Judy Blume’s “Are You There God? It’s Me Margaret” is quite possibly one of the most iconic and influential young adult novels ever written. Even back in the early nineties, all the girls in my class read it. Director Kelly Fremon Craig pulls off a great feat, taking what’s usually considered a novel for young girls and transforms it in to a narrative that any tween or pre-teen can relate to. Even with its setting in 1970, “Are You There, God?” is still such a down to Earth and richly developed story about growing up, choosing your path in life, and trying to understand the adults in your life.
Eleven-year-old Margaret Simon moves to a new town in New Jersey and starts to contemplate everything about life, friendship and adolescence. She relies on her mother, Barbara, who offers loving support, and her grandmother, Sylvia, who’s coming to terms with finding happiness in the next phase of her life. With her constant intimate pleas to “God,” she struggles to confront the hardships of growing up.
The latter theme about adults is especially crucial to the story of Margaret as she realizes that the people in her life are all wildly flawed, and perhaps even a little selfish. When Margaret is forced to move from New York to New Jersey, she’s exposed to potential teen hood where she takes up with a group of friends obsessed with growing up. With puberty inevitable, the idea of adolescence becomes a daunting milestone for Margaret who isn’t even sure where she wants to spend her summer vacation. Star Abby Ryder Fortson is fantastic as Margaret Simon, a young girl who is looking for a way to become her own person, while her family spends most of their time making the tougher decisions.
Along the way as the narrative progresses, Margaret turns to the notion of God as a means of solace and begging for help. Ryder Fortson is complimented by the excellent supporting performances from the respective cast that includes Kathy Bates, and Benny Safdie as Margaret’s mild mannered father Herb. The stand out though is Rachel McAddams, Margaret’s mom Barbara who is, in many respects, an older version of Margaret. Not only is she also trying to find a place in her New Jersey home, but she also absorbs a lot of the pain that her family feels. McAddams is just stellar here. “Are you There, God?” isn’t completely a movie about religion, but more about a girl seeking help from a source outside her family that isn’t trying to alter her life.
Whether or not Margaret chooses a path of faith or religion is left wholly ambiguous, but the idea of choosing a religion becomes a shocking hot button topic in a heated confrontation in the climax. The whole issue ends up being less about religion and more about loyalty, and she’s wise enough to realize that in her new home and with her new friends. Nevertheless, “Are You There, God?” is highly recommended, and just an absorbing, funny, and heartfelt coming of age tale. I hope that Kelly Fremon Craig’s treatment of Judy Blume’s novel becomes a celebrated film classic, as it’s one of the finest movies of the year, so far.