My Girl is a sweet little film about a girl named Vada who lives with her widowed father in a funeral home, and it's refreshingly frank in it's approach to the traditional coming-of-age story. For the most part, the film has a sort of melancholy, bittersweet tony, but it never feels like it's going to veer into really depressing territory. But just like in real life, death occurs unexpectedly. Vada's best friend Thomas J. goes into the woods to find her mood ring, and is fatally attacked by a swarm of bees. Despite the fact that Vada is literally surrounded by death throughout the entire film, the finality of it doesn't really register until his funeral. She comes running into the room, hysterically demanded that they put his glasses on, because he can't see without his glasses. It's a heartbreaking reminder of our first experience with the death of a loved one, and all the pain and confusion that went along with it.
Audrey Fox is an ex-film student, which means that she prefers to spend her days in the dark, watching movies and pondering the director's use of diegetic sound. She currently works as an entertainment writer, joyfully rambling about all things film and television related. Add her on Twitter at @audonamission and check out her film blog at 1001moviesandbeyond.com.
