Film Review: ARE YOU THERE GOD? IT’S ME, MARGARET.(2023): Kelly Fremon Craig’s Dramatic Comedy is Smart, Light and Sweet

Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret. Review

Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret.(2023) Film Review, a movie written and directed by Kelly Fremon Craig and starring Abby Ryder Fortson, Rachel McAdams, Kathy Bates, Benny Safdie, Elle Graham, Amari Alexis Price, Katherine Mallen Kupferer, Kate MacCluggage, Aidan Wojtak-Hissong, Landon S. Baxter, Olivia Williams, Echo Kellum, Simms May, Zack Brooks, Jecobi Swain and Isol Young.

Writer/director Kelly Fremon Craig’s new film is an adaptation of Judy Blume’s book, Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret. This picture recently won the Heartland Truly Moving Picture Award and is a light, sweet movie full of heart about an 11-year old girl named Margaret Simon (Abby Ryder Fortson) who samples several different religions and struggles with her friends and family right before getting her first period. Craig has crafted a nicely entertaining picture although there are some minor technicalities that hold it back from being much more than a heartwarming and endearing effort.

As the movie begins, it’s 1970 and Margaret is bonding with her grandma, Sylvia (Kathy Bates) in New York City. Margaret soon discovers that her parents, Barbara (Rachel McAdams) and Herb (Benny Safdie) are moving to New Jersey and Margaret will have to start a whole new life for herself. Margaret doesn’t get to waste any time and meets a new friend named Nancy Wheeler (Elle Graham), a young blonde girl who kisses the top of one of her bedposts to practice for when she gets to finally kiss a boy. Nancy has Margaret join a group that has two other members: Janie Loomis (Amari Alexia Price) and Gretchen Potter (Katherine Mallen Kupferer). This bunch makes up some rules and each one of the girls in the group has a journal on boys which they plan on reading at meetings.

Nancy tells Margaret that she’s not allowed to wear socks in their group. This makes for a funny scene where Margaret leaves the house without socks and later gets blisters on the back of her feet for which she needs a band-aid. However, the movie then forgets about the no socks rule as the remainder of the film almost always shows the girls wearing socks. This is the type of movie that is so fun to watch that you have to look at things like this to find flaws with the picture.

Barbara is Christian and Herb is Jewish so they gave Margaret the opportunity to discover her own religion and decide, for herself, what she wants to be. In a cute scene, Sylvia takes Margaret to temple and this scene is an example of how people participate in organized religion even though they don’t exactly understand every aspect of the weekly ceremonies. In the interim, Barbara has quit her job since Herb received a promotion (which led to their move) and Barbara joins many different parent groups at Margaret’s school.

Margaret and her friends become obsessed with the size of their breasts. In a hilarious scene, they say to each other, “We must, we must, we must increase our bust.” Then, some young boys “bust” in the room and make fun of them. These young girls also anxiously await their first periods. In yet another funny bit, Janie and Margaret go to a drug store to buy pads and an anxious Margaret throws a box of Tic Tacs on the counter to distract the clerk who is ringing them up.

Pretty soon, Margaret and her friends (boys included) play spin the bottle at a party and learn a lot of lessons about life. Complications arise such as when Nancy lies to Margaret through a postcard she sends to her and the grandparents Margaret never knew suddenly appear many years later when Barbara sends them a card on the spur of the moment. You see, Margaret’s grandparents on her mom’s side abandoned the whole family and this makes for a complex theme within the story line.

This is a story from the early 1970’s and a lot of the music accurately represents the time period. “The Spirit in the Sky” is the first of many song lyrics that play on the soundtrack and this opening music sets the stage for Margaret’s constant talks with God who she asks to steer her in the right direction in life. “I heard a lot about you,” she tells God early on.

It would be Grinch-like to pick on the movie’s few shortcomings but they are there. The movie is not propelled by a strong plot but rather by its characterizations and the situations that occur. Abby Ryder Fortson has a nicely compelling screen presence and makes the character of Margaret feel fresh. Rachel McAdams is always reliable but, here, she seems to be going through the motions a bit. Benny Safdie fares a little better as the caring dad while Kathy Bates steals every scene she’s in with witty line delivery.

Are You There God? It’s Me Margaret. deserved the Heartland Truly Moving Picture Award because it’s brave and takes some unique risks. Another film on this subject matter may have steered clear of some of the uncomfortable themes the movie faces head on. This picture touches the heart in several scenes and, in others, will make the audience laugh out loud. It’s a welcome mat to Hollywood for Abby Ryder Fortson and a reminder of the greatly observant work author Judy Blume accomplished in her prestigious career. I liked the movie.

Rating: 7.5/10

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