A 1991 movie that is surprisingly good, starring Dan Aykroyd, Jamie Lee Curtis, Anna Chlumsky and Macaulay Culkin.

Chlumsky is 11-year-old Vada Sultenfuss, the precocious daughter of a mortician played by Aykroyd. A bit of a tomboy with smarts and a slight obsession with death, we watch as Vada deals with first kisses, a new mother figure, a crush on her English teacher and the loss of a friend.

The film is set in 1972 and Culkin does one of his better performances as Vada's next door neighbor and friend, and Curtis plays a makeup artist the father hires, who ends up painting the faces of dead bodies with enough makeup to confuse them with a hooker.

I originally had no interest in seeing this film, but after watching it when it came on HBO one day, I bought my own copy. I felt like I could relate to Vada- she sort of reminded me of me as a young girl. Though I imagine many women could say something similar- which would be further testament to how well the movie relates to viewers.

An amusing scene in the movie involves a creative writing group Vada joins, who sit on the floor and hold hands, looking to "send their vibes out" to each other. Vada is asked what she felt.
"I felt Justin's hangnail," she replies.
Justin: "No Vada, that's not what we're looking for. A hangnail is insignificant. What's in my soul? Feel my aura!"
Vada: "I don't think I'm allowed to."

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