Judy Blume’s seminal and highly acclaimed novel, Are You There, God? It’s Me, Margaret is a book that I knew more about in reputation more than anything else. It was never assigned in school, never something that I felt like I had to read, but it was a name I always recognized and saw referenced in so much of the media I’ve consumed growing up. Now that a film adaptation has finally come our way, courtesy of writer/director Kelly Fremon Craig, it’s easy to see why the novel has resonated with people across generations, as it explores relatable themes and common anxieties about the experience of growing up.
The story follows Margaret (Abby Ryder Fortson), an 11 year old New Yorker whose parents, Herb (Benny Safdie) and Barbara (Rachel McAdams) decide to make the move to a New Jersey suburb, much to her and her grandmother Sylvia’s (Kathy Bates) dismay. It’s already hard enough having to get used to a whole new environment, but she is also now reaching that point in every kid’s life where their body starts to change, and while she does quickly find herself in a small circle of friends at her new school, those anxieties only get more heightened as she tries her best to fit in.
One big aspect of the film, as implied by the title, is Margaret’s relationship to faith. Though she was raised in a secular household, opting to let her choose, her mother was raised by devout Christians – there’s actually a lot of baggage with it that comes into play later on in the film – and her father is Jewish, and his mother Sylvia is more than eager to take Margaret to temple upon inquiring. She is confused as to which path she should take, and looks at other options, going to different churches and whatnot. And at a time as confusing as puberty, it’s no wonder that God might seem like the only place to possibly find some answers.
The desire to grow up becomes so heightened when you’re a teenager. You have the slightest taste of freedom, and now you think you’re ready to take on the world. It’s amusing seeing Margaret learn about menstruation and desperately pleading to God to let her get her period before her other friends, so she can be normal like everyone else. I can only imagine how many people out there wish they could pray away periods for good, but it’s not like Margaret knows any better. And Craig does a fantastic job at communicating how a girl her age views the world and experiences the pressures of growing up as a woman.
What helps in all this is that Craig is given a terrific ensemble to work with. Each able to make a meal out of every line and moment. Fortson is incredibly real, authentic, charming, and frustrating in all the right ways. McAdams really shines as the newly designated stay-at-home mother who thinks taking on as much responsibility as possible is the right way to move forward as opposed to indulge in her own ambitions and hobbies. Safdie has perhaps the least amount to do, but he delivers solid work as working father who earnestly tries to support the family any way he can. And Bates is of course thoroughly delightful. But I’d also like to shout out Elle Graham, who plays Nancy, the head honcho of Margaret’s new social circle, adding layers to what could have easily been a typical mean girl archetype.
As someone who hasn’t read Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret, I can’t say how faithful or unfaithful the film is to the original source material, though Judy Blume being a producer would imply it’s more the former than the latter. But either way, the film is really engaging. Like with her impeccable directorial debut, The Edge Of Seventeen, Kelly Fremon Craig is able to tap into the weird, conflicting, and confusing tapestry of what it means to grow up, and she is able to explore the character’s journey into puberty as well as her journey with faith is an incredible amount of empathy, humor, and raw humanity. It’s no wonder she’s collaborating with producer James L. Brooks again, the two are practically cut from the same cloth. I was thoroughly delighted and moved by the film, and for something that is based on material that is now over half a century old, it’s a testament to how good stories will always stand the test of time.
Are You There, God? It’s Me, Margaret. is now out in theaters.