For some time, the relentless renewal of precious children’s stories was the most annoying trend in contemporary filmmaking. No, Disney, we don’t need live-action remakes for us. Lion King, The Little Mermaid, Peter Pan, PinocchioAnd moanais a movie that was released less than a decade ago. Who wanted to sing like crazy about Shawn Mendes humming pop songs? Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile rapport? Don’t even try to start me Wednesday.
Given all this, it felt natural to be skeptical of the first big-screen adaptation. Are you there, God? It’s me Margaretis Judy Blume’s eye-opening coming-of-age novel. Fortunately, it’s unlike any of the retellings mentioned above. This recreation is participating Paddington In the canon of rare adaptations that are even better than the already stellar original stories.
This sounds incredible when you think about it. Are you there, God? It’s me Margaret She has been educating young people on puberty, religion and family for over 50 years. This is a classic! You can’t get any better than this. But Blume said director Kelly Fremon Craig’s Hollywood adaptation was better than the source material, so I also feel good in confirming that.
Somehow the movie manages to live up to its promise of staying true to the original story, while also introducing fascinating new elements to illuminate it. This adaptation is not just for young girls in the health class; witty and heartwarming enough to please any audience, regardless of age, gender identity, or relationship to the book.
We meet sweet Margaret Simon (Abby Ryder Fortson) at a turning point in her life: she’s not just *breathing* puberty, but her family has also decided to make a big move to New Jersey for the new school year. Margaret is under pressure. All his life in New York! His lovely (but brash) grandmother, Silvia (Kathy Bates), lives there. She is a metropolitan young lady. All the great culture is in New York. Unfortunately, Margaret’s father Herb (Benny Safdie) has found a new job in the suburbs and her mother, Barbara (Rachel McAdams) wants more space to paint.
Like the original novel, this movie is set in the 1970s, but the story and overall design feel timeless. Simons decorates their home to stay true to the era, but it can also be ripped out of a design catalog from 2023;
Margaret doesn’t have an iPhone like middle schoolers do these days, but she makes new neighborhood friends like any sixth grader can – by accepting the first girl who knocks on her door as her new best friend. Nancy Wheeler (Elle Graham) invites Margaret to splash water at the next-door fountain. He enforces this by initiating the delightful (and yet often exhausting) friendship between Margaret and Nancy.
Nancy’s quest for popularity, a boyfriend, and bigger breasts (of course the iconic “We must! We must! We have to get our boobs bigger!” cutouts) come into Margaret’s life, one of the few dilemmas we see Margaret facing. There’s also the issue of missing her grandmother, which is resolved with a quick visit to New York. And then there’s the whole “God” thing that isn’t so easily resolved. Margaret is Jewish on her father’s side, while her mother’s estranged parents are Christian. Because of this, her family chooses not to celebrate any religious holidays – which scares Margaret every year, because that’s what most of her classmates do, or at least should do in December, when most of her classmates celebrate Christmas or Hanukkah. Something!
Angered at her family for the lack of gifts and general celebration, Margaret sets out to define her own religion. To Silvia’s delight, she demands to join the Temple. She attends a church service with Wheelers, who is a Christian. She tries to confess in a Catholic church, she. Nothing comes out of this journey for answers. Margaret struggles to grapple with her faith in an essay for the class that is both heartbreaking, soothing, and inspiring. If he can’t find the answers, it’s okay if similar young people (or older people) struggle with their beliefs and spirituality alike.
Again margaret grappling with such complex issues – puberty is no joke! – There is no second without a great sense of humor. When sixth grade girls have to retell a sex-related presentation from start to finish, we fawn with them, but then they see a penis and say, “It looks like a thumb!” We laugh when we shout. First kisses are gross and scary, middle school boys are more gross and scary, but the movie is smart enough to play with the fact that it was created to make them both laugh. Margaret’s quest to define her spirituality is fraught with dead ends and loneliness. Still, some murderous facial expressions and Margaret’s overly jovial response to her curiosity for Judaism are paired with a moment of jovial joy for Silvia, who feels like she’s been ripped out of the grandma playbook in the most hilarious way.
margaret it owes a lot to its source material, but without the impeccable casting decisions for the lead actors, the movie is nothing. With only a few scenes, Bates is miraculous and reminds everyone to call their grandmother if they’re lucky enough to get the opportunity. McAdams has her own PTA-mother subplot and brings grace and wit to the struggling Barbara role. All the child actors are phenomenal, but Fortson stands out in a way that it’s hard to imagine any other young actress could have. He is a force to be reckoned with, and now I will forever hear the title of the book read from his voice.
With smart middle school humor pencil15 and emotional weight Lady Bird, Are you there, God? It’s me Margaret enters the level of coming-of-age masterpieces. Judy Blume’s material has a history of turning down Hollywood adaptations – it’s good to be picky, because no other actress could pull off that feat. Even better: Another adaptation of his marvelous work is on the way. That’s what Blume fans deserve.
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