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‘My Cousin Vinny’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Wesley Morris

July 18, 2023 · My Cousin Vinny (1992) · Comedy · Crime · 1:27:15

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What's Aged the Worst

Bill Simmons▶ 7:39The Three's Company era of misunderstandings that could be entire episodes - that whole misunderstanding sitcom era
Chris Ryan▶ 7:09The pacing and technology - kids today can't watch it, they're out in 10 minutes due to the slow pacing
Wesley Morris▶ 8:14You have to be well-versed in American entertainment culture to understand the vaudeville-level series of misunderstandings - it's very culturally specific

Hall of Fame Plaque

Chris Ryan▶ 30:15He falls in the mud and then puts on a circus performer suit
Wesley Morris▶ 30:21When he walks into the courtroom wearing the thrift store ringmaster suit

Probably Unanswerable Questions

Bill Simmons▶ 31:25Is Joe Pesci the greatest wig actor we've ever had?
Wesley Morris▶ 31:27Yes, he's the greatest wig actor - I have no idea what his hair actually looks like

Big Kahuna Burger Award

Bill Simmons▶ 49:57the breakfast scene

Den of Thieves Benihana Award

Bill Simmons▶ 50:11the courtroom
Chris Ryan▶ 50:18the pool hall

Butch's Girlfriend Award

Bill Simmons▶ 51:50the burger charge confession scene

Ron Burgundy Flute Award

Bill Simmons▶ 58:25when he's sleeping in the car with the owl
Wesley Morris▶ 58:35agrees with the sleeping scenes padding, suggests you only need it twice and could cut all of it

Is There a Better Title?

Bill Simmons▶ 58:47Two Utes (but acknowledges it wouldn't have worked commercially and that My Cousin Vinny is great)

Best Quote

Bill Simmons▶ 58:51there's nothing to worry about until there's something to worry about
Bill Simmons▶ 58:58it's called disclosure, you dickhead
Chris Ryan▶ 59:10It's called disclosure, you dickhead

Stephen A. Smith Hottest Take Award

Bill Simmons▶ 59:40This movie and movies like it are why people think they can defend themselves in court, and has done more harm than good by inspiring hundreds to self-represent
Chris Ryan▶ 59:16Judge Holler wastes the city's time and money by putting Vinny in contempt so many times instead of just taking him off the case

Casting What-Ifs

Bill Simmons▶ 1:02:10Will Smith — Prefers Joe Pesci over Andrew Dice Clay for Vinny; thinks the movie is better with Will Smith over Mitchell Whitfield for Rothenstein despite concerns about changing the movie's dynamics
Chris Ryan▶ 1:04:22Will Smith — Acknowledges Will Smith would have required character changes (different ethnicity/name) and finds the casting swap concept interesting, asking what Will Smith movie Barry would get instead
Wesley Morris▶ 1:04:15Mitchell Whitfield — Prefers Barry from Friends (Mitchell Whitfield) over Will Smith for Rothenstein because casting Will Smith would fundamentally change the movie's racial dynamics and pleasant integrated town setting

Overacting Award

Bill Simmons▶ 1:04:33Marisa Tomei — The biological clock scene - Ruffalo trying to match Marissa's intensity at 190 miles per hour

Apex Mountain

Bill Simmons▶ 1:08:58Joe Pesci — Yes for Pesci (this era/movie), Yes for Marissa Tomei, Yes for grits (calls it the best grits movie), Yes for 64 Buick Skylar Convertibles, No for Italians, Machio, Bruce McGill, and New Jersey
Chris Ryan▶ 1:10:25My Cousin Vinny — Tire tracks - suggests this is Apex Mountain for tire tracks
Wesley Morris▶ 1:10:30My Cousin Vinny — Automotive/mechanical intelligence - agrees with tire tracks and expands it to automotive intelligence and old school mechanical knowledge

Racehorse Name Award

Bill Simmons▶ 1:11:16Pickin' Nitz
Chris Ryan▶ 1:11:13Wazoo, Alabama

Is This Movie Better With

Bill Simmons▶ 1:14:40Joe Pesci — Suggests adding Joe Pesci to the permanent list of utility players for future episodes
Chris Ryan▶ 1:14:06Wayne Jenkins (doing his signature impression)
Wesley Morris▶ 1:13:46Samuel L. Jackson — Sam Jackson as the cook

Just One Oscar

Bill Simmons▶ 1:15:03Marisa Tomei — Marisa Tomei (who actually won)

Best Double Feature

Bill Simmons▶ 1:18:02Goodfellas — Goodfellas paired with this movie for the full Pesci experience
Chris Ryan▶ 1:18:27The Paper
Wesley Morris▶ 1:18:33The Paper — The Paper (agreed with Chris Ryan's suggestion)

