Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret

Kelly Fremon Craig’s 2023 adaptation of Judy Blume’s seminal 1970 novel, Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret, is a rare cinematic achievement that treats the granular, often-stigmatized details of female puberty with profound dignity, warmth, and intellectual honesty. Centered on 11-year-old Margaret Simon (Abby Ryder Fortson) as her family moves from the bustling energy of New York City to the quiet suburbs of New Jersey, the film captures a pivotal year of transition—not just in geography, but in identity. Margaret’s internal monologues, framed as private, candid conversations with a God she is still trying to define, provide a doorway into the burgeoning anxieties of adolescence: the wait for a first period, the social pressure of training bras, and the complex negotiations of playground politics.

The film distinguishes itself by elevating “girl talk” from the realm of triviality to a vital form of gender socialization and mutual aid. As Margaret and her friends navigate the mysteries of their developing bodies, their shared curiosity serves as a buffer against the pervasive shame that society often attaches to female physiological processes. By portraying menstruation and physical growth as milestones rather than taboos, the film honors Blume’s legacy—a feminist “self-help” text that provided generations with a roadmap for bodily autonomy. This openness is particularly radical in its refusal to mock the earnest intensity of pre-teen girls, instead validating their experiences as foundational chapters in the struggle for self-definition. The film captures the specific labor of “performing” girlhood—from the “we must, we must, we must increase our bust” exercises to the competitive urgency of being the first to reach “womanhood.”

Parallel to Margaret’s physical journey is her spiritual and familial one, which offers a gentle yet effective critique of religious patriarchy and institutionalized faith. Caught between the competing Jewish and Christian identities of her two grandmothers (played with nuance by Kathy Bates and others), Margaret asserts her right to spiritual autonomy, refusing to accept an inherited faith that doesn’t resonate with her lived experience. This spiritual exploration is mirrored in the character of her mother, Barbara (Rachel McAdams), who is navigating her own identity crisis as she transitions from a professional art teacher to a stay-at-home suburban mother. Their relationship forms the film’s emotional backbone, illustrating how open communication can bridge intergenerational gaps and transform the mother-daughter dynamic from one of control to one of mutual discovery and healing. Barbara’s personal history of religious ostracization adds a layer of weight to Margaret’s quest, suggesting that the daughter’s freedom is a hard-won extension of the mother’s past struggles.

Ultimately, Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret is a celebratory exploration of the universality of women’s experiences across decades. Though set in the early 1970s—an era marked by the second-wave feminist movement’s push for bodily and political rights—the film’s themes of identity formation and the right to ask difficult questions remain timeless. It reminds us that true growth requires an environment where women and girls can express their needs and boundaries without judgment. By centering the female gaze on the quiet, often overlooked rituals of coming-of-age, Kelly Fremon Craig has created a work that is both a nostalgic period piece and a vibrant, essential dialogue for the present. It affirms that a girl’s spiritual and physical questions are not mere “phases” to be endured, but are among the most important inquiries she will ever make in her life.