My Girl (1991)

Vada Sultenfuss is obsessed with death. Her mother is dead, and her father runs a funeral parlor. She is also in love with her English teacher, and joins a poetry class over the summer just... See full summary »

Director:

Howard Zieff

Writer:

Laurice Elehwany

Stars:

Dan Aykroyd, Jamie Lee Curtis, Macaulay Culkin

2 wins & 3 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Dan Aykroyd	...	Harry Sultenfuss
Jamie Lee Curtis	...	Shelly DeVoto
Macaulay Culkin	...	Thomas J. Sennett
Anna Chlumsky	...	Vada Margaret Sultenfuss
Richard Masur	...	Phil Sultenfuss
Griffin Dunne	...	Mr. Jake Bixler
Ray Buktenica	...	Danny DeVoto
Ann Nelson	...	Gramoo Sultenfuss
Peter Michael Goetz	...	Dr. Welty
Jane Hallaren	...	Nurse Randall
Anthony R. Jones	...	Arthur
Tom Villard	...	Justin
Lara Steinick	...	Ronda
Kristian Truelsen	...	Charles
David Caprita	...	Ray

Storyline

Vada Sultenfuss is obsessed with death. Her mother is dead, and her father runs a funeral parlor. She is also in love with her English teacher, and joins a poetry class over the summer just to impress him. Thomas J., her best friend, is "allergic to everything", and sticks with Vada despite her hangups. When Vada's father hires Shelly, a makeup expert, in his funeral parlor, and begins to fall in love with her, Vada is outraged and does everything in her power to split them up.

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Plot Keywords:

funeral | summer | best friend | makeup | death | 

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Taglines:

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.

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Genres:

Drama | Family | Romance

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Certificate:

PG-13

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

27 November 1991 (USA)

Also Known As:

Mi primer beso

Filming Locations:

Bartow, Florida, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$16,500,000 (estimated)

Gross:

$59,847,242 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Columbia Pictures Corporation, Imagine Entertainment

Technical Specs

Runtime:

102 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The film's original title was "Born Jaundiced", which the producers understandably elected to change. To do that, they offered a $500 incentive to whichever Imagine employee who could come up with the best alternative. As a lot of the film is set in a funeral parlor, a lot of the suggestions were along the lines of "Mourning Glory", "In Lieu of Flowers" and "Dearly Departed". Other alternatives included "Vada!" (the name of Anna Chlumsky's lead character) which was rejected on the grounds that it sounded like a South African uprising, and "I Am Woman". Ultimately, it was the film's producer Brian Grazer who came up with My Girl (and presumably pocketed the $500 reward himself).

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Goofs

The missing bike streamer changes sides.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Vada Sultenfuss: I was born jaundiced. Once I sat on a toilet seat at a truck stop and caught hemorrhoids. And I've learned to live with this chicken bone that's been lodged in my throat for the past three years. So I knew Dad would be devastated when he learned of my latest affliction.
[to Harry]
Vada Sultenfuss: Dad, I don't want to upset you, but my left breast is developing at a significantly faster rate than my right. It can only mean one thing: cancer. I'm dying.
Harry: [making a sandwich] Okay, sweetie, hand me the ...

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Connections

Featured in The Tonight Show with Jay Leno: Episode #19.151 (2011)

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Soundtracks

"GOOD LOVIN'"
Written by Rudy Clark & Arthur Resnick
Performed by The Rascals
Courtesy of Atlantic Recording Corp.
by arrangement with Warner Special Products

User Reviews

I feel that this is a touching movie.

I remember watching this movie with my Grandmother when I was around three or four years old. I could only remember two parts of it; when Vada does the sassy type walk across the porch, and when Thomas J. goes to find the mood ring, and nothing else. Not even the name. I watched it again for the first time in eleven years (I am now 14). This movie is a perfect mixture of comedy, romance and drama, for me at least. I think this movie teaches great values and lessons, that everyone should learn. Loyalty, friendship and love, are only a few things about this movie that I love. Everyone should at least give it a chance and see for themselves. I also recommend 'My Girl 2'.