My Cousin Vinny (1992)

User Rating:

7.3/10   

Director:

Jonathan Lynn

Writer (WGA):

Dale Launer (written by)

Release Date:

13 March 1992 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Crime

Tagline:

Rambo. Terminator. Indiana Jones. Vinny Gambini.

Plot:

Bill and Stan are mistaken for murderers while on vacation, and Bill's family sends his cousin to defend them for his first case as a lawyer.

Plot Keywords:

Lawyer | Cousin | Alabama | Convenience Store | Murder

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 3 wins & 1 nomination

US TV Schedule:

Sat. July 18	8:00 PM	AETV
Sun. July 19	12:00 AM	AETV

Cast

Joe Pesci	...	Vincent 'Vinny' Gambini
Ralph Macchio	...	William 'Billy' Gambini
Marisa Tomei	...	Mona Lisa Vito
Mitchell Whitfield	...	Stan Rothenstein
Fred Gwynne	...	Judge Chamberlain Haller
Lane Smith	...	D.A. Jim Trotter, III
Austin Pendleton	...	John Gibbons
Bruce McGill	...	Sheriff Dean Farley
Maury Chaykin	...	Sam Tipton
Paulene Myers	...	Constance Riley (as Pauline Meyers)
Raynor Scheine	...	Ernie Crane
James Rebhorn	...	George Wilbur
Chris Ellis	...	J.T.
Michael Simpson	...	Neckbrace
Lou Walker	...	Grits Cook

MPAA:

Rated R for language.

Runtime:

120 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR

Certification:

Iceland:L | Argentina:13 | Australia:M | Canada:14A | Chile:14 | Finland:S | France:U | Germany:6 | Norway:15 | Spain:T | Sweden:7 | UK:15 | USA:R | Singapore:PG

Filming Locations:

Alto, Georgia, USA

Company:

Palo Vista Productions

Trivia:

Director Jonathan Lynn proposed Fred Gwynne for the role of the judge after seeing him in The Cotton Club (1984).

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: When Vinny is looking at the pictures of the tire tracks supposedly made by spinning tires you can clearly see the tread pattern. If the tires had been spinning the tracks would have been smeared. The tracks shown with clear tread pattern would only have been made if the car had driven through water or paint.

Quotes:

Vinny Gambini: Mrs. Riley, when you saw the defendants were you wearing your glasses?
Constance Riley: Yes, I was.
Vinny Gambini: Would you mind putting your glasses on for us, please?
[Stumbles a bit from Mrs. Riley's glasses]
Vinny Gambini: Whoa. How long you been wearing glasses?
Constance Riley: Since I was 6.
Vinny Gambini: Have they always been that thick.
Constance Riley: No. They've gotten thicker over the years.
Vinny Gambini: So, as your eyes become more and more out of whack, as you've gotten older, how many levels of thickness have you gone through?
Constance Riley: I don't know, over 60 years, maybe 10 times.
[...]

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Saturday Night Live: Tom Hanks/Bruce Springsteen (#17.19)" (1992)

Soundtrack:

SECOND HAND LOVE

The more I watch it --- the funnier it gets!!

Definitely one of my all-time favorite comedies. Well directed, well acted -- priceless comic performances by Pesci, Tomei, Gwynne & Austin Pendleton. And more than comedy -- there's also a lot of genuine pathos and real tension and drama, especially in the final courtroom scene. And I really don't understand the "controversy" or brouhaha over Marisa Tomei receiving the Best Supporting Actress Oscar for her role in this movie. It's a crackerjack gem of a performance and a stellar comic portrayal. The only thing I can figure is that a lot of snobbery about serious dramatic portrayals somehow being more worthy of honor than great comic performances still very much lives on in much of the film community.