Samantha Albertson, Melanie Griffith, a science-fiction author, Tina “Teeny” Tercell, Demi Moore, a Hollywood actress, Roberta Martin, Rosie O'Donnell, a gynecologist, and Chrissy DeWitt, Rita Wilson, a homemaker who is pregnant, reunite in their hometown of Shelby, Indiana in 1991. The reunion stirs memories of a formative summer from 1970, when the four girls—each carrying her own private struggles—shared a secret world of friendship, curiosity, and the thrill of growing up just steps away from the conspicuously affluent Gaslight Addition.
Back then, Samantha, Teeny, Roberta, and Chrissy were bound by a common mission: their shared desire to raise money to build a tree house in Chrissy’s backyard. Samantha’s family life is strained by her parents’ looming divorce, Teeny is chasing fame and battling crushes, Roberta wrestles with self-consciousness about her developing body, and Chrissy approaches life with a naïve, sheltered outlook. Under Samantha’s lead, they drift toward the occult, sneaking nocturnal séances in the cemetery that cement their bond and spark a mystery of their own making.
During one of these rituals, a cracked tombstone leads them to believe they’ve resurrected a boy named Dear Johnny, who died in 1945. The girls’ curiosity pushes them to dig deeper, uncovering clues about Johnny’s fate and raising questions about the circumstances surrounding his death. Their sleuthing expands when they search for more details at a library in a nearby town. Roberta learns about her mother’s fatal car accident—a tragedy her family had never fully disclosed—while Samantha’s obituary scavenging reveals only fragments about Johnny, with crucial pages missing and the cause of the other deaths left unresolved.
A long-standing neighborhood rivalry with the Wormer brothers adds tension and mischief to their quest. Roberta experiences a teenage kiss with Scott Wormer, cementing the rivalry in new, complicated ways. Family tensions surface at dinner when Samantha’s mother introduces a new partner, intensifying Samantha’s sense of upheaval. The friends’ loyalty is tested as a storm breaks, and Samantha, distressed by the changes around her, leaves home. Teeny consoles her, and the two share a moment that strengthens their bond, even as a storm drains away part of their innocence when Samantha’s treasured friendship bracelet slips into a storm drain and nearly costs her life before Crazy Pete—a mysterious, nocturnal neighbor who seems unapproachable at first—rescues her.
A trip to Samantha’s grandmother’s attic reveals old newspapers that tell a more painful truth: Jonathan Sims and his mother, Beverly Anne, were killed during a burglary, while their heartbroken husband and father, Peter, returned to find them dead. Roberta reacts with anger at the violence that claimed innocent lives and to the violent death of her own mother, which contradicts what she has been told. In this moment, Samantha shares the news of her parents’ divorce, and the girls vow to stand by one another no matter what.
The group returns to the cemetery for one last séance to lay Johnny’s soul to rest. The tombstone rises with a radiant glow, but a groundskeeper interrupts, chastising the girls for “playing” there and revealing that he was the one who cracked the stone and will replace it. Chrissy decides to step away from séances, deeming them a waste of time, while Samantha realizes that childhood is slipping away and the future is pulling her toward a new, more independent life.
As the adults’ lives unfold, Samantha spots Crazy Pete heading toward the tombstone, and she welcomes him with a sense of nuance and pity, learning that Pete is connected to the mystery they’ve chased. Time passes, and the tree house at last becomes a reality, offering a symbol of independence that, in Samantha’s voiceover, comes with a cost: the summer’s independence also means independence from each other.
In 1991, Chrissy goes into labor, and Roberta assists in delivering a baby girl, bringing the circle of friends full circle as they become part of one another’s lives in a new way. In the old tree house, Roberta reveals that Crazy Pete died the year before, and Samantha confesses that Pete was Dear Johnny’s father. The four friends reaffirm their pact, choosing to stay close despite the passage of time and the changes that come with adulthood. Their shared vow—formed in youth, tested in adulthood—serves as a quiet, enduring testament to the power of friendship.
