Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret.
Written by Andreas Babiolakis
Judy Blume broke ground in 1970 with one of her earliest books, Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret.. This story — intended for young girls reaching puberty and self discovery — features the titular Margaret Simon. She thinks that she has life all figured out until everything starts spiralling out of control. Everyone’s bodies are changing around her; she hasn’t started to change, however. Her perfect family portrait is starting to crack under the revelation that her interfaith parents have a complicated relationship with their own parents as a result (particularly her mother’s family). Margaret develops new friends, but even they aren’t what they seem: the two sidedness of kids that discover the art of bullying and gossip is ever present here. Yes, if Margaret didn’t feel like she was being heard by God throughout Blume’s iconic novel, at least the readers of said story were finally seen by an author that was willing to go up against the safeness of overprotective parents in seventies America.
It took over fifty years, but we’re here. We now have a feature film that is worthy of boasting the same title, directed by Kelly Fremon Craig, whose earlier feature film (The Edge of Seventeen) proves that she was the right visionary for the job. She knows how to tap into the mind of an older elementary school student that is stuck in between being treated like a child and having responsibilities as a young teenager. That’s perfect for Margaret, since the entire purpose of this story is to address change head-on and allow young girls to feel recognized. After having seen this film, it actually feels like nobody else could have made this. Could you imagine the same amount of care and realness from someone else, especially while honouring Blume’s source material and not trying to outshine a classic. You don’t get that sense at all. In fact, I barely feel like there is a director behind this film, and that’s exactly how it should be. It’s not to say that Fremon Craig didn’t put a lot of work into Margaret. Quite the contrary: she fine tuned the film to the point of looking like a simple adaptation when it is anything but.
Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret. is not just a faithful adaptation: it possesses almost exactly the same importance, warmth, and honesty for a whole new generation.
The right cast is necessary as well, and relative-newcomer Abby Ryder Fortson (who is fifteen but has been in a number of films since she was just a child) is excellent as Margaret Simon. She never tries to steal the show: she knows it’s already hers. Benny Safdie as father Herb displays yet another side of the highly talented director/actor, and I am thrilled that we are seeing him on screen again and again. Then there’s Kathy Bates who isn’t always blessed with the right roles. This, however, is finally a part that takes her seriously as a skilled actor as she plays grandmother Sylvia. I save Rachel McAdams last because, quite frankly, this may be one of the best performances she has ever given. As mother Barbara, she inhabits what an older “Margaret” would be like, as if to say that her daughter is going to be alright. Barbara has been through all of the tribulations of getting older, and maybe she hasn’t figured it all out yet, but who has? And that’s the point. No one has. Barbara is just like any of us and has found a way to keep herself together despite it all. Margaret is going to be alright.
Margaret starts off peaceful and chipper, almost like a satire of a family film: this is what a happy family looks like, and there aren’t any problems in the world. In fact, a lot of the earlier challenges feel self imposed: Margaret is pressured by her new classmates (and/or friends, if you will) to reach puberty and develop as quickly as possible. How is that possible? It isn’t, but it seems like an achievable goal when you’re that age. We’ve all been there. We even get dishonest about our aging, because we want to be mature before anyone else. Then we see Margaret’s parents, who, sure, are content with where they are in life, but there’s also the sense that youth is forever gone once you’re an adult. The film never pretends that adults can’t live in peace or have fun, but there’s still this disconnection from our childhoods that aging brings. Margaret wants to make that leap. Her parents and grandparents want to go back to how things once were, even if the film never yells this point at us.
The casting for Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret. is tremendous, with each actor selected perfectly.
As Margaret progresses, there actually are problems that arise and plague the lead character’s surroundings. A question about her elusive grandparents on her mother’s side leads to a reunion that gets ugly, since Barbara’s side is Catholic and Herb’s is Jewish (so where does that leave young Margaret, questions the elders). Margaret herself talks with God on a daily basis but never has any clarity or help granted to her, so she loses faith. Her best friend appears to be a liar, and Margaret has mistreated people that may actually be more her speed. And after all that, Margaret is not maturing at the rate she wishes. Life is unfair, but now it really seems like everything is against her. The film never tries to solve everything. In fact, it only resolves a few of Margaret’s qualms, because life doesn’t wrap anything in a bow. Margaret has to learn this. Blume knew this was important for tweens to hear. So did Fremon Craig.
Without spoiling too much, it is actually fascinating that the final event of the film is one that solidifies Margaret as a new person: who she always wanted to be, whether she realized it or not. It’s not a sign that everything’s going to be okay. It’s that things will happen at their own pace, be they life events or Margaret’s own progressions. Is everything else in Margaret’s life figured out? No, but they will be. Even if they aren’t, you can still live peacefully by looking ahead and appreciating what you do have (and what makes one happy). Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret. sugarcoats nothing, but it never feels edgy or try-hard either. It’s that perfect mixture of assurance and the toughness of reality: exactly how well taught lessons should be. Not once does the film treat its audience — be they young kids that need this talk or adults that have been there and done that — like idiots. It honours all viewers: the experienced, and the soon-to-be. In the way that Blume’s novel was one-of-a-kind in its own space, Fremon Craig’s film will stand out as one of the most effective films for children that are experiencing their first major shifts in life (be they biological or societal). If you’re worried that the film won’t capture the brilliance of the original book, worry no more. Your prayers have been answered.
Andreas Babiolakis has a Masters degree in Film and Photography Preservation and Collections Management from Toronto Metropolitan University, as well as a Bachelors degree in Cinema Studies from York University. His favourite times of year are the Criterion Collection flash sales and the annual Toronto International Film Festival.