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My Girl is a 1991 coming-of-age dramatic comedy starring Dan Aykroyd, Jamie Lee Curtis, Macaulay Culkin and Anna Chlumsky. It was written by Laurice Elehwany and directed by Howard Zieff. The film was originally rated PG-13 then later became PG before release.
A sequel, My Girl 2, was released in 1994.
When your Dad's an undertaker, your Mom's in heaven, and your Grandma's got a screw loose...it's good to have a friend who understands you. Even if he is a boy.
Set in Madison, Pennsylvania in the summer of 1972, My Girl is a story of first love and loss.
Vada Sultenfuss (Anna Chlumsky) is a precocious 11-year-old tomboy and a hypochondriac. Vada's father, Harry Sultenfuss (Dan Aykroyd), is an awkward widower who doesn't seem to understand his daughter, and as a result, constantly ignores her. His profession as a funeral director has led Vada to develop an obsession with death and disease. Vada is also convinced that she killed her own mother, since her mother died in childbirth.
Vada is also teased by other girls because her only and best friend, Thomas J. Sennett (Macaulay Culkin), is a rather geeky, unpopular boy. Their summer adventures - from first kiss to last farewell - introduce Vada to the world of adolescence.
Vada's summer begins well. She befriends Shelley Devoto (Jamie Lee Curtis), the new make-up artist at her fathers funeral parlour, who provides her with some much needed guidance. She is also infatuated with her teacher, Mr Bixler, and steals some money from Shelley's trailer to attend a summer writing class that he is teaching.
But before long, things start to fall apart. Her father and Shelley start dating, Thomas dies from an allergic reaction to bee stings, and she finds out that Mr Bixler is engaged.
Her grief, however, manages to mend the rift between her and her father, and by the end of the movie, Vada has not only managed to deal with her pain, but overcome some of her previous issues.
The soundtrack of the film contains many classic 1960s and 1970s pop hits in addition to the title song, including such oldies-radio staples as "Wedding Bell Blues" (Fifth Dimension), "If You Don't Know Me By Now" (Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes), "Bad Moon Rising" (Creedence Clearwater Revival), "Good Lovin'" (The Rascals), and "Saturday In The Park" (Chicago). When she gets upset, Vada plugs her ears and sings "Do Wah Diddy Diddy," the Manfred Mann version of which is also included on the soundtrack album. In addition, Vada and Thomas J. play "The Name Game" and sing "Witch Doctor" in the film, and Vada has posters of Donny Osmond and The Carpenters on her bedroom wall.