Finally, 50 years since the publication of the well-loved and iconic coming-of-age novel, a movie adaptation of Judy Blume’s popular book Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret is set to hit the theaters.
The film, set in 1970, begins with 11-year-old Margaret Simon (Abby Ryder Fortson) returning to her New York home from summer camp only to discover boxes in the living room and her bedroom. Sylvia (Kathy Bates), Margaret’s grandmother, abruptly informs her that they’ll be moving to New Jersey because Margaret’s father received a big promotion. Margaret is taken aback and distressed by the news.
“Please don’t let New Jersey be too horrible,” prays Margaret to God as her parents pack up the car and head out to the suburbs.
Upon arriving at their new, spacious home, Margaret answers the doorbell and meets her new neighbor, Nancy (Elle Graham), who invites her to run across the sprinklers with her. After asking her mom, Barbara (Rachel McAdams), for permission, Margaret visits Nancy’s house, borrows a bathing suit, and has a blast. Nancy decides to invite Margaret to join her secret club and makes her promise to meet after school. Margaret agrees and meets the other secret club members: Gretchen (Katherine Mallen Kupferer) and Janie (Amari Alexis Price).
Soon, the four young girls are engrossed in conversations about boys, gossiping about their fellow schoolmates, and, oh yes, deciding that wearing a bra is a prerequisite for joining their club.
At school, Margaret’s teacher, Mr. Benedict (Echo Kellum), assigns her a year-long class project to learn and write about religion. He believes it’ll be a good topic for her since she wrote she didn’t like religious holidays in her “getting to know you” paper. Margaret’s mother was raised Christian, and her father is Jewish, but they have raised Margaret as an agnostic until she is 18 and can decide for herself.
Because of the assignment, Margaret’s prayers to God increase, and she begins to search for him – or at least to feel his presence. Her research includes attending a Jewish service with her grandmother during a sleepover. She also follows a student into a Catholic Church and spies on her in the confessional. Sadly, the harder Margaret tries to find and understand God, the less she seems to feel any connection to him.
Adapted and directed by Kelly Fremon Craig (The Edge of Seventeen), Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret is a touching, insightful, and funny coming-of-age film with stellar performances by its two leading ladies. Young Abby Ryder Fortson is wonderful as Margaret, the slightly awkward, likable 11-year-old girl who’s starting her journey from being a child to becoming a teenager in a new home, new school, and with new friends. Fortson portrays Margaret as a sweet, fairly innocent, good-natured, but occasionally selfish girl who’s desperate to just be “normal like everyone else” and prays to God to help her achieve that goal.
Rachel McAdams shines as Barbara, Margaret’s loving and supportive mother who’s adjusting to being a homemaker / housekeeper and being involved in the PTA while putting away her paint brushes and creativity of her younger days. McAdams steals every scene she’s in and has real chemistry with Fortson. Their genuine connection is evident in a powerful and moving scene in which Barbara explains to Margaret why she has never met her parents (Margaret’s grandparents). McAdams holds back tears as she explains that her parents are devout Christians and disowned her for marrying a Jewish man. It’s just heartbreaking and feels so authentic.
Hans Zimmer’s musical score is compelling and enhances both the light and funny scenes along with the movie’s tough, emotional, and painful moments.
Charming, sweet, and heartfelt, Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret is a delightful and endearing family film that is destined to become a classic.
GRADE: A-
MPAA Rating: PG-13 for sexual education, thematic material, and some suggestive material
Running Time: 1 hour 45 minutes
Release Date: April 28, 2023
Studio: Lionsgate
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