My Girl and My Girl 2 are two thoughtful, poignant, and refreshing family films from the 1990s that pay homage to a type of restrained, character-based production that seemed extinct in the last decade of the 20th century. Unlike most kid-friendly movies of this day, there are no goofy villains, contrived conflicts, ostentatious wealth, or hyperbolic musical scores. Instead, these films focus on universal coming-of-age issues: discovering death, surviving loss, exploring interests, and reconciling with your unknown past. And, unlike almost any sequel, My Girl 2 stands alone as a distinct experience from the original film, pursuing its own ideas rather than making a cheap carbon copy of the original.
It shouldn't be a surprise that My Girl 2 maintained the core strengths of the original. Even if it's not quite as well received as the first film, it has a similar contemplative tone that's especially appreciable on repeat viewings. This may be because the sequel kept the director and main writer from the original on board. For the director Howard Zeiff, the My Girl films were both the first family movies in his career and the last two movies he made in his life. His ability to portray a young girl as she comes of age while being an elderly man exiting the industry is impressive. The writer, Laurice Elehwany, would go on to contribute to other family films: The Brady Bunch Movie and The Amazing Panda Adventure. Although, you would only call The Brady Bunch Movie a family film because it happens to have a family in it.
The one major complaint I have about My Girl 2, after all this is a criticism blog, is the quirky, cliched characters Vada and Nick meet as they search for nuggets about Vada's mother's past. We have the trippy dippy overly emotional hippy with crystals and new-age trinkets. The stern, humorless cop who has always been a narc but fudges the rules a little for the kids. Then we have the old writer who complains about modern technology and believes television is responsible for the death of popular poetry. Ana Klumsky's earnestness and Austin O'Brien's sarcasm help squeeze a couple of amusing moments from these character interactions, but overall, we gain little insight or character development.
The best moments of My Girl 2 revolve around the family dynamic with Vada's uncle (Richard Masur) and Nick's mother (Christine Ebersole). The Los Angeles family situation mirrors the one Vada has in Chicago, and her understanding and comfort with it allow her to break a lot of emotional barriers quickly. It helps that Masur and Ebersole are experienced comedic actors, as they are able to add a lot of levity to an otherwise solemn movie. Give them more screen time and remove some of the detective work elements and I think the quality of the film increases dramatically.
