American Rhetoric: Movie Speech

"My Cousin Vinny" (1992)

Defense Counsel John Gibbons Cross Examines Witness Tipton

Gibbons: Alright, Mr. uh, TTTTTTTT, uh...Tipton! Now, when you viewed my clients, how, how, how far away were you?

Mr. Tipton: About 50 feet.

Gibbons: Oh, now, do you think that that's close enough to make an accurate, uh, i, uh, iiii-identification? 

Mr. Tipton: Yes.

Gibbons: Mr. Tipton, I see you wear eye glasses.

Mr. Tipton: Sometimes.

Gibbons: Well, would you care to show those eye glasses to the jury, please, thank you. [Tipton shows glasses to jury]. Thank you. Now, Mr. Tipton, were you wearin' them that day?

Mr. Tipton: No.

Gibbons: Well! You see....you were 50 feet away. You made a positive eyewitness identification. And, and, and, and, and, and, and, yet, you were not wearing your necessary prescription eye glasses.

Mr. Tipton: They readin' glasses.

Gibbons: Uhhh. Well. Uhhhhhh...Mr.....Uhhhhhh. Could you tell the court what color eyes the de, uh, the defendants have?

Mr. Tipton: Brown. Hazel green.

Gibbons: No more questions.

Judge Haller: Mr. Gambini, your witness.

Gibbons: [to client Rothenstein] He's a tough one.

Rothenstein: Yes.