Common Sense Media Review
Coming of age tale tackles death; for older kids.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 11+?
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My Girl
Parent and Kid Reviews
Based on 23 parent reviews
Parents say the film, while marketed as a family-friendly movie, contains several mature themes such as death, friendships, and the onset of adolescence, which may lead to difficult conversations for younger viewers. Many parents feel it is too emotional and includes mild profanity, making it more suitable for older children, ideally around 12 years and up, due to its poignant and sometimes heartbreaking narrative.
- emotional themes
- age recommendation
- mild profanity
- friendship lessons
- tragic events
Summarized with AI
Summarized with AI
Based on 72 kid reviews
Kids say this movie is both heartwarming and heartbreaking, exploring themes of childhood, friendship, and grief through the lens of a young girl coping with death and loss. While many viewers found it profoundly moving, they cautioned that its heavy subject matter, including a tragic death, may not be suitable for sensitive children or those with death anxieties.
- heavy themes
- emotional experience
- suitable for older kids
- not for sensitive viewers
- tragic ending
- friendship and grief
Summarized with AI
What's the Story?
Darker than one might expect, MY GIRL is the story of Vada Sultenfuss (Anna Chlumsky), a pre-teenage girl learning to deal with the death of her mother. Vada lives with her widower father (Dan Aykroyd), who runs a funeral parlor out of their home, and spends her days with her best friend, Thomas J (Macaulay Culkin). When her father falls for his new assistant (Jamie Lee Curtis), Vada feels betrayed. In the end, a sudden tragedy brings her closer to her new stepmother, and she begins to understand how to move on after mourning the death of a loved one.
Is It Any Good?
Death and single parenthood are never easy topics to talk about with children, and this film deals with them in a mature, responsible way. It encourages kids to talk about their feelings regarding death -- as well as the romantic lives of their parents. If kids are beginning to ask questions about these serious topics, they are old enough to watch this movie with parents.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how to cope with the death of a loved one. Is it okay for Vada's father to remarry after his first wife died? How do we know when it is time to mourn or time to move on?
Movie Details
- In theaters : November 27, 1991
- On DVD or streaming : May 12, 1998
- Cast : Anna Chlumsky , Dan Aykroyd , Jamie Lee Curtis , Macaulay Culkin
- Director : Howard Zieff
- Inclusion Information : Female Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : Sony Pictures
- Genre : Drama
- Topics : Friendship
- Run time : 102 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : mild language and violence
- Last updated : December 12, 2025
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