Movie Review Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret (2023)

 

Are You There God? It's me, Margaret | 2023 | 1h 46m
Genre: Coming-of-Age/Comedy/Drama/Family | Country: US
Director: Kelly Fremon Craig | Writers: Kelly Fremon Craig, Judy Blume
Cast: Abby Ryder Fortson, Rachel McAdams, Kathy Bates, etc.
IMDb: 7.3
My Rate: 8/10

Margaret's move to New Jersey brings her to a new environment and makes her think about life, friendship, love, adolescence, and her search for God.

Warning:

None

 

Synopsis:

Margaret (Abby Ryder Fortson) is surprised to learn about their move right after coming home from summer camp. Her dad got a promotion, so they have to move to New Jersey. Margaret is sad because she has to leave her friends and her grandmother, who lives alone.

Even though the move seems bad at first, Margaret quickly makes friends with her neighbor, Nancy (Elle Graham), who is in the same class as her. This friendship opens up new experiences for Margaret.

Nancy comes from a wealthy family. She's a bit arrogant, acting like she's popular at school. She forms a secret group that Margaret joins. Nancy is obsessed with signs of adolescence, which eventually influences Margaret.

While trying to find herself and adjust to her new environment, Margaret also starts searching for God in her life. Her parents have different religions, but they don't force Margaret to choose one. This makes it hard for Margaret to understand what God means.

Will Margaret be able to navigate her teenage years?

 

Review:

"Are You There God? It's me, Margaret" is based on the 1970 novel of the same name by Judy Blum. The story, which explores the self-discovery of a teenager, is very relatable to teenagers going through puberty. This makes the movie perfect for watching with family.

The story is well-structured and easy to understand. The conflicts are not overdone and have fairly good resolutions. However, some parts could be improved, especially the resolutions to the conflicts.

Her mother's issues with her parents don't have a clear resolution or a meeting point. The misunderstandings between Margaret and her friends seem to disappear suddenly without any resolution. And her search for God doesn't have a clear ending either.  But it's understandable that these things are still a process in a teenager's life.

The cinematography, color scheme, music, and sound effects are good. The acting is also pretty good. However, for a story set in the 1970s, the makeup and wardrobe don't really show the era.

Overall, this movie is enjoyable and has many lessons to learn.

 

Memorable Scene:

Margaret wants to know why she never met her grandparents on her mother's side. Her mom tells her about her strained relationship with her parents, especially after they found out she was going to marry her father, who had a different religion.

This scene shows that even though Margaret is young, her mother tries to explain and answer her questions honestly without hiding anything. This allows Margaret to judge the situation for herself.

 

Memorable Dialogue:

"She is no religion until she decides."

 

Ending:

Happy Ending

 

Recommendation:

Worth to Watch

 

(Aluna)