If you grew up in the 90s, you probably have a specific kind of trauma. It’s not from a horror movie or a scary story. It’s the memory of a blonde girl screaming about glasses in a funeral parlor. Honestly, just thinking about Vada and Thomas J from the 1991 classic My Girl is enough to make most millennials reach for a tissue. It’s one of those cinematic friendships that feels so lived-in and real that we forget they’re just characters in a script.
But why does it stick? Why, decades later, do we still talk about Vada Sultenfuss and Thomas J. Sennett like they were our own childhood neighbors?
It’s because their story wasn't just about a "first crush" or a sad ending. It was a brutal, honest look at what it feels like to be an outsider. Vada was the "funeral home kid" who thought she killed her mom. Thomas J. was the "kid who's allergic to everything." They were two halves of a whole, navigating a summer in 1972 Pennsylvania where everything felt permanent until, suddenly, it wasn't.
The Friendship That Redefined Coming-of-Age
Most kid movies back then were about adventures or slapstick. My Girl was different. It gave us a 11-year-old girl who was obsessed with death because she lived in a house full of it. Her dad, played by Dan Aykroyd, was a mortician. Her grandmother had dementia. Vada was a hypochondriac who visited the doctor every week convinced she had a chicken bone stuck in her throat or a terminal illness.
Thomas J. was the only person who didn't think she was weird. Or maybe he did, and he just didn't care.
Macaulay Culkin was at the height of his Home Alone fame when he played Thomas J., but this role was the polar opposite of Kevin McCallister. He was quiet. He was sweet. He followed Vada around on their bikes, listening to her talk about her crush on her English teacher, Mr. Bixler. He was her "intellectual stimulant," as she jokingly put it.
They did the things kids in the 70s actually did. They rode bikes until the streetlights came on. They hung out by the willow tree. They became "blood brothers" by pricking their fingers (a scene that feels very "don't try this at home" by today's standards). Their relationship was built on a foundation of shared boredom and mutual acceptance.
🔗 Read more: Love Island UK Who Is Still Together: The Reality of Romance After the Villa
That First Kiss Under the Willow Tree
The willow tree scene is arguably one of the most famous moments in coming-of-age cinema. It wasn't some grand, romantic gesture. It was awkward. It was forced. Vada basically decided they should practice kissing so they’d know how to do it later.
"I'll count to three," she says.
They lean in, their faces barely touching, and for a split second, they aren't just kids playing a game. It’s a transition. It’s that exact moment where childhood starts to blur into something more complicated. You’ve probably felt that—the weird realization that you’re growing up and you can’t stop it.
The Beehive Incident: What Most People Get Wrong
We all remember the bees. It’s the "trauma" part of the movie. But if you re-watch the film as an adult, the context of why Thomas J. went back to that woods is what actually destroys you.
Vada had lost her mood ring. It was a cheap piece of jewelry, but it meant everything to her. Earlier in the film, she and Thomas J. had disturbed a beehive while exploring. They ran away, but the ring stayed behind.
Thomas J. went back alone to find it.
💡 You might also like: Gwendoline Butler Dead in a Row: Why This 1957 Mystery Still Packs a Punch
He didn't go back because he wanted to be a hero in a big action-movie way. He went back because he knew Vada was upset. He wanted to give her something special, especially after he’d asked her if she would ever think of him instead of the teacher she was obsessed with.
He found the ring. He actually found it. But the bees came back, too.
Thomas J. was allergic to "everything," and a swarm of stings was more than his body could handle. He died doing something incredibly kind for his best friend. That’s the kicker. It wasn't just a random accident; it was an act of love that an 11-year-old didn't have the words to express otherwise.
Vada and Thomas J and the Reality of Grief
The funeral scene is where Anna Chlumsky earned her place in movie history. When Vada walks up to the casket and sees Thomas J. without his glasses, she loses it.
"Where are his glasses? He can't see without his glasses!"
That line wasn't even in the original script in that exact way—Chlumsky reportedly improvised the raw emotion of that moment. It captures the literal, narrow-minded way children process death. They don't think about "the afterlife" or "the soul" first. They think about the physical reality. How can he see? How can he breathe?
📖 Related: Why ASAP Rocky F kin Problems Still Runs the Club Over a Decade Later
It’s heartbreaking because it’s the moment Vada’s hypochondria becomes real. Death isn't a game she plays to get attention anymore. It’s her best friend in a blue suit.
Why It Still Matters Today
In 2026, we’re surrounded by "sanitized" content. Everything is polished. My Girl was messy. It dealt with a girl getting her first period and feeling terrified. It dealt with a kid dying from a fluke allergy. It showed that parents are often clueless and that sometimes, life just sucks for a while.
The legacy of Vada and Thomas J is that they taught an entire generation how to grieve. We learned through Vada that it’s okay to scream, it’s okay to lock yourself in your room, and eventually, it’s okay to write a poem and move on.
She eventually accepts her father’s new wife, Shelly (played by Jamie Lee Curtis). She finds a way to talk to Thomas J.’s mom. She grows up. But the version of her that existed under that willow tree stayed there.
Actionable Insights: Revisiting the Story
If you’re looking to revisit this story or share it with a new generation, here’s how to do it without just being depressed for three days.
- Watch for the Small Details: Notice how Thomas J. is always slightly behind Vada. He’s her shadow, her constant. It makes his absence in the final act feel much louder.
- Listen to the Soundtrack: The use of "My Girl" by The Temptations isn't just a catchy tune; it’s the heartbeat of the film’s 1972 setting.
- Read the Screenplay: Laurice Elehwany wrote a masterpiece of subtext. Much of what is left unsaid between Vada and her father is more powerful than the dialogue.
- Check Out the Sequel: My Girl 2 isn't as legendary, but it follows Vada to LA as she searches for info on her mother. It provides a bit of closure that the first film purposely denies us.
The story of Vada and Thomas J is a reminder that the people we love when we’re young shape the adults we become. Even if they don't get to stay for the whole journey.
Go find your old mood ring. It’s probably black, but that’s okay. Sometimes being in a "bad mood" is just part of the process.
To truly appreciate the depth of their connection, try watching the film again focusing specifically on Thomas J.’s expressions during Vada’s monologues. You’ll see a kid who was far more observant than anyone gave him credit for. After that, look up Anna Chlumsky's later work in Veep—it’s a wild trip to see Vada Sultenfuss grown up and navigating the world of high-stakes politics with the same sharp tongue.