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29 of 32 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Sequel Better Than The Original...Warm Hearted and Sweet, April 2, 2001
Usually sequels aren't as good as the original (although there are exceptions such as the Star Wars trilogy and the Back To The Future series), but this movie is much better than its predecessor, "My Girl." It is a warm and fuzzy family film with a great soundtrack featuring songs of the early 1970s. Vada is now 13, tackling a school assignment in which she decides to write about her mother's life. A trip to California to visit her uncle aids in her quest to track down her mother's high school classmates and friends. With each person she interviews, Vada makes some unexpected discoveries about her mother. Her search culminates in a touching, sadly sweet moment when she is able to "meet" her mother. Along the way, Vada finds love from Nick, (played by Austin O'Brien), her somewhat reluctant escort who was paid by Vada's uncle to accompany her around town. I love the fact that all of the primary actors were retained for the sequel (except for Macauley Culkin, whose character died in the first film). Jamie Lee Curtis and Dan Akroyd give fine performances as the happily married Mr. & Mrs. Sultenfuss expecting their first child. While "My Girl" was sad and depressing, "My Girl 2" is positive, upbeat, and great fun. Don't let that surly old curmudgeon, Leonard Maltin, influence you with his review. This film is great family entertainment and quite enjoyable.
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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Put on your mood rings, this film's groovy, May 19, 2000
Pixie-ish spitfire Vada Sultenfuss has grown up quite a bit since the first film. She's now thirteen years old, is no longer obsessed with death, and seems to have fully come to terms with the deaths of her mother and best friend. In the last film, Vada's father, Harry, got engaged to Shelly. In this one, they're married and Shelly is about eight months pregnant with Harry Jr., and Vada seems okay with it. Vada's a little miffed that her father still doesn't seem to understand her passion for writing, and she's worried that Shelly might die in childbirth like her own mother did. She also wants to know more about her mother. "I wish I could see her just once, even if it were only in a dream," says Vada. A school assignment to write about a person who's achieved something great, who she's never met, prompts Vada to research her mother. Her father, unfortunately, had such a "whirlwind courtship" with the late Maggie Muldovan-Sultenfuss that he can't tell Vada very much about her mother. "Everything I know about her fits into one little box," Vada sadly tells Shelly, showing her stepmother a blank passport, some play programs, and Vada's almost-empty baby book. Shelly eagerly suggests that Vada go to California to find out more about her mom--after all, that's where Maggie grew up, and Vada's Uncle Phil lives there now. Harry, after a lot of arm-twisting, allows Vada to go, and she sets off on what becomes a crazy one-week adventure. Her uncle has a live-in relationship with his boss, Rose, who has a son just Vada's age, Nick. Nick is forced (bribed) into being Vada's tour guide during her stay. Together, they locate some of Maggie's old classmates and teachers, many of whom remember Maggie fondly and tell Vada she looks just like her mother did. However, one of the classmates reveals some disturbing information about Maggie's past, which eventually leads Vada to someone who can actually show Vada her mother--in the form of old films. Vada is mesmerized by these films, and she realizes that her mother's greatest achievment . . . was Vada. This is a sweet, bright, funny, and romantic film. It's not as sad as the first film, but it doesn't lack in the emotional department. Anna Chlumsky (Vada) delivers quite a different performance than she did in the first one, and Austin O'Brien (Nick) is a fine Macaulay Culkin replacement. (Culkin's character, Thomas J., is remembered in this film briefly, proving that he is still a part of Vada's memory, but that she's moved on.) Vada, like in the first film, learns a lot about herself, and the ending leaves the viewer with a sense that Vada's future looks bright. Quite a change from the Vada at the beginning of the first film, who was convinced she had a chicken bone stuck in her throat. :)
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Good 'Coming of Age' Movie., November 2, 2005
I have to say, I have loved every Anna Chlumsky film ever made. So maybe I'm partial to giving her movies good reviews, but who didn't love her in "My Girl?". I know probably the first of the two is mostly everyones favorite.. However, the 2nd one was my personal favorite.
We get to watch Vada growing up..well already grown-up somewhat. We watch her go off to California in search of finding out everything about her mother for a school report on "Someone you've never met". She finds out some good, some bad-- she discovers achievements & disappointments. But her biggest discovery is herself. She finds out who she is, where she came from, accepts a new sibling, and meets a boy along the way. This is a great film not only for teens but for anyone of any age. So get lost, and rediscover yourself in "My Girl 2".
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