Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret. (2023) Dir. Kelly Fremon Craig

Any director taking on a seminal piece of work – especially one that played a pivotal role in the childhood of many – will always have an uphill battle. Fans of Judy Blume’s 1970 novel, Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret needn’t have worried though.

For starters, the author was very protective of the novel and acted as a producer on the film – going as far as to say that the final product was better than the book.

Secondly, writer and director Kelly Fremon Craig has kept the warts and all approach that led to the book been banned and censored across America. Body image, menstruation, difficult relationships, and the topic of religion run through the film from the very beginning. She also retains the 1970s setting, recognising that regardless of the timeframe, the topics tackled here are timeless and will resonate with modern audiences.

Abby Ryder Fortson is excellent as the titular Margaret, encapsulating the every-girl – neither too popular or confident, nor awkward and introverted. She has a joyous screen presence and holds her own in a cast that includes some serious heavy hitters. One of these is Kathy Bates, as Margaret’s grandmother Sylvia, who walks the line between loving and overbearing, delivering some of the crackling dialogue with glee.

Margaret’s parents are played by Rachel McAdams and Benny Safdie. It’s nice to see Safdie in a more laid-back role as he brings an easy charm to Herb but it’s McAdams who is a real standout. Fremon Craig cleverly expands the role of Barbara in the film, showing her turmoil as she gives up her job to spend more time with Margaret, only for Margaret to reach an age where she has started to pull away from her mother. The added focus on Barbara ensures that women who grew up with the book, and who now have children of their own, will find new layers to enjoy here.

This is without mentioning the rest of the young cast who make up Margaret’s peers and friend group in the film. There really isn’t a bad performance here, and it’s really a joy to see a new class of young actors putting the work in.

While the tone remains light throughout, with plenty of laughs to be had, Are You There God? still tackles all of the awkward, teenage issues that the novel does, doing it sensitively and realistically.

Browsing through the interviews included in the extras, it was a little depressing to see that many of the cast still felt like they were breaking a taboo simply for showing sanitary pads on screen. If nothing else, it shows the need for this film to show young people that what they are going through is completely normal.

And this isn’t just a film for young women; there are plenty of young men who have the same body issues, family and friendship woes that appear here, and if nothing else Are You There God? shows that we shouldn’t shy away from these. It truly is an excellent film and it’s paired with a handful of extras that show the cast and crew talking about the novel’s enduring influence.

It’s a shame that some interview footage is reused across multiple featurettes, and much of it is fairly basic but there are some interesting titbits about the making of the film, Blume’s involvement and the set design, which brings 1970s New Jersey to modern day North Carolina.

★★★★

4 / 5

Matthew Tilt

Twitter @Matthew_Tilt

Lionsgate UK presents Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret. on digital now and on Blu-ray and DVD 7 August