Coach Finstock Life Lesson

Bill Simmons▶ 1:19:53no self-respecting Southerner uses instant grits

Who Won the Movie

Wesley Morris▶ 1:21:04Marisa Tomei

Movies Referenced (50)

Goodfellas (1990)

8 mentions · Chris Ryan, Bill Simmons, Wesley Morris▶ 23:34IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Contact (1997)

5 mentions · Wesley Morris, Bill Simmons▶ 22:19IMDb ↗Lb ↗

With Honors (1994)

5 mentions · Bill Simmons, Wesley Morris, Chris Ryan▶ 2:26IMDb ↗Lb ↗

A Time to Kill (1996)

3 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan▶ 22:19IMDb ↗Lb ↗

City Slickers (1991)

3 mentions · Wesley Morris, Chris Ryan▶ 15:13IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Good Will Hunting (1997)

3 mentions · Wesley Morris, Chris Ryan▶ 1:15:30IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Home Alone (1990)

3 mentions · Bill Simmons, Wesley Morris▶ 26:08IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Primal Fear (1996)

3 mentions · Chris Ryan, Wesley Morris▶ 48:29IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Untamed Heart (1993)

3 mentions · Bill Simmons, Wesley Morris▶ 12:34IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Basic Instinct (1992)

2 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 14:36IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Blind Date (1987)

2 mentions · Chris Ryan, Wesley Morris▶ 55:49IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Cruel Intentions (1999)

2 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 1:08:45IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Directors Referenced (8)

Spike Lee

4 mentions · Bill Simmons, Wesley Morris · Known for Do the Right Thing, Malcolm X, She's Gotta Have It▶ 23:26IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Jonathan Lynn

3 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan · Known for My Cousin Vinny▶ 52:14IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Sofia Coppola

2 mentions · Chris Ryan, Bill Simmons · Known for The Virgin Suicides, Lost in Translation▶ 19:52IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Anson Jew

1 mentions · Wesley Morris · Known for Wonder Woman▶ 1:03:30IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Eric Gambini

1 mentions · Chris Ryan · Known for The Hunger Games, X-Men▶ 1:08:31IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Francis Ford Coppola

1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Apocalypse Now, The Godfather Part II▶ 9:58IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Martin Scorsese

1 mentions · Wesley Morris · Known for Taxi Driver, Killers of the Flower Moon, Mean Streets▶ 28:11IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Oliver Stone

1 mentions · Wesley Morris · Known for Born on the Fourth of July, Platoon, JFK▶ 28:11IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Actors Referenced (67)

Joe Pesci

36 mentions · Bill Simmons, Wesley Morris, Chris Ryan · Known for Goodfellas, Raging Bull, The Irishman▶ 2:26IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Fran Drescher

13 mentions · Wesley Morris, Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan · Known for Hotel Transylvania▶ 45:23IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Bruce McGill

9 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Law Abiding Citizen, National Lampoon's Animal House, My Cousin Vinny▶ 43:39IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Jack Palance

8 mentions · Bill Simmons, Wesley Morris · Known for City Slickers▶ 15:06IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Ralph Macchio

7 mentions · Bill Simmons, Wesley Morris · Known for The Karate Kid, My Cousin Vinny▶ 9:54IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Will Smith

6 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, Wesley Morris · Known for Men in Black, I Am Legend▶ 1:02:35IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Joan Plowright

5 mentions · Wesley Morris, Chris Ryan · Known for Dennis the Menace▶ 13:23IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Rosie Perez

5 mentions · Bill Simmons, Wesley Morris · Known for Fearless, White Men Can't Jump, Untamed Heart▶ 12:44IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Taraji P. Henson

5 mentions · Wesley Morris · Known for Hidden Figures, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Hustle & Flow▶ 1:23:12IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Patrick Ewing

4 mentions · Wesley Morris · Known for Space Jam▶ 57:39IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Alfre Woodard

3 mentions · Wesley Morris · Known for 12 Years a Slave, Love & Basketball▶ 13:33IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Andrew Dice Clay

3 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Blue Jasmine, A Star Is Born▶ 1:01:38IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Writers Referenced (5)

Dale Launer

2 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan · Known for My Cousin Vinny, Ruthless People, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels▶ 55:42IMDb ↗Lb ↗

David Mamet

2 mentions · Bill Simmons, Wesley Morris · Known for The Spanish Prisoner, House of Games▶ 9:37IMDb ↗Lb ↗

John Grisham

1 mentions · Wesley Morris · Known for Runaway Jury, A Time to Kill▶ 1:26:47IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Michael Dinner

1 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 50:03IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Paul Rudnick

1 mentions · Wesley Morris · Known for The Stepford Wives▶ 1:24:20IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Cinematographers Referenced (1)

Stevan Larner

1 mentions · Chris Ryan · Known for Caddyshack▶ 55:42IMDb ↗Lb ↗