Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- None
- witty
- nostalgic
- melancholic
- family movie night
- nostalgic weekend
What critics said
Critics broadly found the young leads and direct emotional appeal engaging, while considering the screenplay sentimental and the treatment of grief overly manipulative.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Vada lives above her father's mortuary, fixates on illness, and must process death as part of growing up.
Harry's embalming business operates in the family home, making death care part of Vada's everyday environment.
Vada's bubbly hypochondria and friendship with Thomas are set against bereavement, remarriage, and family crisis.
Thomas J. Sennett is Vada's best friend and her primary companion as she navigates an unstable emotional world.
Films like My Girl, and why
Stand by Me
shared coming-of-age perspective, childhood friendship, small-town family drama, and bittersweet emotional themes
The Sandlot
shared child-centered coming-of-age story, nostalgic 1970s atmosphere, friendship, and confrontation with loss
The Man in the Moon
shared family drama, youthful innocence, melancholy, and emotionally direct treatment of growing up
Movie Details
- Director
- Howard Zieff
- Release Date
- 1991-11-21
- Runtime
- 103 min
- Rating
- 7.4 / 10 (2369)
Cast
- Anna Chlumsky
- Macaulay Culkin
- Dan Aykroyd
- Jamie Lee Curtis
- Richard Masur
- Griffin Dunne
- Ann Nelson
- Peter Michael Goetz
- Jane Hallaren
- Anthony R. Jones
Where to watch in United States
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Spectrum On Demand, Plex
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is My Girl about?
- An imaginative mortuary owner's daughter navigates first love, friendship, family change, and the painful threshold between childhood innocence and adult grief.
- What is My Girl like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of My Girl as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is My Girl violent?
- No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in My Girl.
- What did critics think of My Girl?
- Critics broadly found the young leads and direct emotional appeal engaging, while considering the screenplay sentimental and the treatment of grief overly manipulative.
- Which films are like My Girl?
- Films with a similar feel include Stand by Me, The Sandlot, and The Man in the Moon.
- How long is My Girl?
- My Girl runs 103 minutes.
- Where can I watch My Girl?
- In United States, My Girl is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Spectrum On Demand, Plex.
