My Cousin Vinny is a 1992 American comedy film directed by Jonathan Lynn and written by Dale Launer. It stars Joe Pesci, Ralph Macchio, Marisa Tomei, Mitchell Whitfield, Lane Smith, Bruce McGill, and Fred Gwynne in his final film appearance before his death in 1993. The film was distributed by 20th Century Fox, and released in the United States on March 13, 1992.

Plot

While driving through Alabama, New York college students Bill Gambini and Stan Rothenstein stop at a convenience store, during which Bill accidentally shoplifts a can of tuna. After they leave, the boys are pulled over and arrested as the shopkeeper has been found robbed and murdered. At the police station, Bill assumes he has been arrested for shoplifting and confesses to being responsible, resulting in him being charged with first-degree murder and Stan as an accessory. Unable to afford a private lawyer, Bill asks for help from his cousin Vinny Gambini, a personal injury lawyer from Brooklyn, who agrees to help the boys. However, they are unaware that Vinny has only just passed the bar to become a lawyer, after multiple failed attempts, and has no trial experience. Vinny promptly arrives in Alabama with his fiancée Mona Lisa Vito.

Awards