Review: ‘Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret’ Lives Up to Expectations

There are some classic novels that seem like they might never be adapted to the screen.

John Kennedy Toole’s A Confederacy of Dunces (1980) has been in and out of development hell for over three decades. JD Salinger’s Catcher in the Rye (1951) is probably never going to be adapted because of the author’s dislike of cinema.

One novel that took over 50 years to appear on the big screen is Judy Blume’s 1970 children’s literature classic Are You There, God? It’s Me, Margaret.

The main reason we’re just now getting a screen version is because Blume is apparently really picky with this particular book, possibly because it was her breakthrough as an author. But the combination of writer-director Kelly Fremon Craig and producer James L. Brooks was enough for her to have a change of heart, and movie fans can now be thankful for that.

Are You There, God not only lives up to expectations from Blume and her fans, but is also one of the better coming of age features from Hollywood.

Our protagonist is 11-year-old sixth grader Margaret Simon (Abby Ryder Fortson), who has a typical childhood of elementary school and summer camp on the East Coast in 1970. Her parents, non-practicing Christian Barbara (Rachel McAdams) and secular Jewish Herb (Benny Safdie), decide to move from New York City to the New Jersey suburbs for Herb’s career.

Things move pretty fast as Margaret suddenly approaches puberty. New friends, new feelings, new questions and new scenery crowd her final year before junior high.

Kathy Bates plays Margaret’s beloved grandmother Sylvia, and Echo Callum appears as Margaret’s hip schoolteacher Mr. Benedict. Though we get the usual adolescent themes —such as first crushes, first menstrual periods and bras, awkward friendships and classmate rivalries — what makes It’s Me, Margaret stand out from other tales in this genre is the interfaith setting.

Margaret’s parents don’t raise her with either Christianity or Judaism, feeling she should have the freedom to choose her personal beliefs when she’s older. Little do they expect their young daughter to actually become curious about religion on her own, and set out to see which culture she identifies with the most.

The scenes where Margaret learns her different faith options are among the strongest in the film, as are the narration sequences when she speaks to God like an imaginary friend with awkward phrasing and pausing, since she hasn’t been properly explained how prayer works. The title is her intro every time she starts an inner dialogue with God.

As a whole, Are You There, God? It’s Me, Margaret is an appropriate companion piece alongside recent mid-20th century retro themes like James Gray’s Armageddon Time (2022) and Steven Spielberg’s The Fabelmans (2022), but with a young girl’s perspective instead of the boy’s. Fortson delivers a strong performance in her first starring role, and the supporting cast are charming as well. McAdams is her usual lovely self as the carefree artsy mother and Safdie is an inspired casting as the nerdy father.

Craig seems to be carving out a nice little niche coining her own teen girl dramedies between Are You There, God and her own penned The Edge of Seventeen (2016), and could probably share the same audience demographic as John Hughes and Sofia Coppola.

My two little quips are that the soft rock sound track didn’t work during some transitions, and I was a little disappointed Craig opted for the updated version of the scene in which Margaret and a friend buy menstrual products. We see them grab the more modern adhesive strips instead of the outdated “belt” that was featured in the first edition of Blume’s novel.

But, all in all, Are You There, God? It’s Me, Margaret promises a nice time at the movies for kids, parents and grandparents of all generations.