NZIFF Film Review: "Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret" (2023).

"Discovering who you are is a journey that lasts a lifetime." This is Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret. This coming-of-age comedy-drama film adapted and directed by Kelly Fremon Craig, and based on the 1970 novel of the same title by Judy Blume. Eleven-year-old Margaret is uprooted from her life in New York City for the suburbs of New Jersey, going through the messy and tumultuous throes of puberty with new friends in a new school. She relies on her mother, Barbara, who is also struggling to adjust to life outside the big city, and her adoring grandmother, Sylvia, who isn’t happy they moved away and likes to remind them every chance she gets.

First published in 1970, the novel is considered a children's classic. It has never been out of print since its initial publication. In 2010, Time Magazine put it on a list of the 100 best novels published since 1923, and in 2012 it made Scholastic Parent & Child Magazine's list of 100 Greatest Books for Kids. However, starting almost from its first publication, it has long also been one of the most challenged and banned books in America: parents, administrators, and politicians have often tried to get the book removed from school libraries and reading lists both because of its honest examination of puberty and menstruation and because it depicts a girl who is given the freedom to decide for herself what religion she is interested in adhering to. However, Blume received several offers to adapt her book in the forty-nine years since its publication. Blume rejected them all but ultimately sold the film rights to producer James L. Brooks and Craig, who worked together on The Edge of Seventeen (2016), with Craig hired to pen and direct the adaptation. By early April 2021, Abby Ryder Fortson was cast in the title role with Rachel McAdams, Kathy Bates, and Benny Safdie rounding out the films' cast. At the same time, principal photography commenced and wrapped in late June. Filing took place in Charlotte and Concord, North Carolina.

The film stars Fortson, McAdams, Bates, and Safdie. Fortson portrays Margaret in such a way that you can't help but relate to her insecurities. Dry and witty supporting turns from McAdams, Bates, and Safdie are the cherries on top of the cake for this surprising gem of a film.

The film from writer-director Kelly Fremon Craig is a welcomed antithesis to the conventional norm. It’s a clear-eyed movie that looks at teen anxiety without an ounce of glamour and with a refreshing bite to it. This a period piece and a universally relatable story of a girl who doesn't fit in to begin with falling out with her only real friend and going into a tailspin. The film manages to artfully dodge any staleness by virtue of a great script and the universally excellent performances all round. The film checks all the teen movie boxes, but does so in a fashion that feels fresh and engaging in a way that we haven't seen since the heyday of John Hughes.

Simon says Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret receives:

Also, see my reviews for The Edge of Seventeen and The Innocents.