This weekend (May 12-14) we are showing Are you There God? It’s me Margaret. Friday and Saturday at 8:00PM and on Sunday at 2:00PM.
I haven’t read the book, but my wife says that it was one of her favorites when she was growing up. This contemporary realistic novel was popular with middle-grade readers in the 1970s for its relatable portrayal of a young girl confronting early-adolescent anxieties, such as menstruation, brassieres and boys. Judy Blume (the author) wrote that while the story was not autobiographical, “the character of Margaret, both physically and emotionally, is pretty close to the girl I was.”
Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret. has been frequently challenged and censored because of its frank talk about menstruation and its depiction of a child being allowed to decide for herself what religion she would prefer to adhere to.
In the big-screen adaptation, 11-year-old Margaret is uprooted from her life in New York City for the suburbs of New Jersey, going through the messy and tumultuous throes of puberty with new friends in a new school. She relies on her mother, Barbara, who is also struggling to adjust to life outside the big city, and her adoring grandmother, Sylvia, who isn’t happy they moved away and likes to remind them every chance she gets.
Both critics and audiences have very positive reviews for this movie.
Effervescent and refreshingly frank about the travails of puberty, this long-awaited adaptation does full justice to Judy Blume’s seminal novel.
Although the target audience is unquestionably mothers and daughters, Are You There God? It’s Me Margaret has things to say to viewers of all genders and ages.
Rating: PG-13 (Sexual Education | Thematic Material | Some Suggestive Material)
Runtime: 1h 45m
Starring: Rachel McAdams (The Notebook, Mean Girls), Abby Ryder Fortson (Ant-Man), Kathy Bates (Amazing actress… Too many to list!!!)
Trailer: https://youtu.be/LzRzojHC3iE