21 Feb Why is Vinny shown to be an effective lawyer? Doe
1. Why is Vinny shown to be an effective lawyer? Does it matter that he isn’t great at ‘knowing’ the law?
2. What is the purpose of the court, as shown in the film? What are its strengths and weaknesses? Use two scenes to support your argument.
3. How did this film make you feel about the US court system? How might this movie be different if it were made today?
4. Much of this film also deals with challenges towards perceptions. Explain at least one situation in the film where any character has taken a negative/unfair/stereotypical
(read file for info)
Assignment 2. DUE February 24th
For this assignment, you are expected to write a 2-3 page paper adhering to the guidelines in the syllabus. The film is My Cousin Vinny (1992).
My Cousin Vinny (1992)
My Cousin Vinny deals with two young New Yorkers traveling through rural Alabama who are arrested and put on trial for a murder they did not commit, and the comical attempts of a cousin, Vinny Gambini, a lawyer who had only recently passed the bar exam after five unsuccessful attempts, to defend them.
“Two carefree pals (Ralph Macchio and Mitchell Whitfield) traveling through Alabama are mistakenly arrested, and charged with murder. Fortunately, one of them has a cousin who's a lawyer – Vincent Gambini (Joe Pesci), a former auto mechanic from Brooklyn who just passed his bar exam after his sixth try. Vinny's never been in court – or in Alabama – and when he arrives with his leather-clad girlfriend (Marisa Tomei), to try his first case, it's a real shock – for him and the Deep South.”
My Cousin Vinny has been considered a classic of courtroom/law films. Many law schools use My Cousin Vinny as an example of courtroom procedure and trial strategy. Although the film is primarily a comedy, its value as a teaching tool, a view into court procedure, and the justice system has lasted over thirty years.
If you choose to watch My Cousin Vinny, please answer the following in their entirety:
· John Marshall Law School professor Alberto Bernabe wrote:
"Vinny is terrible at the things we do teach in law school, but very good at the things we don't: "[How to] interview clients, to gather facts, to prepare a theory of a case, to negotiate, to know when to ask a question and when to remain quiet, to cross-examine a witness forcefully (but with charm) in order to expose the weaknesses in their testimony”
1. Why is Vinny shown to be an effective lawyer? Does it matter that he isn’t great at ‘knowing’ the law?
2. What is the purpose of the court, as shown in the film? What are its strengths and weaknesses? Use two scenes to support your argument.
3. How did this film make you feel about the US court system? How might this movie be different if it were made today?
4. Much of this film also deals with challenges towards perceptions. Explain at least one situation in the film where any character has taken a negative/unfair/stereotypical perception and changed it to their advantage or used it in a way to shift someone else’s perception.
My Cousin Vinny is available on HBOMax, Amazon, Roku, UT Library has a copy, and a few other formats.
Syllabus guidelines:
The short paper assignments will be 2-3 pages each, double spaced, Times Roman (or equivalent) 12-point font, with 1 inch margins. (Honestly, I don’t care exactly what font you use, but I expect it to be at a minimum 2 full pages (not one and a half, not one and three quarters). Also, if you turn in a Courier 14 font paper with 1.5 margins with triple spacing, don’t be surprised to see it heavily penalized. I stop reading after 5 pages on the short paper assignments. You will be given a list of movies (think 2-3) for each short paper assignment. You will select one of them to watch and write the paper. It is not designed to be comprehensive. They will be selected for specific reasons. The films selected will all (or partially… meaning at least on one format) be available on Netflix, Amazon Prime, YouTube (for some of the early ones), the library, or another similar service. You will be expected to watch the film and write a short paper discussing aspects of the film which will be included in the question prompt. The idea behind having a short list of films in each section is to facilitate class discussion while respecting not all students have the same tastes in movies.
2022© Shannon Bow O’Brien (do not reproduce or distribute without permission)
,
The Producers (1968)
1. What is the role of humor, particularly satire in politics? Can humor be more powerful
than fear, money, or eloquent speeches/arguments?
