MY GIRL (1991)
Label: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
Region Code: Region-Free
Rating: PG
Duration: 102 Minutes 15 Seconds
Audio: English DTS-HD MA 5.1; DTS-HD MA 2.0 Surround
with Optional English Subtitles
Video: Dolby Vision HDR 2160p Ultra HD Widescreen (1.85:1)
Director: Howard Zieff
Cast: Dan Aykroyd, Jamie Lee Curtis, Macaulay Culkin, Anna Chlumsky
The 1991 coming-of-age comedy/drama My Girl (1991) is set in Madison, PA in the early 1970's where widowed funeral parlor operator Harry Sultenfuss (Dan Aykroyd, Neighbors) runs a thriving business out of their home in the smalltown. He lives with his cute-as-a-button daughter and quite precocious Vada (Anna Chlumsky, TV's Veep), having raised her a single-dad after his wife died during childbirth. She's at that age where things are starting to happen, she's a tomboy and not seemingly well-liked by her peers, and her body is about to change and she's navigating the hormone-crazy world of first crushes. Her only friend is her pal Thomas (Macaulay Culkin, Home Alone)
Both their lives get a shake-up with the arrival of free-spirited cosmetician Shelly DeVoto, played by Jamie Lee Curtis (Road Games), who is not aware the Now Hiring classified ad she's applying for was for a funeral home. She takes the job though, seemingly desperate to escape her past, as we later learn she's sort of on the run from her ex who is looking to reclaim the RV she now lives in! It's fun to see Curtis re-teaming here with her Trading Places co-star Aykroyd, the pair developing quite a bond that blossoms into romance, which rubs Vada the wrong way.
I saw this at the theater and rather liked it at the time, and re-watching it now it's fine, perhaps a little too precious in spots, kind of shmaltzy, but you know, I still think it's fine, but a bit too soft-edged for me in my old age. Still, it's fun to see Aykroyd and Curtis re-teaming, they make a fun couple, and the young stars are quite likable if a but stilted in hindsight The small town locations and 70's cars and attire are fun nostalgia generator, and the room still gets dusty during that one sequence... you know the one, which I will not spoil here. Other notable cast include Richard Masur (Stephen King's It) as Harry's brother Phil Sultenfuss; and Griffin Dunne (An American Werewolf in London) as teacher Mr. Jake Bixler who Vada crushes on hard.
Audio/Video: My Girl (1991) arrives on 4K Ultra HD from Sony looking solid all around. Grain is intact but the naturally soft nostalgic look of the film with it's warm nostalgic tones doesn't exactly offer razor sharp detail, but depth and clarity are quite nice, and the tasteful application of the Dolby Vision HDR10 feels authentic and not revisionist. Audio comes by way of English DTS-HD MA 5.1 with optional English subtitles. The track is clean and well-balanced, dialogue heavy and mostly relegated tot he front channels, with some occasional music and atmospherics in the surrounds. The tunes from Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes, Creedence Clearwater Revival, The Rascals, and Chicago do excellent work summoning the 70's vibes, and the score from James Newton Howard (The Sixth Sense) faring well in the mix.
Archival extras include an Audio Commentary with Writer Laurice Elehwany, and EPK-style featurettes A Day on Set: First Kiss; A Day on Set: Bingo!, and Original Behind the Scenes Featurette that total about 11-min, plus the original 2-min Trailer. We also get a Slipcover with the same artwork as the wrap, plus a redemption code for a 4K Digital Copy of the film.
Special Features:
- Audio Commentary with Writer Laurice Elehwany
- A Day on Set: First Kiss (1:24)
- A Day on Set: Bingo! (3:31)
- Original Behind the Scenes Featurette (6:08)
- Trailer (2:23)
- Slipcover
- Digital Copy
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