Describe This Movie In One Simpsons Quote:
TROY MCCLURE: And they never ruined their fun by giving in to their THROBBING BIOLOGICAL URGES.
Brief Plot Synopsis: Everything old is new again.
Rating Using Random Objects Relevant To The Film: 4.5 Nilsson Schmilssons out of 5
Tagline: "Based on the book loved by millions."
Better Tagline: "Who doesn't like a period piece?"
Not So Brief Plot Synopsis: 11-year old Margaret Simon (Abby Ryder Fortson) is dealing with a lot: moving from NYC to New Jersey, exploring her religious identity — dad Herb (Bennie Safdie) is Jewish, mom Barbara (Rachel McAdams) is Christian — and dealing with imminent puberty. She's also discovering that new friends like Nancy Wheeler (Elle Graham), with her boy books and affinity for adolescence altercations, might not be who she wants to hang out with after all.
"Critical" Analysis: I think the first Judy Blume book I ever read was Blubber. It was followed quickly by Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing, Freckle Juice, and several others (not exactly in chronological order). Many of these were obtained from my 6th grade language arts library, and when I perused the "B's" one day and found a new (to me) Blume book, I immediately checked it out.
Kudos to Mrs. Garner for merely raising an eyebrow at my choice (the school bus driver, on the other hand . . .). It wasn't until I was a good ways into Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret that I realized I might be in a little over my head.
In the 50+ years since its publication, Blume rejected a number of attempts to adapt the book for both large and small screen. Until now. The winning bidders being writer/director Kelly Fremon Craig (The Edge of Seventeen) and venerable director (Terms of Endearment, Broadcast News) - slash - producer (The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Taxi, The Simpsons) James L. Brooks.
Blume thought the movie would be in good hands, and she was right. Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret. is a frank and faithful adaptation of her source material. It's also a sobering reminder of how books offering frank and honest depictions of puberty and questioning faith are still subject to removal from school libraries.
Like most of Blume's work, Margaret walked a line between the matter-of-fact yet humorous observations about adolescent behavior and larger truths about growing into adulthood. Fremon captures that balance wonderfully, and a lot of credit for that comes down to the casting, as Fortson, McAdams, Kathy Bates (as Margaret's grandmother Sylvia), and Graham are all terrific.
McAdams's arc is more straightforward, but provides the best payoff for older audience members, showing her dealing with the PTO and her own disapproving parents. It's also nice to see the former Mean Girl doing her time as a troubled mom. Bates is, as always, effortlessly hilarious.
But it's Fortson, navigating the perils of adolescence while moving through the larger framework of a young girl struggling to find an identity, who really shines. Her anger at a cascade of pre-teen indignities (which are the absolute *worst*, as any parent can attest) is raw and palpable.
And one thing about Blume: she doesn't let the parents off the hook. After all, Mom and Dad are just as full of shit as anyone (Crash Davis told us so). Herb and Barbara do the best they can, but they're fallible, too. Something else Margaret has to confront.
On top of that, Fremon throws in all the horrors of a 1970s childhood: square dancing, two minutes in the closet, "human development" filmstrips, Playboys under Dad's bed. Kids These Days just don't get it: back in the day you had to *hunt* for pornography.
This is going to end up as one of the best films of the year, and it's the best mother/daughter movie since Everything Everywhere All At Once. I'd say it's a no-brainer to take your girls to this, but trust this former 6th grader when he says boys will find something illuminating here as well.
Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret. is in theaters today.
