My Cousin Vinny is a 1992 American comedy film directed by Jonathan Lynn, and written by Dale Launer, who also produced with Paul Schiff. The film stars Joe Pesci, Ralph Macchio, Marisa Tomei, Mitchell Whitfield, Lane Smith, Bruce McGill, and Fred Gwynne (in his final film appearance). The film was distributed by 20th Century Fox and released on March 13, 1992.
Two young New Yorkers traveling through rural Alabama are arrested and put on trial for a murder they did not commit, and a cousin, Vinny Gambini, a lawyer who had only recently passed the bar exam after five unsuccessful attempts, defends them. Much of the humor comes from the fish-out-of-water interaction between the brash Italian-American New Yorkers (Vinny and his fiancée, Mona Lisa Vito) and the more reserved Southern townspeople. The principal location of filming was Monticello, Georgia.
My Cousin Vinny was a critical and financial success, with Pesci, Gwynne, and Tomei praised for their performances. Tomei won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. Attorneys have also lauded the film for its accurate depiction of criminal procedure and trial strategy.
Cast[]
- Joe Pesci as Vinny Gambini
- Ralph Macchio as Bill Gambini
- Marisa Tomei as Mona Lisa Vito
- Mitchell Whitfield as Stan Rothenstein
- Fred Gwynne as Judge Chamberlain Haller
- Lane Smith as Jim Trotter III
- Austin Pendleton as John Gibbons
- Bruce McGill as Sheriff Dean Farley
- Maury Chaykin as Sam Tipton
- Paulene Myers as Constance Riley
- Raynor Scheine as Ernie Crane
- James Rebhorn as George Wilbur
- Chris Ellis as J.T.
- Michael Simpson as Neckbrace
- Lou Walker as Grits Cook
- Kenny Jones as Jimmy Willis