Political satire is a type of humor that focuses on gaining amusement from politics. While
it is sometimes playful, satire is also focused on asking questions of the political order and its
various interpretations. Although satire can be cutting and aggressive in tone, the underlying
premise of the text is optimistic. The role of satire in politics is to provide a platform for
addressing society's problems through a humorous lens. The emotions that result from this satire
then trigger political action.
Humor is an effective tool, making it more powerful than other mechanisms like fear,
money, or eloquent speeches/arguments. Media platforms that use humor to stimulate
recognition of politics can increase political discussion and participation. Humor allows an
audience a different perspective to see inefficiencies throughout the political order and strive for
improvements. Using humor allows a liveliness that delivers a message to an audience that does
not necessarily overwhelm them with pressure but allows conversations to develop. Humor also
enables us to forge connections with everyone and not target a specific race, gender, or age,
encouraging more people to participate in politics. Political humor is a powerful technique
because it does more than make people laugh. It allows us to connect with an audience, diffuse
tension, foster trust, and compel others to see someone's point of view.
2. How much does intent matter in media? Are there certain subjects even “insiders” can’t
or shouldn’t joke about?
Intent plays a significant role in media because everyone has a different perspective,
experience, and set of biases that determine their actions. When releasing something into the
media, whether good or bad, an individual risks having it translated in various ways depending
on the connotation. Without stating your specific intentions and not giving context to your
message, people can misinterpret the meaning depending on how they perceive it. Both parties'
intentions and perceptions are valid, therefore giving context is essential when conveying a
message. When Brooks released The Producer, some people found it empowering, and others
took offense. Brooks intended to create something to get back at antisemitic and totalitarian
regimes; however, some viewers found his movie inappropriate. Individuals tend to
interpret a situation based on their personal experiences; therefore, intent is extremely important
in media.
A joke can be cruel at the same time as it is funny. Some people use humor to cope with
trauma, and if they are comfortable enough with making jokes, then I feel that they should be
allowed to do so. However, it is critical to realize that even when you joke about a personal
experience, others may not have a similar take on it, especially if they were in a similar position.
Overall, people should develop the ability to hear meaning beyond words, empathize with others,
and move beyond personal biases and positions to share different perspectives.
3. In your response, discuss what you think is the overall message of the movie concerning
politics and media (films, art, plays, etc.)? Choose two specific scenes to explain and
support your argument.
The overall message Brooks portrays in his 1968 film, The Producers, is to retaliate
against antisemitic and totalitarian regimes. For example, Bialystock and Bloom are
Jewish, yet the film never states that specifically. Brooks hints that Bialystock and Bloom are
Jewish in the scene where Franz Liebkind is introduced. Franz Liebkind is the neo-Nazi and
author of “Springtime for Hitler,” who is portrayed as an inept fool whom Bialystock and Bloom
use and manipulate for their flop production. As the two men walk away from Liebkind’s
apartment, Bloom covers the red-and-black Nazi armband Franz gave them, and both men throw
the armbands in the trash and spit into it. During this period, Jewish people were still anxious
about the prejudice against them. Still, Brooks uses Jewish characters to control and manipulate
people, which contradicts society's discrimination of Jewish people. Thus, Brooks depicts a
message taunting antisemitic regimes because, despite the prejudice against Jews, he created a
plot where he gives power to the people society claimed inferior.
Similarly, Brooks mocks totalitarian regimes during the "Springtime for Hitler" scene
when Roger De Bris feminized Nazis in the Broadway production. Brooks portrayed the S.S.
stormtroopers as dancing chorus girls and Hitler, Lorenzo St. DuBois (L.S.D.), as a mindless
hippie to ridicule and disempower the tyrannical rule. Brooks' message was to mock
totalitarianism by creating a musical about Hitler, claiming it as "a love letter to Hitler," as his
way of expressing rage against Nazis, mocking the beliefs of their racial purity and military
grandeur.
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