My Cousin Vinny : Mona Lisa's motivation at the end on the stand…?

Mona Lisa's motivation at the end on the stand…?

Did anyone else find it unbelievable and out of character for her to refuse to help vindicate the boys until forced by a judge? Knowing they were facing the death penalty?

Is this just another example of writers in films having NO idea how to write for a woman and usually end up not writing for them at all or messing it up royally? So she was mad at her boyfriend...and all of a sudden doesn't' care if two boys get the chair?

Re: Mona Lisa's motivation at the end on the stand…?

she was royally pissed off at vinny. i could see her point. and she was getting a lot flack from trotter for being a woman and not having any 'real -paper proof' credentials in regards to cars. he was practically making fun of her for being a woman in that position.



she had no blood relation to the boys. the friend was annoying as shi7.


Reading the paper can really be depressing. Mr. Dithers fired Dagwood again.

Re: Mona Lisa's motivation at the end on the stand…?


she had no blood relation to the boys. the friend was annoying as shi7


haha yeah but that's still pretty cold to let them "fry."

Re: Mona Lisa's motivation at the end on the stand…?

I completely agree and often thought about it myself. You would have to be pretty selfish to let a lovers tiff get in the way of helping two innocent kids escape execution no matter how angry you were.

I've had a lot of sobering thoughts in my time Del Boy, it's them that started me drinking!

Re: Mona Lisa's motivation at the end on the stand…?

I think everyone is missing the point in this thread.

I don't think that the Marisa Tomei character was so mad at Vinny that she was even willing to let the two boys get the death penalty.

I think she did not see herself (or her testimony) as being of much importance in the case. And, certainly, she did not think that her testimony would be the pivotal moment that would turn the trial (and the impending guilty verdict) completely around.

Hindsight is 20-20. So, we all know that she was a pivotal witness and her testimony changed the course of the trial. But, before hand, she did not know that. And she did not expect that. She really did not consider herself an "expert witness" (in the same league as that FBI investigator).

Also, remember, she did not foresee that lawyer Vinny would come up with such an amazing rebuttal. She didn't think he was all that competent. So, certainly, she did not expect any legal prowess from Vinny.

I think the whole situation blind-sided her. Her believing that she was an insignificant party in this trial was the key factor. It's not that she didn't want to help the boys. She felt that she was powerless and that she could not help them.

Remember, throughout the film, she kept asking Vinny "what can I do to help?" and "how can I be of help?", etc. She wanted so much to help, but never felt that she could. Vinny, of course, kept reinforcing her feelings of inadequacy and kept highlighting just how unhelpful she was. (Ironically, of course, she was the most help to him, in the end. And she was the key factor that allowed him to win the case.)

Re: Mona Lisa's motivation at the end on the stand…?


I think she did not see herself (or her testimony) as being of much importance in the case. And, certainly, she did not think that her testimony would be the pivotal moment that would turn the trial (and the impending guilty verdict) completely around.
I don't buy that at all. First of all she has no right to make that assumption. Even a complete idiot would understand they're not being called to the stand for a game of I spy.

Hey! You're not old enough to drink! Now go and die for your country!!!

Re: Mona Lisa's motivation at the end on the stand…?


I don't buy that at all. First of all she has no right to make that assumption. Even a complete idiot would understand they're not being called to the stand for a game of I spy.

So given all of the events in the film that preceded her taking the stand, what exactly would have made her feel that she was helpful or useful to the case?

Especially after Vinny kept insulting and demeaning her, reinforcing the idea that indeed she was not at all helpful to the case.

Re: Mona Lisa's motivation at the end on the stand…?


Especially after Vinny kept insulting and demeaning her, reinforcing the idea that indeed she was not at all helpful to the case.
Where are you getting this from? Before blowing up at the diner the only time he actually questions her involvement is when he asks her not to read the law book and even then he comes back to her for help on precisely that. If anything Lisa questions his abilities 'you *beep* up this case up or what?', grills him about going hunting, he's going down in flames and bringing her with him, gives him the trip about getting married...to be honest I would have exploded at her too.

However my point is that she had no reason to believe she was being brought to the stand to do anything but help. I'm convinced she didn't want to do it because she was just mad at Vinny because her 'biological clock is ticking'. More like a biological time bomb.

Hey! You're not old enough to drink! Now go and die for your country!!!

Re: Mona Lisa's motivation at the end on the stand…?

OK. I see what you are saying. Thanks.

Re: Mona Lisa's motivation at the end on the stand…?

I agree, in order to provide some suspense (will she help or not?) and some contrast (from trying to help earlier to show how hurtful Vinny had been) they compromised the character they had created for that moment.

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Consider the daffodil. And while you're doing that I'll be over here looking through your stuff.
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