Like a lot of people, I thought I knew what kind of movie “My Girl” was. I remembered the vague outline from childhood — something about bees, first crushes and maybe a funeral. I figured it was just another sappy ‘90s coming-of-age story. But I rewatched it recently and was caught completely off guard by how hard it hit me.
“My Girl” is gentle and nostalgic on the surface, but underneath, it’s an honest portrait of grief, childhood and the ways we love each other when we’re too young to know how to hold on. It’s set in the summer of 1972, when everything feels suspended in time. And then, suddenly, nothing is the same.
Watching it as an adult, the heartbreak feels much deeper. The moments land heavier. And the performances, especially Macaulay Culkin’s, are even better than they have any business being.
Some might still brush it off as a melodramatic tearjerker, but “My Girl” is so much more than that. It’s also Culkin’s best performance — yes, even better than “Home Alone.” And you can stream it completely free right now on the Roku Channel.
What’s ‘My Girl’ about?
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Vada Sultenfuss (Anna Chlumsky) is an 11-year-old girl growing up in a funeral home, surrounded by death but totally unprepared for the grief that’s coming for her. Wise beyond her years but emotionally guarded, she’s practically bubbling with sarcasm, anxiety, and curiosity.
She finds a best friend in Thomas J. Sennett (Macaulay Culkin), her who’s allergic to almost everything and devoted to her in the quietest, most genuine way. There’s also Harry, her emotionally distant father (Dan Aykroyd), who runs the family funeral parlor, Shelly (Jamie Lee Curtis), the new makeup artist with a warm heart and a sharp wit, and a poetry teacher Vada becomes awkwardly infatuated with as she wrestles with all the things she doesn’t understand about growing up.
Everyone around her is trying to hold something together. Whether that’s a business, a family, or even the idea of childhood innocence, there’s always this feeling that nothing can last.
When tragedy strikes and Vada is forced to confront the reality of death for the first time, she has to figure out a way to be okay with the fact that the world won’t always protect her. And that is, unfortunately, a huge part of growing up.
Why you should stream ‘My Girl’
“My Girl” drops you right back into childhood in a way that sneaks up on you. It’s all treehouses, swimming and bikes at first glance, but there’s something heavier humming under every scene. It’s not flashy, but it cuts deep. And in many scenes, Culkin is the reason why.
As Thomas J., Culkin is soft-spoken, careful, and kind. He doesn’t dominate the screen because he doesn’t need to. He just is, in that rare way where you almost forget he’s acting. His chemistry with Chlumsky feels totally lived-in, and when things take their turn (because they do), their performances really make it. Culkin is exactly like the heartbroken kid he’s portraying.
You don’t have to be a sentimental movie person to feel this one. If you’ve ever lost someone too early or been a kid trying to make sense of emotions way too big for your age, this movie speaks your language.
“My Girl” is streaming free on the Roku Channel right now, and honestly, there’s no better time to watch it for the first time or rewatch it with adult eyes. Just don’t treat this like background noise and give it your full attention. And you might want to grab some tissues.
Watch “My Girl” free on the Roku Channel.
