W2m Network

Jonathan Lynn isn’t a household name, but his precision reshaped film comedy. A Cambridge satirist before Hollywood, he built jokes like arguments—logic first, chaos second. “Clue” (1985) was a $15M ensemble farce with three valid endings, a box-office flop that became a cult classic and a film-school staple. “My Cousin Vinny” (1992) turned courtroom procedure into character comedy; its $11M budget became a $64M hit, earning Marisa Tomei an Oscar and a permanent place in law-school curricula. “Trial and Error” (1997), a $25M legal farce with Jeff Daniels, Michael Richards, and early Charlize Theron, underperformed but became a cable favorite. Together, these films show Lynn’s gift: ordinary people stumbling through rigid systems, revealing the absurdity underneath. In 2025, when studio comedy leans on improv and noise, Lynn’s structured, intelligent approach feels like a lost art—proof that smart comedy still matters.Disclaimer: The following may contain offensive language, adult humor, and/or content that so