My Cousin Vinny Is 25
It would be remiss to not celebrate the 25th anniversary of the fictitious robbery of our infamous Sac-o-Suds as portrayed in the movie that put Monticello on the map, “My Cousin Vinny.” The robbery according to the movie took place on January 4, 1991, 25 years ago.
Filming for the movie began in our area on February 11, 1991 and was completed by April 22 of that year.
Who knew when the movie premiered in March of 1992 that it would become such a favorite not only among moviegoers, but also those in the practice of law. Supreme Court justices to law professors all over the country cite the movie for its courtroom authenticity including law practices and interviewing witnesses.
On one evidence exam given at Harvard, the movie is mentioned. Professors often quote the movie. In particular, one law professor told his students on the first day of class, “I will teach you everything you didn’t learn in “My Cousin Vinny.”
Dale Launer, screenwriter who conceived the idea for the movie, 20 years before it was developed said that he based the main character of the movie, Vincent LaGuardia Gambini, who had only passed the bar exam after three tries, on a real life law student who took the bar 13 times before passing.
Launer had wanted Robert DeNiro to play Vinny, but at the time he was doing only serious type roles. Joe Pesci who got the role had just won an Oscar for his part in the “Goodfellows.” He showed up to film Vinny with the Oscar in hand and actually had it with him when he was filming one of the jail scenes.
Several actresses were tested before Marisa Tomei got the part as Mona Lisa Vito, the nasal, mechanic expert witness. She won the Oscar for this performance. Many questions were raised afterwards if it was a mistake by the presenter who was reading the cue cards.
So many quotable lines and words from the movie including, “I-dentical, Voir dire, posi trac, oh, yeh, you blend and the best of the quoteables, two utes.”
According to gross earnings, the budget for “Vinny” was $11 million. The movie grossed $64 million before being released on video. “Vinny” never made it to #1 in box office, but has been a favorite for the last 25 years showing up on movie channels frequently. The movie that was #1 for the month that “Vinny” was released was the forgettable “Wayne’s World.”
Who can forget the car star, the 1964 Buick Skylark convertible painted metallic mint green? As Mona Lisa Vito testified, “The only other car that would make those tire tracks is the Corvette which would never be confused with the Buick Skylark.”
Our county courthouse, town square, Dave’s BBQ, Mitchell Department store, and many more places were a part of the telling of this story, but none compared with the Sac-O-Suds which to this day sits proudly next to the bridge over the Ocmulgee River on Georgia Hwy. 16.
Thanks to the movie, when I introduced myself almost anywhere in the world and say I am from Monticello, Georgia, I explain you’ve probably seen our town in a movie. “Have you seen “My Cousin Vinny?” Most say yes and then we start quoting some lines.
