Direction: Kelly Fremon Craig
Country: USA
Adapted from Judy Blume’s controversial middle-grade novel from 1970, Are You There God? It’s Me Margaret follows Margaret Simon (Abby Ryder Fortson), a lovely, curious and perceptive 11-year-old who reluctantly moves from New York to New Jersey with her affectionate parents, Herb (Benny Safdie) and Barbara (Rachel McAdams). The former comes from a Jewish family, whereas the latter was raised in an extremist Christian environment. This factor creates a dilemma for Margaret who decides not to follow a religion until she tries them out by herself and reaches a conclusion. Still, she has daily talks with her ‘God’ whenever a concern emerges.
Other than that, she experiences the bliss of being kissed for the first time, the excitement of a real crush, bursts of anger when things don’t go as planned, disappointment with friends, impatience and excitement when facing or not facing the physical changes of puberty, repentance when doing wrong, and some family surprises.
This sweet, tender and feel-good coming-of-age comedy hits a few spots. But it has more than that; it is educational, bright in tone, and a victory in portraying a lovely character going through a strange phase in life. The director of The Edge of Seventeen (2016), Kelly Fremon Craig, captures all this with that rare trick of being both intelligent and amusing. Moreover, her script induces the right pace and makes the most of the young actors’ spontaneity - especially Fortson and Elle Graham who give sensational performances.
Considering the numerous traps associated with the material, this brave, funny leap into womanhood and religious consciousness stands in good stead.
