It’s not often for me, being a guy who loves movies, that I find myself watching a coming-of-age movie centered around a young girl navigating growing up. I never read any Judy Blume novels growing up, however I had heard of the acclaimed author through my time in elementary/middle school. Yet, that was really the most exposure I had. So, I was excited to really go in blind to Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret. I have to say, I was not disappointed whatsoever.
Are You There God? Its Me, Margaret follows the story of the titular Margaret (Abby Ryder Fortson), a 12-year-old girl who lives in New York City with her Jewish Father (Benny Safdie) and Grandmother (Kathy Bates) and Christian Mother (Rachel McAdams) in the 1970s. They are all one big happy family when Margaret finds out that she and her parents are moving away from the big city into the suburbs in New Jersey. From there, we see Margaret as she makes new friends, begins to grow up, and finds out more about life than she knew before.
It can be really difficult for an actor to adapt a character from a beloved novel. Oftentimes, those who grew up with the original work get an idea in their own minds of how a character is supposed to be. Most adaptations are lucky to have just one or two who fit the mold. In Are You There God? Its Me, Margaret, it seems like everyone is at their A-Game in adapting these characters. There is not a single bad performance in the entire film. From the experienced and highly talented Kathy Bates and Rachel McAdams to the child actors in Fortson, Elle Graham, Amari Alexis Price and Katherine Mallen Kupferer. I was blown away with how great it was.
One of the smartest and most enjoyable aspects of the film is how they used Margaret’s “Are You There God” monologues as a sort of narration through the film. It was as if we were peering into the personal journal of the main character, and it really helped to keep me connected to the story. I also love how much the story used “religious discovery” as a sort of means to advance Margaret’s own personal discovery. This is a testament not only to the great acting, but the direction and writing of Kelly Fremon Craig who, unsurprisingly, also wrote and directed one of my other favorite coming of age films in The Edge of Seventeen.
Now, this is a film that makes you feel emotions. From the very start of the film, that gets established. What was most interesting about this film was how effortlessly it was able to weave in and out of various emotional states that we see each character go through. There’s pure happiness and joy, sadness, anger, confusion. There’s funny moments and depressing moments and moments of rage and hope. Most importantly, it’s all wrapped up seamlessly into this story.
There were only a few moments that really felt out of place for me in the film, and most of them revolved around very clear scenes made for the trailers. Now, I don’t know if these moments, like one where Margaret and her friend buy pads for the first time, are faithful adaptations of the book, but to me, these were obviously played up on screen and made for good trailer moments but broke up the flow of the actual film.
Final Thoughts
The idea to adapt films from books is obviously not a novel one. Some of the most iconic films of all time were adapted from stories. Yet, it’s surprising that an author as iconic to a generation as Judy Blume had not had the same treatment as authors like Stephen King or J.K. Rowling have had. Are You There God? Its Me, Margaret marks the first major studio adaptation of a Blume novel, and I could not be happier that it was made. I would highly recommend watching this film as soon as possible, and then rewatching it an endless amount of times for the sheer joy it brings in telling its story.
