Tomei Heard About Her Oscar Nomination in an Unexpected Place
Actress Marisa Tomei was sleeping on her very pregnant friend’s couch when she discovered that she was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. She told David Letterman in 1993, that her friends were watching television in the other room and they woke her up. She said, “I didn’t know if she was going into labor or what.”
She went on to win the Oscar, and despite rumors to the contrary, which claimed that 74-year-old presenter Jack Palance said the wrong name, the actress really did win.
The Law Community Gave the Film High Marks
Lawyer Maxwell S. Kennerly said about 'My Cousin Vinny' , “The movie is close to reality even in its details . Part of why the film has such staying power among lawyers is because, unlike, say, A Few Good Men , everything that happens in the movie could happen—and often does happen—at trial.” Law professor Alberto Bernabe, from the University of Chicago, gives his students a list of law movies organized by category, and puts Vinny under “Education”.
The film has also been praised by a Seventh Circuit Court Judge ; referenced by former Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia; used to teach young lawyers at legal conferences, and appeared in a legal textbook .
Nabbed a Top Spot on the American Bar Association’s list of Greatest Legal Movies
The film comes in third place on the American Bar Association's list of greatest legal movies. Launer was honored by the ranking and said it was “like getting the Oscar. In some ways, better.”
Vincent Gambini also came in at Number 12 on the association’s list of Greatest Fictional Lawyers (Who Aren’t Atticus Finch).
There Were Talks of a Sequel
Launer’s bio from 2004, claims that he had written a sequel, but some of the actors weren't interested back then. Years later, everybody seemed to be on board but the studios said too much time had passed already.
Whitfield has said that the sequel was supposedly centered on Vinny going to Europe.
Joe Pesci Released an Album as Vincent Gambini
Joe Pesci was a lounge singer before he became an actor, and six years after ' My Cousin Vinny' hit the screens, he released an album titled ' Vincent LaGuardia Gambini Sings Just for You' .
It features the songs “ Wise Guy ,” “ Take Your Love and Shove It ,” “Yo Cousin Vinny,” and “ I Can’t Give You Anything But Love ,” a duet with Tomei as Mona Lisa. The album debuted at Number 36 on the Billboard Heatseekers Chart.