Screengrab via YouTube

Where Was 'My Cousin Vinny' Filmed? A Tour of the Georgia Filming Locations

 

In the 1992 comedy film, My Cousin Vinny, two high school graduates from New York named Bill Gambini and Stan Rothenstein decide to take a road trip through the south on their way to college in Los Angeles. While visiting fictional Beech County, Alabama, they visit a convenience store, where they forget to pay for a can of tuna. Soon after, they are arrested, and the boys assume it's for shoplifting the tuna. However, they soon find out they are being charged with the murder of the store clerk. The two can't afford an attorney, so Gambini calls his cousin Vinny Gambini, a colorful and seemingly incompetent lawyer with barely any experience. He shows up to town with his fiancée, Mona Lisa Vito, and he works to free Gambini and Rothenstein. Hilarity ensues as city slicker Vinny navigates working a case in the deep south.

Featuring cast of Joe Pesci, Marisa Tomei, Ralph Macchio and Mitchell Whitfield and direction by Dale Launer, My Cousin Vinny was a success at the box office. Tomei took home an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for the film. Although the movie is set in rural Alabama, the filming of the movie actually took place in small towns in Georgia. Here's a list of the filming locations seen in My Cousin Vinny. 

The Sac-O-Suds Convenience Store 

One of the most important locations in the movie is where Gambini and Rothenstein's alleged crime took place: the Sac-O-Suds convenience store. This is where the two New Yorkers forgot to pay for a can of tuna and were suddenly arrested for the murder of the store clerk. This filming location can be found about nine miles outside of downtown Monticello, Georgia on Highway 16. The store sits in front of the Ocmulgee River and still serves as a convenience store to this day.

Downtown Monticello 

In many scenes from My Cousin Vinny, the quaint Alabama town is shown, specifically when Vinny first shows up in town. It turns out this town isn't in Alabama at all, but is rather the downtown of Monticello, Georgia. Many of the real-life businesses in the downtown area can be seen in the movie as well.

The Courthouse 

The outside shots of the courthouse that are seen in My Cousin Vinny are shots of the real Jasper County Courthouse in Monticello, Georgia. A few of the indoor courtroom scenes were also shot in the real courthouse, but other indoor scenes were shot on a set in Covington, Georgia. The courthouse is where many humorous scenes took place, including Vinny's pronunciation of "yutes."

Read More: 'Sweet Magnolias' Was Filmed in Georgia's 'Hollywood of the South'

The Prison 

Gambini and Rothensetin got thrown in jail after their arrest and Vinny even spent some time in the clink in the movie as well. The jail in the movie looked real because the jail scenes were shot at a real prison in Alto, Georgia. Those scenes were filmed at the Lee Arrendale State Prison, and according to Mental Floss, the prison guards in the movie were real-life prison guards.

Hotels 

Throughout the movie, Vinny and his fiancée stay at a couple of hotels, and these were also real places in Georgia. One of these was the General Putnam Motel, which can be found in Eatonton, Georgia. Another one, the Susie Agnes Hotel, is in the town of Bostwick.

 

Now Watch: The 10 Best Cole Hauser Movies for 'Yellowstone' Fans Who Love Rip Wheeler