When I was about 7 years old, my family uprooted from Staten Island to suburban Pennsylvania. We were still close to our family and relatives, but that type of change was filled with some turbulence — namely being a Korean-American before K-pop was all the rage. While I haven't gone through female puberty, there's something relatable about Kelly Fremon Craig's infectious adaptation of Judy Blume's Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret., and it's one of 2023's very best films.
Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret. review
Margaret Simon (Abby Ryder Fortson) is your average sixth-grader — enjoying camp during the summer and hanging with friends. Upon coming back from camp, the news of her family moving from New York City to the suburbs of New Jersey is sprung on her by her grandmother (darn in-laws). The decision is not a popular one, at least to Margaret, but alas the family moves and she instantly makes a new friend, Nancy (Elie Graham).
Upon hanging out with her for the first time, Margaret is indoctrinated into Nancy's sixth-grade equivalent to fight club with two more friends entering the fold, Janie (Amari Alexis Price) and Gretchen (Katherine Mallen Kupferer). The quartet then embarks on what a man can only assume teenage girls do: Talk about boys, hitting puberty, and lots of gossip (mostly about one of their classmates, Laura Danker (Isol Young).
But this time of adjustment soon becomes a time of growth for Margaret, as she attempts to find her religious belonging for a research paper while juggling the pressures of being a young girl.
And there's something quite enlightening about watching the struggles that Margaret goes through as a young adult. Again, I've personally never dealt with that side of puberty, but a lot of the issues Margaret faces are so trivial in hindsight. It's like watching a reflection of yourself as she learns about the consequences of gossip and succumbing to peer pressure. While light on its feet, Are You There God? is not afraid to confront those changes head-on.
Take the religious journey that Margaret goes through in the film for example. It may turn off some, but the Simon family drama serves as a great metaphor for our current society. Margaret's father Herb (Benny Safdie) is Jewish, and her mother, Barbara (Rachel McAdams), is Christian. That marriage caused a riff between the in-laws and their kids and serves as the crux of why Margaret is raised without any religion or pressure to commit to one.
That's not to say that the grandparents from each side don't meddle and break one of the cardinal rules of the dinner table and discuss religion. Sylvia (Kathy Bates) is thrilled at the prospect of taking Margaret to Temple, while Barbara's parents pester Margaret about Sunday school. The fact that people are willing to fight tooth and nail over something like religion — something that's supposed to be peaceful — is frightening, and while Are You There God? shares the same overall message as The Banshees of Inisherin, at least in terms of the silliness of making religion/politics melodramatic, at least there are no detached fingers in sight.
Abby Ryder Fortson was one of the best parts of the first two Ant-Man films — after Quantumania, they really must regret shifting the timelines up and not being able to retain her as Cassie Lang — and stands out in her first real leading role. She has the right balance of awkwardness and innocence that fit the character of Margaret.
The authenticity also carries over to McAdams, Safdie, and Bates.
Beginning with McAdams, an actress in dire need of something new after Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. Luckily, her subplot with the PTA is one of the most interesting parts as she navigates the politics of the group.
Safdie, for as many different roles he has played from criminals to politicians, nails the “American dad” (it's plausible that he hadn't touched a lawn mower before). He's such a warm figure in the film, and honestly, seeing a bit more of him in the film would've been welcomed.
And Bates is such a joy. We know how good she is as an actress, but the subtlety of Bates' performance in Are You There God? is special — as she clearly cares about her granddaughter's approval and love — which really resonated as someone close to both of their late grandmothers.
I haven't read the book, but Craig's script is genuinely funny. As a bit of a cynic, I'm often rolling my eyes at what most films call “humor” these days, but Are You There God? is hilarious. Sometimes it's on-the-nose jokes like the “We must increase our busts!” bit seen in the trailer, other times it's Margaret quickly throwing a pack of Tic Tacs on top of a box of sanitary napkins. Craig has a handle on the coming-of-age genre, as seen in The Edge of Seventeen, and the sky is the limit for her. Perhaps a jump to college after making stories set in high school and middle school is the natural next step. Whatever it is, we'll be watching.
Plus, once you're older, you have the ability to read situations. Margaret claims she's “almost an adult” at the age of 12 — to be that young again! — but as a 22-year-old now, you appreciate the film with those older lenses. Take the conversations between Barbara and Slyvia for example — that dynamic of wife and mother-in-law is far more awkward as a young adult that can see the divide between the two. The character of Nancy, while a frustrating one to watch at times, is a great representation of the insecure group leader that will lie about anything to seem cooler. (I know we've all had those kids in school that was related to LeBron James or Kobe Bryant.)
There's also Barbara's adjustment to the suburban housewife lifestyle and experience in the PTA. There's always the leader of the bunch, constantly posturing yet always looking to take the easy way out while taking all the credit. Some of these subplots are by no means heavily featured in the film, but seeing them play out as a young adult who has seen all of that in some form or another puts a smile across your face.
Should you see Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret.?
Are You There God? is a joyful film that beautifully paints teenage innocence, but that's not to say that adults can't take away something from it, too. Led by a stellar performance by Fortson and great direction from Clark, this should be the definitive adaptation of Blume's book (though it's fair to wonder how this story wasn't previously adapted into a film). While many religious films, or those adjacent, especially from Lionsgate, end up being hokey, Are You There God? is genuinely great and one of 2023's very best. Hallelujah!
Grade: A
Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret. will be released on April 28.
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