My Little Girl

I watched this because it has the first on-screen performances by Erika Alexander and Jennifer Lopez, both born in 1969. To me the feel of the movie was much more like the 1950s, or at the most the mid-1960s. I was surprised to see the release date as 1986.

Even James Earl Jones and Ann Meara (Jerry Stiller's wife) look younger to me than they did in the 1980s.

I taught in a large east coast city from 1962 on and that's exactly what a number of these girls' homes were like. Today would be much rougher. Good cast. All the young actors did a great job.

These days the homes would be begging for volunteers like Mary Stuart Masterson!

This movie had a positive effect on me. First professionally, my career choice is social work. Second, the willingness to follow one own's path. The Masterson character received quite an education. The story was one part, the clashing of cultures. The world of troubled youths is a very different world then the world of the affluent. I give the Masterson character credit for realizing the limits of affluence and attempts to step out of this world. I also give credit to the Grandmother who seemed to realize and support the Masterson character's attempts to grow. The social workers in this movie were very realistic. This is a tough age to be if one is socially conscious, no matter the circumstances.

I watched this movie strictly for Peter Gallagher, who is marvelous, and was pretty saddened by the whole experience. I just could not get the attraction Mary Stuart Masterson had for her leaving her rich family to work with the underpriviledged. Especially bringing presents to one at the drop of a hat when she is really nasty to her. Very boring, but if you want to see Peter Gallagher acting kinda creapy, worth a look.

I strictly watched this movie because Mary Stuart Masterson was in it. My Little Girl had a pretty weird plot, having a rich girl(Masterson) helping out poor kids doesn't sound right. You would think rich people had more self-centered things to do like going to the mall or something. Anyway.... the movie as a whole was very good and realistic. And the best scene by far was the part when Masterson is dancing on the boat, showing off some of that 80's break dancing technique.



9/10 stars