Are You There, God? It’s Me, Margaret (2023)
Judy Blume wrote books for tweens about tweens, and back in elementary school I read a bunch of them. Books like Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing, Blubber, and Superfudge featured regular characters in relatable settings and situations, always embroiled in some type of “coming of age” story. “Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret” is a 2023 film based on the 1970 Blume book of the same name.
The story opens as 11-year-old Margaret’s parents drop the bombshell that her father has taken a job that will relocate the family from New York to New Jersey. In one fell swoop, the family will be moving, Margaret will be changing schools, Margaret’s mother will be quitting her job and becoming a stay at home mom, and Margaret will no longer be able to see her grandmother, whom she is particularly close to.
Margaret has more than New Jersey to adjust to; she’s becoming a young lady, and Margaret and her new group of friends are constantly comparing bra sizes and in a rush to see who will be the first to get their periods. There’s also a religious angle, as the title suggests. Margaret’s father and grandmother are Jewish, her mother is Christian, and Margaret’s maternal grandparents have become estranged due to the marriage. A school report about religion has Margaret exploring different religions and her own relationship with God.
Blume’s stories are popular because she takes relatable characters and places them in situations we’ve all experienced before. Unfortunately if you’re a boy, you may have a tough time finding things to directly relate to in this film. My wife loved the book growing up and enjoyed the film as well. As Margaret and her friends do their bust exercises while shouting “we must, we must, we must increase our bust!” I was like, “girls really did that?” while my wife cackled with laughter. It’s a cute film full of experiences I couldn’t relate to. Your wives will love it.