Zibby Mag

By Sierra Grazia

I read Judy Blume’s Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret for the first time when I was twelve. My mother passed down her worn copy to me like a sacred heirloom. The exchange felt precious, like she had shared a secret I was finally trusted to keep. When I heard that the book had been adapted into a movie I was both excited and cautious. Generations of readers have loved and cherished Margaret’s story—that’s a difficult standard to meet.

As rare as it is, the film did not disappoint.

Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret explores identity in every sense of the word. The narrative centers on Margaret Simon (played beautifully by Abby Ryder Fortson), a sixth-grade girl who has just moved from New York City to New Jersey. Growing up without a religious identity (her mother is Christian, her father is Jewish), Margaret begins a quest to determine her own beliefs while facing what every young girl experiences on the cusp of puberty.

Fortson shines, embodying a young girl that others her age will immediately find solace in, while allowing women of any age to relive a bit of their past through her journey. She expertly captures Margaret’s feelings of confusion, wonder, and curiosity: a performance that does justice to both the original character as well as to every girl or boy who has felt overwhelmed by newness, whether from moving to a new place, making new friends, discovering new changes in their bodies, or simply trying new things. Elle Graham as Nancy Wheeler similarly excels, her direct and often sharp attitude a far different reaction to youth and its challenges than Margaret’s quieter curiosities.

While the story is undeniably familiar, I was pleasantly surprised. Perhaps it is because I am no longer a twelve-year-old girl, but I find myself captivated by the character of Margaret’s mother, Barbara Simon (played by Rachel McAdams). Not only does her performance meet expectations, but it also reveals how the story is not only for young girls. McAdams connects with us through the power of her unique expression, conveying her unspoken fight to do what is right for her family, Margaret specifically, while taking care of herself at the same time. She uncovers a storyline within the film that I did not remember when I met these characters on the page years ago. As hard as it is to be a tween, it is equally as challenging to be a mother of a soon-to-be teenager.

The film will make fans of the book feel nostalgic, while opening a new door for those who have never met the characters before. I am even tempted to revisit the pages of that worn copy, which is magical in itself. In a world where book adaptations all too often leave readers exiting the theater with heavy hearts, this film is certainly an outlier. I left my seat with a smile.

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Sierra Grazia is a graduate of Ithaca College where she received her B.A. in creative writing and a double minor in comparative literature and writing for film, television, and emerging media. Sierra is currently earning her MFA from Emerson College’s Popular Fiction Writing & Publishing program. She lives in New Jersey and is a marketing manager for Zibby Books.