Released in 1992 and directed by Jonathan Lynn, My Cousin Vinny is a benign, well written fish out of water, courtroom comedy. The story begins with the arrest of two young Yankees (Ralph Macchio and Mitchell Whitfield) in the Deep South and their being charged with murder. One has a cousin who just passed the bar so Vincent La Guardia Gambino (Joe Pesci) and his girlfriend Mona Lisa Vito (Marisa Tomei) drive down from New York City to defend the two boys. During the defense, Gambino must deal with the prosecutor (Lane Smith), the hostilities of the judge (Fred Gwynne), the obvious culture clashes, and his inexperience as a trial attorney. As there is nothing innovative about this film, what makes it work is the aura and acting of the three main players, namely Pesci, Tomei and Gwynne. While the movie does rely on stereotypes, both Northern and Southern, they are not overly burdensome. The bottom line is that My Cousin Vinny is a typical fish out of water film which is above average due to the on-screen talent.
