Growing up, "My Girl" and "My Girl 2" were my favorite movies. I loved the second one, but the first "My Girl" will always be my favorite of the two. I remember seeing it for the first time when I was 11-years old; the same age as Vada Sultenfuss, the leading lady in the movie. I specifically recall wanting to be her. I loved how she wasn't like the other girls her age, even though she was made fun of. I love how she knew who she was at only 11, and I liked how she wanted to be a writer, like me. This will always be one of my all time favorite coming of age films, and something that all young girls should watch.
She was fearless and sassy.
Vada said almost everything that was on her mind and put it all on the table, blunt as ever. I wanted to be just like that, especially since I was really shy back then.
She was her own person.
Even though she was the "odd" tomboy at her school and her only friend was Thomas J, Vada marched to the beat of her own drum. Being a preteen is hard as it is, so I give Vada major props for not changing for anyone or anything.
She wanted to be a writer.
When Vada mentioned that she wanted to be a writer, I felt as though I could really connect to this character. I was jealous that she got to be a part of an adult writer summer class in the movie. That looked like so much fun.
She was best friends with Thomas J.
I wanted a best friend like Thomas J.! He was so sweet, even in the times where Vada was kind of mean to him. It wasn't intentional. It was just her feisty personality, of course. Real best friends pretend to run away together after one of them finds out their dad is getting remarried, and real friends become "blood brothers." Real best friends also spy on your dad while he's out on a date. And finally, real best friends go to the doctors with you when you think you're suffering from a chicken bone lodged in your throat. Thomas J. was always there for Vada no matter what, and he always saw the best in her.
She was adorable.
"A girl can never wear enough eye shadow." Vada was just all-around adorable. The scene where Shelly is doing Vada's makeup for the first time is such a sweet, coming of age moment. I wish I was as cute as her.
She had some great one-liners.
I wished that I was as witty and humorous as Vada when I was 11 years-old. She was a hypochondriac in the movie, and the movie starts off with her saying the following:
"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."
She had a huge heart.
Throughout the majority of the movie, we see Vada as a feisty, sassy and smart young girl who is quite confident in her skin, as far as 11 year-olds go. And never really see her hurt until the incident with one of the characters who meant a lot to her. It was surprising and heartfelt to see her in the scene where she reads her poem to the class and opens up.
I wanted her wardrobe.
Seriously, she had a rocking wardrobe for an 11-year-old girl. I envied her converse collection and decided that being a preteen in the early 1970s would have been a lot more fun when it came to clothes.
I recently watched this movie for the first time in almost 10 years the other day, and it's so crazy how you see the movie in a different light after you've gotten older. At 21, I can safely say that I now see the movie "My Girl" much differently than I did when I was 11. I hadn't experienced the things that I did today and I didn't think I would experience some of the things that Vada had, but as the years went by, I made some of my own significant memories and learned a lot about myself, just like Vada did.
