Are You There, God? It's Me, Margaret: Now a major film starring Rachel McAdams and Abby Ryder Fortson

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Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret, writer-director Kelly Fremon Craig’s entry to the woefully underserved category of period dramas (make of that what you will), is destined to become a classic. Based on – but not entirely wedded to – Judy Blume’s seminal 1970 novel of the same name, the film is an entertaining comedy that also happens to be a stunning evocation of the fear and yearning that come with standing on the precipice of adulthood. Margaret has been raised without an affiliation to either faith, and does not practice an organized religion, although she frequently prays to God in her own words, beginning by saying, "Are you there God? It's me, Margaret."

And, unlike so many books aimed at this age group before and after, Are You There, God? It’s Me, Margaret is refreshingly free of preachiness or moralization, not focusing on teaching any sorts of lessons — except maybe that life can be both simple and very complicated at eleven, and it’s wonderful. When Margaret and her mom eventually find themselves in a bathroom under similar circumstances, the crying is of a different variety. It’s all terribly scary, yes, but in Blume and Fremon Craig’s hands, growing up is also heart-stoppingly beautiful.

Muccigrosso, Catherine (April 2, 2021). "Production of star-studded movie begins in Charlotte as NC film production heats up". The Charlotte Observer . Retrieved April 5, 2021. Think about it: In newspaper articles, people are described as belonging to certain religions. So-And-So is a Christian, Muslim, Buddhist, or Jew. But atheists are almost always "self-described," or people who "claim to be" atheists. To finish her project for Mr. Benedict, Margaret writes him a letter detailing her experiences at church, temple, and confession. She admits that she doesn’t know what religion she is—or if she wants to choose—but she does know that if she has kids, she’s going to tell them what religion they are. Trying to figure it out later in life is too hard. Most Frequently Challenged Authors of the 21st Century". ALA.org. American Library Association. March 26, 2013. Archived from the original on September 5, 2016 . Retrieved November 30, 2016. Our quiet, casserole-eating crew had very good manners, and spoke quietly, but we spoke not of feelings, and we deferred always to Dad's opinions. In contrast, our Hispanic, Italian and Jewish neighbors spoke with their hands, and spoke over each other, often giving kisses and full-bodied hugs as they did so.

In 2006, they "updated" the book to include the mention of "sanitary napkins" instead of "menstruation belts," and I somehow find that incredibly wrong. "Are You There..." is a phenomenal book, more for Margaret's quest to understand the workings of the life around her (inter-religious household; crazy relatives; despondent fathers; nutty friends; and 15-year-olds who are just too hot to handle), than for her journey through early pubescence. But to fundamentally alter a portion of that journey seems a bit extreme. So what if a curious kid wants to know what a belt is? Most parents, even the young ones, can handle that question. Even I can answer it now!

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While remaining elegant and subtle in tone, style, and even narrative development, ARE YOU THERE GOD provides young readers an example of how to question authority and think for themselves, to express their own needs and wants to themselves, and to recognize and exercise their own agency. Which, like, I mentioned that Blume is writing solely for 12-year-old girls, and you might wonder what it's like for a 42-year-old man to read this. Probably not though, because literally who cares, but I'll tell you anyway: it's awkward. On the one hand, we enlightened men should be well past being freaked out by periods, right? And on the other hand, there's a heavy social taboo against adult men being in any way interested in training bras, and some of the reasons for it are good. Let's just say that I often label my Kindle so people on the subway can tell what I'm reading, and this time around I chose not to. And let's also reiterate that no one cares what I think about Judy Blume. The first Judy Blume books I read. . . served as a kind of introduction to myself.”— John Green quoted in The New York Times

Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret. Book Review | Common Sense Media". www.commonsensemedia.org . Retrieved September 4, 2022. Are You There God? It's Me, Ellen: Compelling case for young critical progressives to make Catholicism a broad church". independent. October 31, 2020 . Retrieved September 4, 2022. I haven’t read this book as a kid but first as a young adult and now again a bit less young, and still the recognition of the strange country of being eleven persists. Another important element of this book that is very applicable to everyone today is the pressures Margaret goes through – social, religious, relationships, etc. She just wants to live, but people are filling her head with lies and arguments that make it difficult for her to make decisions for herself. All it does is make her miserable. This reminds me of how some people seem to be willing to treat others today (especially with the anonymity of the internet). While it isn’t everyone, it seems like many people like to force their opinions down people’s throats and make them feel bad about their own feelings. Those people don’t consider – or don’t care - how this makes others feel. It makes me very sad! And, it made me very frustrated for Margaret! The film opens with Margaret returning home from summer camp in New Hampshire only to learn that her family is moving from their New York City apartment to a New Jersey suburb. In the book, Margaret suspects that a large motivation for her parents’ decision to move is to separate from Sylvia, her overbearing yet fun Jewish grandmother. “She doesn’t have a car, hates buses, and she thinks trains are dirty,” Margaret tells us in the book. “So unless Grandma plans to walk, which is unlikely, I won’t be seeing much of her.”

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Someone asked me recently if I would recommend ARE YOU THER GOD? IT'S ME MARGARET for middle grade students, and I didn't know how to answer, even though I had read the book. At first, I only gave this one 2 stars, because there were (and still are) things I didn't like about the characters and narrative. McGovern, Jeanne (September 4, 2008). "Book review: 'Are You There Vodka? It's Me, Chelsea' ". www.vaildaily.com . Retrieved September 23, 2022. Also, I got the overwhelming feeling that their male teacher, is in fact, a pervert. He held his gaze with Margaret too long for my liking, and he enjoyed looking at one of the girls that was an early developer. He also made Margaret feel dreadfully uncomfortable when she stated she hated religious holidays. What might be wrong about that, I ask? In the film Deadpool, the character Deadpool ( Ryan Reynolds) says, "Are you there God? It's me, Margaret" as he splatters Colossus with blood. [21]