Review: ‘Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret’ is a warm and sensitive tribute to Judy Blume's beloved novel that avoids any unnecessary updating.
concerns kids in a tricky liminal time, between childhood and adolescence. The kids are eager to get themselves to the next phase, but Fremon Craig and, of course, Blume don’t rush them. Nor are they determined to keep Margaret and her friends wholly innocent., already a seasoned veteran of the Marvel universe who ably renders Margaret’s guilelessness and occasional bouts of petulance.
Before too long, Margaret has fallen in with a queen-bee neighbor girl, Nancy , and her cohort, who all seem more advanced in their awareness of their bodies, and of boys. Margaret rushes to catch up to them, while keeping her crush, on a friend of Nancy’s brother, a closely guarded secret. At home, Margaret has begun to wonder about her cultural identity. Her father is Jewish; her mother is a lapsed Christian who no longer speaks to her bigoted parents.
I suppose it did in the book, too. The page, though, can provide the texture of internal monologue in a way the screen can’t, which may be why the religion part of the film feels stilted. Or maybe it’s the quaintness of this quest clashing against these brittle and brutal times of ours—and against an era in which so much young adult fiction is centered on romance in a waydecidedly is not.
Also notable is McAdams, who, as Margaret’s artsy mother, Barbara, deftly paints a thorough and compelling picture of a woman of the era—someone who, like Margaret, is stuck between who she was and who she seems to be becoming. I spoke to another grownup after our screening and we perhaps guiltily agreed that we wouldn’t have minded if the movie had been about Barbara instead.
Not that Margaret isn’t one to love. When her film is really singing, the audience is transported right back into the comforting, but not unchallenging, world of Judy Blume. Her characters, given thoughtful life by Fremon Craig and her cast, are all, most crucially, decent at heart, people trying to figure their way through life in ways hearteningly recognizable.
Australia Latest News, Australia Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
1 Underrated MCU Villain Is Basically a GodWhile fans know him as a dull-witted villain, one MCU antagonist is only just growing into his power - in the future, he'll basically become a god.
Read more »
What Older Voters Say About Biden 2024: From ‘He’s Fine’ to ‘Oh, God’PLANTATION, Fla. — Over the last three decades, Americans have chosen presidents who felt their pain and channeled their anger, who shattered historical barriers or seemed like enjoyable beer-drinking companions. But if voters often desire leaders who reflect themselves and their struggles, President Joe Biden’s potential bid for a second term, which he would conclude at the age of 86, is prompting exceptionally complicated feelings among one highly engaged constituency: his generational peers.
Read more »
I’m a proud Christian porn star — God put me on earth to enjoy sexual pleasureA Christian OnlyFans star says she feels more connected to her faith since she kickstarted her kinky career seven years ago, and now believes God put her on earth to help “liberate” oth…
Read more »
How This Rock God Resurrected Jeff Beck and Taylor HawkinsFor a man in his eighties, Ian Hunter has enjoyed a remarkably productive streak in recent years. The Mott the Hoople rocker tells The Daily Beast about his new album and working with everyone from Johnny Depp to the late Jeff Beck and Taylor Hawkins.
Read more »
Trump helped trans pageant contestant compete decade before saying ‘God created 2 genders’“We let her in,” Trump said in 2012. “Let’s see what happens. Maybe she’ll do well, maybe she won’t.”
Read more »
Jerry Lorenzo on Fear of God's landmark LA showStaged at the Hollywood Bowl, the brand's 10th anniversary runway debut was a complete telling of the story of American luxury.
Read more »