Reel Thoughts: ‘Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret.’ brings timeless dilemmas with a glimmer of nostalgia
May 1, 2023
Warning: This article contains spoilers.
The year is 1970. The Beatles have announced a split, the Vietnam War rages on and, in Judy Blume’s world, Margaret Simon is asking God why she is still flat-chested.
After 53 years of “Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret.” circulating libraries and homes, the film adaptation of Blume’s novel has arrived in time for summer as an instant trip to a groovier time. With impeccable music, costumes and acting, the film does justice to the written work, a rarity. This success goes to show a good narrative can stand the test of time.
The story follows 11-year-old Margaret (Abby Ryder Fortson) in her navigation of puberty, organized religion and relationships — platonic, familial and romantic.
After returning from summer camp, Margaret’s parents inform her they are moving from New York City to the New Jersey suburbs. Margaret dreads the prospect of starting from scratch in the Garden State, and, for the first time, she prays to God she does not have to move, or at the very least that she has an easy adjustment to her new home. Fortson masters the portrayal of childhood desperation for stability and a “normal” life with a consistently endearing performance.
Before the Simons can unpack all their moving boxes, their young neighbor Nancy Wheeler (Elle Graham) knocks at the door to meet Margaret, and soon enough the two are attached at the hip. After Margaret agrees not to wear socks to school, she is invited into Nancy’s secret society, known in the book as the “Pre-Teen Sensations,” to discuss all things boys and body changes, along with classmates Janie Loomis (Amari Alexis Price) and Gretchen Potter (Katherin Mallen Kupferer).
With new friends and a crush on lawn boy Moose Freed (Aidan Wojtak-Hissong), Margaret believes life is going well, except that she has not yet had her period, developed breasts or gathered an idea of which God to pray to. Her Jewish father Herb (Benny Safdie) and Christian mother Barbara (Rachel McAdams) chose not to raise Margaret with a specific religion, instead allowing her to decide in adulthood. But when Margaret starts turning to God in frustration to ask why she is not reaching puberty milestones at the same rate as her peers, she begins to question her own spirituality.
Though more than 50 years have passed since the book was first published, its themes of craving normalcy and explanation still resonate. Even the more specific topics maintain relevance. Interfaith marriages are more common now than ever, and puberty is still puberty. But even if viewers don’t immediately identify with Margaret’s predicaments, they can at least appreciate the overarching ideas of the movie.
Some of Margaret’s queries go answered, while others are left to unfold over time beyond the film — a realistic approach that enhances the authenticity of the film. You can get your period in the span of a movie, but deciding your religious beliefs as a young teen would be questionable in the short snippet of life captured by the tape of “Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret.”
The movie has only a handful of flaws, most notably Margaret’s blandness. The situations she faces add dimension to her character, but outside of being a friendly teen, her character lacks the substance to steer the narrative as a leading role. On the other hand, Nancy steals the show with her spunk and confidence. The film would have benefitted from more balance between their characters.
Though the film revolves around Margaret, at certain points her personality drops off, and, quite frankly, I was bored by her. This is not a new format — the sidekick with wit that makes jokes and enjoys the spotlight — but since the movie features Margaret in times of solitude, her flatness is more apparent.
Regardless, the strong narrative guided by the book’s plot saves the movie. Blume set “Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret.” up for success, supported by acting performances that add a youthful liveliness and a buoyancy to the, at times, hard-hitting film.
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Twitter: @lexipgoldstein
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