My Cousin Vinny

"There have been many courtroom dramas that have glorified the Great American Legal System. This is not one of them."

Mar 13 1992 R 2h 0m
Comedy, Crime

Two carefree pals from Brooklyn traveling through rural Alabama on their way back to college are mistakenly arrested, and charged with murder. Fortunately, one of them has a cousin who's a lawyer - Vincent Gambini, a former auto mechanic from Brooklyn who just passed his bar exam after his sixth try. When he arrives with his leather-clad girlfriend, to try his first case, it's a real shock - for him and the Deep South!

Plot

Bill Gambini and Stanley Rothenstein are two friends from New York University who just received scholarships to UCLA. They decide to drive through the South. Once they arrive in Alabama, they stop at a local convenience store to pick up a few snacks. But, no sooner than they leave the store, they are arrested. They had thought that they were arrested for shoplifting, but they were arrested for murder and robbery. Worse, they are facing execution for this crime. Bill and Stan do not have enough money for a lawyer, so the good news is that Bill has a lawyer in his family, his cousin, Vincent Laguardia Gambini. The bad news is that Vinny is an inexperienced lawyer who has not been at a trial. So, Vinny has to defend his clients and battle an uncompromising judge, some tough locals, and even his fiancée, Mona Lisa Vito, who just does not know when to shut up, to prove his clients' innocence. But he will soon realize that he is going to need help.

Written by

Dale Launer

Directed by

Jonathan Lynn

Production Countries

United States of America

Production Companies

20th Century Fox, Peter V. Miller Investment Corp., Palo Vista Productions

Languages

English

Awards

Won 1 Oscar. 5 wins & 6 nominations total

Scores
# of Votes
148,198
Average Rating
7.6 out of 10
Metascore
68
Popularity
NA