Title: Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret
Release Date: April 28, 2023
Director: Kelly Fremon Craig
Production Company: Gracie Films
Summary/Review:
11-year-old Margaret’s (Abby Ryder Fortson) life is turned upside down when her parents Barbara (Rachel McAdams) and Herb (Benny Safdie) announce they are moving from New York City to suburban New Jersey. There she starts 6th grade right as she begins to deal with the effects of adolescence. Abby’s neighbor Nancy (Elle Graham) invites her to be part of her friend group, although Abby is uncertain about Nancy’s obsession with bras and menstruation and other signs of puberty, as well as her casual cruelty to other kids in their class. You’ve got to wonder if McAdams gave Graham any tips on the set about how to play a “mean girl.”
Despite the title, I had not realized how much the subject of religion would play in this movie. Abby’s parents are in an interfaith marriage and due to problems in their own experience with religion have raised Abby without religion. Despite this, Abby begins experimenting with prayer and on the prompting of a teacher begins studying religion. She attends a service at a synagogue with her beloved grandmother Sylvia (Kathy Bates) and Christian worship services with her friends.
The movie is warm and sweet, but never saccharine, but feeling true to life to the many new experiences of adolescence. McAdams and Bates are particularly strong in their performances in this movie. I like that Barbara has her own parallel story arc of adjusting to life in New Jersey where she learns not to be such a people-pleaser. I never read Judy Blume’s book but it feels like this adaptation captures the timeless quality of a story from the 1970s that feels just as relevant today.
Rating: ****
Panorama of the Mountains 