Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret.
Rachel McAdams as Barbara, Abby Ryder Fortson as Margaret, and Benny Safdie as Herbert in Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret.
Adapted from the much beloved novel, Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret. is director Kelly Fremon Craig’s follow-up to her (also much beloved) debut feature The Edge of Seventeen (fun fact: I saw that when I had, fittingly, just turned seventeen. Like, seriously, a week after). Having adored the humour and perspective baked into that project, it’s joyous to say that Craig’s second film is just as significantly charming and brilliantly well-realised as her last.
Margaret Simon (Abby Ryder Fortson) has moved. Leaving her old life (as well as her nana, Sylvia, played by Kathy Bates) behind, her mum (Rachel McAdams) and dad (Benny Safdie) whisk her away to New Jersey. There, she’ll learn a lot about religion, puberty, and herself.
This is a quintessential coming of age story and is sure to be a classic in due course. Filled to the brim with awkward comedy, genuine heart, and terrific performances. Particularly from Fortson, who shines as the titular character. A standout moment for me is a fantastic montage where the quartet of girls get ready for their geeky classmate Norman’s (Simms May) birthday. There’s something so hilariously twee about seeing a bunch of 11-year-olds pretend to be middle aged adults having a dinner party.
This film isn’t breaking any new ground in what the genre has done before, but it does fulfil its 100-minute runtime with a profound sense of wholesomeness. Even in the more tender scenes, there’s an overwhelming sense that everything will probably work out for Margaret. It’s wall to wall smiles, but not overbearingly or obnoxiously so, and it’s grounded and realistic in a way that doesn’t come across as bitter either.
One could make the argument that the original novel does all the heavy lifting here, and with any adaptation, some bulk of the credit must be shipped off to the original author. However, I think Craig was the perfect choice for Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret., and I am positively buzzing to see what she makes next.
