtroom etiquette. First of all, Joe Pesci is awesome. His idiotic, but well meaning lawyer from New York is just so much fun to watch. Pesci plays a new lawyer learning as he goes, a devoted fiancee that ignores his endearing, helpful lady, all while trying to help out his cousin and aspire to be a real lawyer. Pesci is really great at screaming loudly and delivering monologues and he does both in My Cousin Vinny. I love that Pesci can capture a genuine man dreaming of the law that can help someone, while not knowing anything about conducting himself in a courtroom. He gives a great anecdote about the judge that inspired him to be a lawyer as well as delivering classic comedy moments in Alabama and sweet interactions with Marisa Tomei. Speaking of Tomei, My Cousin Vinny got her an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress! This was well deserved as her New Jersey accent, glaring attitude, earnest helpfulness, and mechanical knowledge are all impressive. Tomei is electrifying every time she is on screen. She acts toe to toe with Joe Pesci in his prime. Marisa Tomei gave the performance of a lifetime in My Cousin Vinny. The rest of the supporting cast are no slouches as My Cousin Vinny features a wide array of character actors. Ralph Macchio is endearing and likable as a wrongly accused man alongside Mitchell Whitfield. Fred Gwynne's strictly by the book of procedure judge is a hilarious tough foil for Pesci's easy going lawyer. Lane Smith's prosecutor is rigid, yet friendly enough that you only hate him for being crooked. Bruce McGill's sheriff is amiable and fun. Lastly, Austin Pendleton gives a gut busting performance at the nervous and inept state appointed public defender. You will not forget any of these wonderful characters thanks to the admirable acting from these character actors. I loved My Cousin Vinny. Joe Pesci and Marisa Tomei just capture your attention and hold it to the end. It's hard to believe this movie was almost 2 full hours as it only feels like 1, if that. I think most audiences will be entertained by My Cousin Vinny.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

04/01/24

Full Review

Audience Member

a funny and enjoyable courtroom film great direction all the way the two youths wrongly-convicted take a backseat for the rest of the movie and instead focuses on Pesci going from a bumbling lawyer to an actual successful attorney despite knowing little about the justice system I really love Marisa Tomei in here, too playing the ever-hopeful finacee there's so many funny lines in here that I can't count but trust me when you hear them you'll laugh a lot the case itself is actually pretty intruiging that it being a misunderstanding Pesci himself again seems too old for the role but he commands the screen relatively well maybe a tad overrated in some areas but still very enjoyable the whole way through

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

03/31/24

Full Review

Caleb J

Marisa Tomei & Joe Pesci are one of the best film duos ever. This is possibly the funniest court "dramedy" ever. Tomei deserved that Oscar.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

03/20/24

Full Review

Mitch M

This is one movie that I never get tired of watching. It's not only a great comedy, but the plot is excellent. Pesci's role is superb, along with Tomei. The only thing that keeps me from giving this movie five stars is I thought the stuttering public attorney was a bit much.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

03/12/24

Full Review

Nadine H

A little uneven, but so hysterically funny when it lights up that the whole thing works. Beautifully acted and directed

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/21/24

Full Review

Read all reviews

Post a rating

Jonathan Lynn

Director

Joe Pesci

Vinny Gambini

Marisa Tomei

Mona Lisa Vito

Ralph Macchio

Bill Gambini

Mitchell Whitfield

Stan Rothenstein

Fred Gwynne

Judge Chamberlain Haller

Show Less Cast & Crew

Show More Cast & Crew

75%

69%

White Men Can't Jump

42%

35%

The Great White Hype

15%

85%

Grandma's Boy

83%

71%

The War of the Roses

96%

79%

The Full Monty

Discover more movies and TV shows.

View More

Awkwafina’s Five Favorite Films

Rank Marisa Tomei’s 10 Best Movies

Tom Holland’s Five Favorite Films

View more photos

Anthony Lane

Independent (UK)

My Cousin Vinny slumps badly as the courtroom scenes drag on; but when Tomei is on screen, even the jury wakes up.

Jan 4, 2018

Full Review

Duane Byrge

Hollywood Reporter

Vinny is a winning character and Pesci's performance as the beleaguered litigant is terrific - cranked yet cuddly.

Mar 13, 2017

Full Review

Dave Kehr

Chicago Tribune

With such canny scene-stealers as Gwynne, Smith, Pendleton, McGill and Chaykin filling out the cast, it is very hard for My Cousin Vinny to go wrong, and indeed, for the purpose of pleasant Saturday night entertainment, it does not.

Rated: 3/4

Apr 30, 2014

Full Review

Stephen Silver

Tilt Magazine

The film has been praised by lawyers as one of the more realistic movies about the justice system and the lawyer profession, and certainly one of the most successful ones at drawing humor from a courtroom setting (35th anniversary)

Rated: 4/5

Mar 19, 2022

Full Review

Eddie Harrison

film-authority.com

...a minor gem of a movie, without pretention, but smart and clever in the way the narrative brings all sides together in the on-going search for justice....

Rated: 3/5

Jan 12, 2022

Full Review

Richard Propes

TheIndependentCritic.com

While it certainly does feed into some stereotypes, it seems to do so with a certain amount of affection.

Rated: 3.5/4.0

Sep 17, 2020

Full Review

Read all reviews

Synopsis

New York lawyer Vinny has never won a case. When his teenage cousin Bill and his friend Stan are accused of murder in a backwater Alabama town, it's up to the nervous Vinny to save him from jail, even though he's only ever tried personal injury cases before, and none of them successfully.

Director: Jonathan Lynn
Screenwriter: Dale Launer
Distributor: 20th Century Fox
Production Co: Twentieth Century Fox
Rating: R
Genre: Comedy
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Mar 13, 1992, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Nov 25, 2015
Box Office (Gross USA): $50.9M
Sound Mix: Surround, Stereo

Most Popular at Home Now