Having read Judy Blume’s book at age seven or eight, I could barely recall the plot of Are You There, God? It’s Me, Margaret. But once I saw the Simon family onscreen, I was transported back in time, to my own childhood home in suburban New Jersey.
Like Margaret, I’m an only child to two dedicated parents, who, though they both worked, were involved in my school and my life in general. I related to the film’s more ‘juvenile’ elements, like praying to get your period (or in my case, praying not to), buying my first bra and having that one friend who always calls the shots (and has the most perfect pink-and-white bedroom you’ve ever seen). The spin-the-bottle scene mirrored a series of events which did not go down well with my school, and my friends and I also took sock-wearing very seriously.
As an adult, the film’s coming-of-age elements feel familiar and at many times funny, with a lighthearted seriousness that never turns silly – and never critiques Margaret for her naïvety. We’ve all been adolescent, begging some higher power for a bigger bust or any sign of our impending woman-hood.
There are certain growing pains that girls tend to face, no matter the decade: the painfully scripted sex-ed classes, the tiny cuts from secret leg-shaving sessions and embarrassing moments in front of friends’ older brothers. Writer-director Kelly Fremon Craig captures these moments in their emotional entirety, with the help of Abby Ryder Fortson, who plays 11-year-old Margaret Simon.
Besides the standard puberty stuff, Margaret faces a divided family, religious uncertainty and some not-so-nice social politics. Fremon Craig presents these less pleasant elements from multiple perspectives; Margaret’s mother Barbara (Rachel McAdams) sticks out among the PTA moms, most of whom are cliquey, spoon-feeding housewives. She’s estranged from her “devout” Christian parents, who denounced her after she married a Jewish man. This thorny relationship serves as one of several key tensions, raising the stakes of Margaret’s divine decision between the two faiths.
Perhaps the most compelling throughline is that of the Pre-Teen Sensations, the four-person girl-group comprised of Margaret, Nancy (Elle Graham), Gretchen (Katherine Mallen Kupferer) and Janie (Amari Alexis Price). I experienced a similar situation (we called ourselves the ‘Fantastic Four’) and had my own Nancy Wheeler who, strangely enough, practised kissing in a similarly ridiculous way. The dynamic between the Pre-Teen Sensations felt uncannily familiar; it echoed an incredibly formative force in my own young years.
The film’s creative decisions also add to its relatability. Nancy’s bedroom shows that not much changed between 1970 and 2000; my more affluent friends also had tear-out posters adorning their walls and princess-style canopy beds. Her screened-in porch was just like that of my next-door neighbour, and the swinging door brought back memories of skin torn open when it shut too quickly.
More than anything, Are You There, God? shows just how much can change in one pubescent year. It’s a film of firsts: kisses, periods, bras, best friends. It’s a true coming-of-age piece – a constant reminder that whilst growing up can be terrifying, we all go through it together.
