Judy Blume's Love Letter to Her Pre-Teen Self and the Perfect Movie Adaptation
About the Author
Judy Blume lived in Elizabeth, New Jersey making up stories in her head, eventually, she started writing her ideas down on paper. In the documentary, Judy Blume Forever, she explains why she wrote each book and how deeply connected she became to the young girls (and adults) who wrote her letters, asking for advice. She has 29 books under her belt and she has sold more than 90 million copies in 39 languages. Now, Blume and her husband George Cooper founded the independent, non-profit Books & Books @ The Studios.
What is Are you there gOD? iT’S mE, Margaret? abOUT?
Margaret Simon is almost 12 and she has just moved from New York City to New Jersey. She is nervous to start her new life in Farbrook because she has to make new friends and start all over again. The very first day Margaret meets Nancy Wheeler - who lives down the street from her - and she introduces her to Gretchen and Janie.
Together they form a secret club to talk about private subjects like boys, bras, and getting their first periods. Judy Blume doesn’t stop there, though. The most shocking thing about Margaret to her friends is that she doesn’t have a religion. She isn’t going to the Y or the Jewish Community Center. Margaret goes on a journey of self-discovery while her body is changing and there’s plenty of peer pressure
Who is in ‘Are you There God? It’s Me, Margaret.?
Abby Ryder Fortson as Margaret Simon
Rachel McAdams as Barbara Simon
Elie Graham as Nancy Wheeler
Kathy Bates as Sylvia Simon
Benny Safdie as Hal Simon
Is Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret Better than the book?
There have been many adaptations over the years, but none have felt so completely on par with the novel Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret. Writer-Director Kelly Fremon Craig along with Judy Blume adapted Margaret Simon’s story extremely well. Even though the book isn’t that long and many can read it within a day or two, the movie was well-paced and hit every beat from the novel. Abby Ryder Fortson gave an endearing performance as Margaret and she carried the film really well. It was also lovely to see a deeper connection between Barbara Simon (Rachel McAdams) and her daughter Margaret on screen versus the distance felt between them in the book.
Fremon Craig did a beautiful job of capturing the essence of being a pre-teen and the awkwardness that comes with it. More importantly, this comes from Judy Blume, who made 11-year-old Margaret Simon intelligent enough to want to discuss religion. Blume’s main goal with her novels was to connect with children because they do have a mind of their own and are smart enough to discuss such important issues. The more you hide things from them and shelter them the worse it’ll be for them to prepare for certain situations. The beauty of Blume’s work is that it doesn’t matter when you read her novels. Sure, some are geared toward children, but every adult can relate to what the children are feeling.
Why are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret, Is important for young girls
The reason why Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret is incredibly important for young girls everywhere because there is an open discussion about being a woman in this world. Because of societal ideals and gender norms, it’s hard for any child to actually develop a mind of their own. That’s why when they get into their teen years, they are able to break free of what they’ve been conditioned to think. As many of us have learned, being a woman is scary, it’s daunting, and realistically, there is no perfect way to be a woman. Judy Blume breaks that down at an early age because certain questions arise. Not only does Blume discuss menstruation, sexuality, and female friendships, she dives into a spiritual identity that challenges Margaret.
When any woman watches this at any age, they can see the struggles between three generations of women. Margaret’s grandmother Sylvia (Kathy Bates) is feeling lonely because her family has moved away. Her connection with Margaret is something beautiful and every grandchild should value the time they have with their grandparents. Margaret’s mother, Barbra has given up her life as an artist to get their new house in order and to take care of her daughter while her husband works on his new promotion. Margaret is having difficulty with adjusting to a new school, but she’s also struggling with wanting to grow up already so she doesn’t feel left out. It’s interesting to see how all three of them handle their issues but more importantly, you realize that growing up isn’t all that it’s cracked up to be. Even the rite of passage to becoming a woman is both beautiful and terrifying, and Fremon Craig explores all of this beautifully.
What did you think about Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret.? Let me know in the comments below and come join the discord for more discussions!
