Film Review - Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret (2023)

Judy Blume’s novel Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret has captured the affection of multiple generations. With its sincere portrayal of puberty among other strengths, its adaptation to the audiovisual medium has taken more than fifty years. Yet writer-director Kelly Fremon Craig has made every minute of waiting worth it. She has created a film that is as refreshing, honest, and wonderfully non-judgemental as the source material before it.

Set in 1970, Abby Ryder Fortson plays 11-year-old Margaret Simon, a girl living in New York. Upon arriving home from summer camp, she is thrust into the first of many changes. Her family is moving to New Jersey, where Margaret will have to contend with a new school, new friends, and a saddening lack of her loving grandmother Sylvia (Kathy Bates). Furthermore, Margaret is on the precipice of hitting puberty, and thus is up against the impending complications of this.

Margaret shares her anxieties by praying to God. But even this is rife with conflict, for Margaret’s parents, Barbara (Rachel McAdams) and Herb (Benny Safdie), are from different religions. Herb is Jewish while Barbara is Christian, which leaves Margaret feeling lost as to who she is, a feeling of disconnect that is perpetuated by her rapidly changing life.

The Edge of Seventeen, was a fantastic movie whose comedy was topped only by its comion for its protagonist. Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret is an even greater display of this. It’s a delightful film that does not shy away from the strife of growing up, but resonates powerful earnestness, giving the film the feel of a warm hug from a loving parent.

A film that is fundamentally about belonging and growth, it recognises how scary the nuances of change can be and offers nothing but understanding. Its depictions of topics like menstruation and body insecurity are grounded in a universal truthfulness as Margaret and the girls she befriends each struggle to navigate their changing worlds. Margaret’s new bestie Nancy (Elle Graham) exudes a sense of maturity through belittlement and strange behaviour, yet her frightened reaction to her first period culminates in one of the film’s standout moments. Classmate Laura (Isol Young), who has already gone through puberty, meekly tries to remain hidden despite how much older she looks than her peers. Even Margaret’s mother, an adult, still struggles with change and its consequences as she tries to help her daughter cope.

There is such a genuine affinity for the female experience here that it becomes universal. It also plays well into the childhood naivety that fuels the terrific comedy. Subtle snark within the dialogue and varying idiosyncratic behaviours in response to change create plenty of chuckles and laughter throughout its runtime. One particularly strong gag involves Margaret and her new friends creating a chant as they believe it’ll “increase [their] bust”. It plays into the aforementioned naivety, but never once laughs at the expense of the characters. Rather it identifies with their innocence. Meanwhile, the comedic execution of set-up and pay-off within this script, notably around conversations such as wearing a bra or not wearing socks to school, is hilarious in its expertise alone.

As if all of this wasn’t enough, it’s a gorgeously crafted movie too. The comedy is enhanced by the phenomenal use of editing, namely in how it uses smash cuts, but the real power of its craftsmanship comes from how its colourful visuals empower the themes. Tim Ives’ cinematography has a delicate agedness that creates the feeling of one looking back at a memory, as if we the audience are reconciling with our messy childhoods as Margaret lives through hers. Craig’s direction keeps the themes of loneliness and fear centre stage, as Margaret attempts to make sense of her changing body and world, all the while fearing that the God she confides her struggles in is nothing more than silence. Craig brings attention to the melancholies that at times overwhelm us in life, but ultimately revels in the hidden joys that can be found if we look for them long enough.

Bringing all of this home is a range of spellbinding performances that champion the raw honesty of the themes and beautiful characteristics that make its players so identifiable. After charming audiences as wee Cassie Lang in the Ant-Man movies, Fortson displays natural charisma, relishing in her role as a character whose finest quality is her fountain of empathy. Accompanying her are a spectrum of marvellous side performances, be it Safdie as Margaret’s playful but realistic father, Echo Kellum as Margaret’s encouraging teacher or Bates as the vivacious Sylvia. Rachel McAdams is the standout however. Barbara Simon is the best movie mum in years. Her kindness, willingness to be vulnerable, and undominable love for her child – which is much bigger than typical maternal instinct – is aspirational, and McAdams captures the complexities of adulthood in tandem with Margaret’s changing world is as warm and heartfelt as it is engrossing to watch. In a time when cinematic mother-daughter relationships are thankfully becoming more mainstream, this one stands as one of the greatest.

Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret is one of 2023’s best films. A movie that celebrates empathy, honesty, and the ways in which we reconcile with change, its hilarious comedy is matched only by its wonderful filmmaking, and its astonishingly big heart. That we currently live in a time where stories such as this are getting banned simply for sharing real, chaste experiences people go through makes it a vital story as well as a superb one. With its PG certificate making it an easily accessible experience to all ages, this is a remarkable coming-of-age film destined to follow its literary source material in becoming a timeless classic.

Lionsgate UK presents Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret. on digital 18th July and on Blu-ray and DVD 7th August.