While I’ve long outgrown this phase — I now steer clear of movie covers for my book collection — there is one movie novelization left on my shelf: My Girl, adapted by Patricia Hermes (written by Laurice Elehwany).
I was a big fan of the movie, and I think I must’ve checked the book out of the library five times until I got my own copy from a bargain book store in college, and I’ve read it countless of times since.
Having lost my dad right before I turned 11, there was a time I was really engrossed in young adult novels that dealt with grief and loss, and My Girl was 1/3 of my figurative shrink’s couch, along with Sharon Creech’s Walk Two Moons and Judy Blume’s Tiger Eyes.
Vada Sultenfuss is a weird but lovable protagonist – a sad 11-year old girl in need of attention from her dad and senile grandmother; a hypochondriac obsessed with death, convinced she killed her own mother by being born; a tomboy constantly bullying her geeky best friend Thomas J; and a teenybopper head over heels in love with her English teacher Mr. Bixler.
It’s a summer that changes Vada’s life forever, as she befriends an offbeat makeup artist, Shelley, who eventually becomes her dad’s girlfriend (and wife). She steals money from Shelley’s cookie jar to attend Mr. Bixler’s adult writing classes at the community college, becomes blood brothers with Thomas J (hahaha I used to find it fascinating — one of them snags a finger on a fish hook and the other picks a scab!); and gets her first kiss, also from Thomas J.
Of course we all know what happens next (don’t read if you haven’t seen the movie) — Shelly and her dad start dating, she finds out Mr. Bixler is engaged to be married, and Thomas J gets stung by bees to retrieve Vada’s mood ring, and he dies from an allergy to bee stings.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JP007VCD67A]
Weeping willow with your tears running down,
why do you always weep and frown?
Is it because he left you one day?
Is it because he could not stay?
On your branches he would swing,
Do you long for the happiness
that day would bring?
He found shelter in your shade,
he thought his laughter would never fade.
Weeping willow stop your tears,
for there is something to calm your fears.
You think death has ripped you forever apart,
but I know he’ll always be in your heart.
How I wish this book had a hardcover edition…
***
My copy: mass market paperback, creased after so many readings
My rating: 5/5 stars
is that bthe richy rich boy?
Yup, Kwesi, that’s him. Gosh, I think you’re so young, you probaby weren’t even born yet when Macaulay Culkin cornered the family movie market
Waahahah oo nga. Miss ko na yung mga movies niya and by the way what happen to him na?
Alam ko he got married and also went to jail. He wrote a book, Junior pero I don’t think it was a big success, I read somewhere it’s a thinly disguised account of his relationship with his dad who was also his manager… Nasa bargain bin sya lagi haha.
Lol bad wahaha I think naging drug addict rin siya, na inpluwensya ni Michael jackson (sorry I don’t know the correct spelling) I saw it on tv, matagal na. Kain muna ako.
naalala ko sobrang patay na patay ako kay Macaulay Culkin nun kabataan ko. hahahaha. I love My Girl di ko alam na based pala sya sa book. I’ll check that out. ^_^
Ray-ann, the book was actually based on the movie, adapted from the screenplay :)
ahhh baliktad pala. kala ko adapted siya from book. yuun My girl2 kaya ginawan din nila nang book?
May book din yung My Girl 2, I borrowed it more than once from the library in high school too. But My Girl is better pa rin :)
i love both the movie and the book!!! and like you, i cry everytime i watched the movie. i’ve only read the book once coz it’s not mine. i’ve been trying to find it everywhere but to no avail. err. hope i spot it in booksale! :D
chia- will see if i can find another copy sa Book Sale