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Fans of author Judy Blume and her beloved 1970 coming of age novel, Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret, are finally treated with a film adaptation that not only showcases some fantastic direction from Kelly Fremon Craig and loveable performances, but also some genuine heart.
The film follows Margaret (Abby Ryder Fortson) – a sixth grade girl who goes through significant changes that come from more than just her moving from New York City to a small New Jersey suburb in 1970. Even in her young age, Margaret finds herself dealing with an identity crisis as she starts to deal with anxieties surrounding her changing body, pressures from her new friends, and inner conflicts connected to her family’s divided religious beliefs. Now, Margaret goes through a personal journey that sees her make self-discoveries that ultimately change her life.
Craig excels with this film just as she did with her 2016 directorial debut, The Edge of Seventeen, by making this incredibly female-centric story deeply relatable and nostalgic for all kinds of viewers. Even as someone who isn’t a woman or has read Blume’s book, it’s hard not to relate to Margaret’s awkwardness, self-growth and sort-of reminisce on it in a cathartic way. There’s definitely something profound about Margaret’s religious journey and the lessons she learns about her social life, but Craig always finds ways to keep the film grounded so that Margaret’s story can make a genuine impact on viewers. It ultimately makes this a coming-of-age story for all audiences, and the humor and performances are a big part of how the film establishes these strong tethers for viewers.
There are a lot of great, tender laughs throughout Are You There God? that come from simply watching Margaret and her new friends go through the awkward phase of growing up. Their sense of innocence and lack of understanding around puberty and changing bodies leads to some incredibly funny moments. From their obsessions with getting their periods to their desires to build out their busts, there’s this awesome charm to Margaret and her friends that makes watching them try to understand the changes they’re going through so funny. Even just watching Margaret try to figure things out on her own is very funny because her vulnerability comes off relatable yet delightfully awkward. A big reason why Margaret and her perspective are so compelling, though, is because Fortson’s performance is just sheer perfection.
This is an incredible breakout moment for the young actress, who most recognize for playing Cassie Lang in the first two Ant-Man films. She brings such a great vulnerability and humorous charm that makes Margaret so engaging from the start and every conversation she has with God creates a strong connection to her feelings in that moment. It’s a performance that shows Fortson’s incredible range and will easily touch viewers’ hearts with how light-hearted it feels without losing the impact of what Margaret is going through. Plus, it’s supported by other great performances littered throughout this film.
It’s pretty amazing how, alongside a young up-and-comer like Fortson, the film features two generational talents like Rachel McAdams and Kathy Bates as Margaret’s mother and grandmother, respectively. Both bring a distinct charm that adds their own sense of nostalgia and humor to the film as well as great intertwined arcs within Margaret’s story that add new layers to growing up and the female perspective at different life points. Also, Benny Safdie shows a great mix of emotion and goofy dad humor as Margaret’s father that makes him memorable. Along with Fortson, the other young performers – namely Elle Graham as Nancy – are equally fantastic and help evoke the humor and heart of the girls coming to understand what growing up actually is.
What really makes Are You There God? such a compelling watch, though, is how Craig captures Margaret and her friends’ perspective on growing up. Simply watching Margaret and her friends talk about growing up can be really heartwarming and relatable, but Craig isn’t afraid to also highlight the fear and anxiety that can be present at that age. While there’s a fearlessness and some excitement shown on the surface, there’s a sense of nervousness that’s equally felt. There’s a great turning point in the film where Margaret has her group’s harmonious intrigue shattered by a very real and vulnerable reaction from Nancy that really shapes the second half of the film.
Margaret’s search for her religious identity is equally impacted by this sudden turn in her perspective and the film has some really tough but important confrontations in its second half that are some of the film’s most emotional. The second half of Are You There God? contains easily some of the film’s most pivotal moments, as it sees Margaret, her family, and her friends contend with the tough parts of the choices they’ve made and come to grips with things they’ve tried to leave behind. Yet, it all results in a satisfying ending that showcases the timelessness and importance of this story. It’s a great reminder of what most come to learn about growing up and seeing Margaret finally come into her own is incredibly fulfilling – especially given the full-circle nature of the story. It helps show how this story can be impactful and relatable for all viewers and why Are You There God? continues to be a celebrated and beloved novel decades later.
Are You There God? It’s Me Margaret is one of the best coming-of-age stories that’s graced the screen recently and an even better showing of all the talent on display – both in front of and behind the camera. Craig delivers a great companion film to her criminally under-watched debut, gets a great breakout performance from Fortson, delivering a timeless story about female perspective and self-discovery that everyone can enjoy and find meaningful.
