Vada Sultenfuss is obsessed with death. Her mother is dead, and her father runs a funeral parlor. She is also in love with her English teacher, and joins a poetry class over the summer just to impress him. Thomas J., her best friend, is "allergic to everything", and sticks with Vada despite her hangups. When Vada's father hires Shelly, and begins to fall for her, things take a turn to the worse...
| Directing | Howard Zieff | Director |
| Writing | Laurice Elehwany | Screenplay |
| Production | Brian Grazer | Producer |
| Production | Joseph M. Caracciolo Jr. | Executive Producer |
| Production | David T. Friendly | Executive Producer |
| Camera | Paul Elliott | Director of Photography |
| Sound | James Newton Howard | Original Music Composer |
| Editing | Wendy Greene Bricmont | Editor |
| Production | Mary Colquhoun | Casting |
| Art | Pat Tagliaferro | Art Direction |
| Art | Linda Allen | Set Decoration |
| Costume & Make-Up | Karen Patch | Costume Design |
| Production | Hannah Gold | Associate Producer |
| Art | Joseph T. Garrity | Production Design |
| Production | Margo Hunt McKay | Production Secretary |
