My cousin vinny

My Cousin Vinny is a 1992 American comedy film directed by Jonathan Lynn, written by Dale Launer, and starring Joe Pesci, Ralph Macchio, Marisa Tomei, Mitchell Whitfield, Lane Smith, Bruce McGill and Fred Gwynne (in his last film appearance).

The film tells the story of two young New Yorkers who are arrested and put on trial for a murder they did not commit while traveling through rural Alabama, as well as their cousin, Vincent Gambini's comedic attempts to defend them in front of the court. court. Much of the film's humor comes from the contrast between the personalities of the New York daredevils, Vinny and his girlfriend Mona Lisa, and the much more reserved people of the South.

The film was a critical and financial success, with Pesci, Gwynne, and Tomei receiving praise for their performances, with Marisa Tomei even winning the Best Supporting Actress Oscar. The film has also been widely praised by lawyers for its accurate depiction of legal proceedings and judicial strategy.

Plot

Driving across Alabama in their 1964 Buick Skylark convertible, Billy Gambini and Stan Rothenstein, New York college kids who just won scholarships to UCLA, shop for groceries at a convenience store and accidentally steal a can of tuna.. After they leave, the store clerk is mugged and killed by criminals, however, Billy and Stan are charged with the murder due to circumstantial evidence and a confession to the robbery that is misconstrued as a confession to the crime. Billy's mother reminds him that there is a lawyer in the family: her cousin Vinny. Vincent LaGuardia "Vinny" Gambini travels there, accompanied by his girlfriend, Mona Lisa Vito. Although he is willing to take the case, Vinny has been involved in personal injury cases in Brooklyn and only recently earned his degree, due to several failed attempts to pass the final exam as well as having no criminal trial experience.

Vinny manages to mislead trial judge Chamberlain Haller about his court experience, however his ignorance of basic court procedures, personal presentation, and abrasive attitude lead to the judge constantly admonishing him. Much to the dismay of his clients, Vinny did not cross-examine any of the witnesses at the preliminary hearing, and except for the lack of a murder weapon, it appears that District Attorney Jim Trotter III has a strong case that will lead him to convict Vinny. the accused. After Vinny's poor presentation at the hearing, Stan fires him and uses public defender John Gibbons, almost convincing Billy to do the same.

However, by cross-examining the first witness, the public defender, as a result of poor preparation, ends up bolstering the prosecution's case, something Stan feared Vinny might do.

Despite his missteps, Vinny shows that he can make up for his inexperience with an aggressive and perceptive questioning style. Vinny quickly discredits the first witness's testimony and restores Billy and Stan's faith. Stan fires the public defender and rehires Vinny, who then proceeds to totally discredit the testimony of the next two witnesses in cross-examination.

On the third day of the trial, Trotter brings in a surprise witness, FBI analyst George Wilbur. Vinny immediately voices his objection to Judge Haller in a low voice, as Mr. Trotter failed to properly brief Vinny regarding this witness. Judge Haller commends Vinny's objection, only to overturn it. Mr. Wilbur testifies that the pattern and chemical analysis of the tire marks left at the crime scene are identical to the tires on Billy's Buick. Judge Haller orders a 60-minute lunch break immediately following Mr. Trotter's direct examination of Mr. Wilbur. Vinny requests a 24-hour extension in order to properly prepare for questioning, but Judge Haller denies the request. With time at a premium and unable to come up with a strong line of questioning, Vinny attacks Lisa, however he realizes that one of Lisa's photos holds the key to the defense: the flat marks and even the tires that they drive over the curb reveal that Billy's car could not have been used during the robbery.

After requesting a record search from the local sheriff, Vinny takes Lisa to court to testify as an expert witness. During Vinny's cross-examination, Lisa testifies that only a car with an independent rear suspension and post-traction limited-slip differential could have left those marks, which rules out Billy's 1964 Buick Skylark. characteristics is the similar looking 1963 Pontiac Tempest. Vinny questions FBI expert George Wilbur again, who confirms it. Vinny then subpoenas the local sheriff, who testifies that two men fitting the descriptions of Billy and Stan were arrested in Georgia for driving a stolen green Pontiac Tempest, and were in possession of the same caliber weapon as the one used to kill. to the employee. Given the new background, prosecutor Trotter drops all charges. At the end, the judge congratulates the lawyer on his commitment, and as they walk away, Vinny and Lisa discuss their wedding plans.

Cast

• Joe Pesci as Vincent LaGuardia "Vinny" Gambini
• Marisa Tomei as Mona Lisa Vito
• Ralph Macchio as Bill Gambini
• Mitchell Whitfield like Stan Rothenstein
• Fred Gwynne as Judge Chamberlain Haller
• Lane Smith as Jim Trotter III
• Bruce McGill as Sheriff Dean Farley
• Austin Pendleton like John Gibbons
• Chris Ellis like J.T.
• James Rebhorn as George Wilbur
• Maury Chaykin like Sam Tipton
• Paulene Myers like Constance Riley
• Raynor Scheine as Ernie Crane
• Michael Simpson as Neckbrace
• Lou Walker like Grits Cook
• Kenny Jones like Jimmy Willis

Awards

Marisa Tomei won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress.

Controversy

The Oscar won by Marisa Tomei for this film was questioned for years because the other candidates for the award had, according to some critics, better merits to obtain it. Due to which the rumor circulated that Jack Palance, the actor in charge of presenting the award during the ceremony, had intentionally changed the winner because she was the only American among the five nominees. After the mistake made during the 2016 awards ceremony where the presenter declared La La Land the winner, instead of the real winner, Moonlight, where the mistake was corrected immediately and during the live broadcast; the infamy that plagued the rightful Academy Award winner for more than a decade was completely dismissed.