“Are You There God It’s Me Margaret” is a heartwarming film from Hollywood. It takes us back to our adolescent years when we all faced similar coming-of-age issues in our lives.
This 2023 film movie is based on Judy Blume‘s classic novel Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret set in the 1970s USA. This film is a screen adaptation of her famous novel.
Interestingly, author Judy Blume has a appeared as a guest actor in this film, as we see her as a woman walking a dog in a cameo. Drama + Comedy = Dramedy
Synopsis (summary) of this 2023 Coming-Of-Age Dramedy film
11-year-old Margaret Simon (Abby Ryder Fortson) is uprooted from her life in New York City for the suburbs of New Jersey, in the United States of America, going through the messy and tumultuous throes of puberty with new friends in a new school.
So, she relies on her mother, Barbara Simon (Rachel McAdams), who is also struggling to adjust to life outside the big city, and her adoring grandmother, Sylvia (Kathy Bates), who isn’t happy they moved away and likes to remind them every chance she gets.
Review of the Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret (2023) film
About its basic plot and storyline
The story of this film is realistic and captivating. It revolves around a young girl named Margaret Simon (Abby Ryder Fortson), who is just an 11-year-old kid. When her nuclear family moved from New York City to Fartbrook, New Jersey, she was uprooted from a familiar school and neighbourhood to a new place. So, she does not really like it, initially.
Margaret’s mother is Christian while her father is Jewish. Therefore, Margaret has been raised without an affiliation to either religious faith and she neither follows Jewism nor Christianism in her life. However, whenever, she faces any sort of issues in her life, she often prays to God in her own words, beginning by saying, “Are you there God? It’s me, Margaret.”
In case, you read the said book and see this film, you will realize that it also focuses on her mother Barbara (Rachel McAdams) and shares her story too, besides the usual girl stuff.
About its talented ensemble cast
Both the actors – young Abby Ryder Fortson and experienced Rachel McAdams have done a good job in the roles of daughter and mother. Also, Kathy Bates as a grandmother is great.
These actors and other supporting cast members – Benny Safdie (Herb Simon), Amari Alexis Price (Janie Loomis), Katherine Mallen Kupferer (Gretchen Potter), Elle Graham (Nancy Wheeler), etc. have made it a fun, moving and emotional film to watch. Especially, if you have read the book and made a connection with the character of Margaret.
The conclusion
We really liked this American movie about the self-discovery journey and a coming-of-age story about a girl trying to make sense of the big world, which is all around her. This is a good adaptation of the famous novel, which tells enduring tales of human drama, tinged with subtle humour, touching moments and honest exploration of life’s biggest questions.
Key details of this 2023 Coming-Of-Age Dramedy film
| Genre | Comedy, Drama, Family |
| Original language | English (USA) |
| Age-restrictions | UA (13+) |
| Released | April – June 2023 |
| Film- duration | 1 hour 45 minutes |
| Original author | Judy Blume |
| Writer | Kelly Fremon Craig |
| Director | Kelly Fremon Craig |
| Cast | Rachel McAdams (Barbara Simon), Abby Ryder Fortson (Margaret Simon), Kathy Bates (Sylvia Simon), Benny Safdie (Herb Simon), Amari Alexis Price (Janie Loomis), Katherine Mallen Kupferer (Gretchen Potter), Elle Graham (Nancy Wheeler), etc. |
| Distributor | Lionsgate |
| Taglines | Discovering who you are is a journey that lasts a lifetime. |
Poster of this 2023 Coming-Of-Age Dramedy film
Rating of this 2023 Coming-Of-Age Dramedy film
| FM’s rating | 4.00/5 |
| FM’s short comment | This is one of the better adaptations of a very well-known book, we really liked the charming ways of on-screen Margaret Simon (played by Abby Ryder Fortson) and her mother Barbara Simon (played by Rachel McAdams) on the issues that teenagers (and even adults) can relate to. |
I love the movie- and how many authors of the book can say, ‘I think that movie is better than the book’?
Judy Blume
Trailer of this 2023 Coming-Of-Age Dramedy film
If you like this family drama about teenagers, then go ahead and check out the FM article about the We Have A Ghost film, too.
Featured Image & Poster of Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret. (2023) Film. | Lionsgate Movies.
