Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)
The phrase “coming-of-age” cannot get more literal than it does in the 2023 movie “Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret.” Based on the 1970 novel by Judy Blume and directed by Kelly Fremon Craig, this film turned out to be an entertaining slice of both nostalgia and relatable moments, even though it’s set in my mother’s timeline and not mine.
The opening shot of the movie is a lovely summer camp scene of a bunch of little happy girls in color-coordinated swimsuits jumping into the water and having the time of their life. It’s symbolic of the carefree lives kids live before puberty complicates everything. Abby Ryder Fortson plays the 11-year-old protagonist Margaret Simon, who returns to her parents in their New York flat after summer camp, only to learn that they are going to move to New Jersey. Upset and anxious at first, Margaret soon makes new friends, tries to fit in with the gang, while also trying to figure out her feelings about religion.
Rachel McAdams and Bennie Safdie play Barbara and Herb Simon, Margaret’s parents, who both come from different religions. While Barbara is a Catholic Christian, Herb is Jewish, and the couple doesn’t enforce either religion on their daughter and believe she should choose her faith when she becomes an adult. However, the couple is unaware that Margaret has her own unique way of interacting with God. Meanwhile, she is also busy navigating schoolwork, new friends, crushes, and her changing worldview.
The cinematography is beautiful, with pleasant summer pastel shades permeating most scenes; it almost looks like a Wes Anderson film but without the surreal theatrical perfection. “Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret” has a more “slice of life” tone, with a gorgeous color palette. If it weren’t for the distinct ’70s style clothes and hairstyles, with a few tweaks, the story could’ve been placed in any timeline, and the plot would still be relevant. Kids still want to grow up soon, be more popular among their peers and sneak around to do things they aren’t supposed to. There’s a scene where Margaret and her new gang steal a Playboy magazine from one of their dads; it reminded me of the time when a girl in our class had stolen her father’s copy of Debonair (the Indian counterpart to Playboy), and all of us girls huddled in the back benches to go over the pictures inside.
Elle Graham plays the sassy Nancy Wheeler, new neighbor and classmate, who immediately befriends Margaret and initiates her into a secret girl group with funny rules. For example, the members cannot wear socks, and they must tell each other about the boys they like. While most of the film is about Margaret fitting into the new group, one of the primary themes of the story is about the difficulties young people face while trying to understand how religion works. Margaret goes to both a Jewish Temple and Sunday Church, and even though both experiences open new doors for her, she doesn’t really feel like God is there. The portrayal of the young girl’s struggle with faith is poignantly expressed.
Abby Ryder Fortson is the star of this film; she is adorable and goofy as Margaret, capturing all emotions of the character with an innocent charm. She also perfectly emotes the awkwardness of a young girl when it comes to things she is not an expert at, like talking to the boy she likes. Elle Graham was also exuberantly great as the narcissistic Nancy, who is constantly making up stuff to seem “cool” to her friends. Rachel McAdams as Margaret’s artistic mother Barbara was a little too good to be true, but she instantly makes you root for her due to her heartfelt portrayal of a sensitive and supportive mother. Kathy Bates plays Sylvia, Margaret’s mother-in-law, who is upset over her family moving away to New Jersey. Sylvia is a typical mother-in-law, absolutely doting on Margaret, but cold and not too nice when it comes to Barbara. Benny Safdie as Herb Simon, however, has his wife Barbara’s back when needed and doesn’t allow anybody to put down his wife. It was a welcome change to see Herb not representing the typical “mama’s boy” and standing by his wife and daughter in times of crisis.
Spread over 1 hour and 46 minutes, “Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret” is evenly paced and thoroughly charming. Even though I haven’t read the book, this film makes me want to read Judy Blume’s novel since live-action adaptations usually do not fit in everything from the original work.
Rating: 8 on 10. You can stream the film on Netflix.
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