Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret.

At least marginally better than "Are You There, God? It's me, Jonah Hill. From Moneyball."

Succinctly and pleasantly low stakes; there isn't any high-great drama, until the last twenty minutes, but the tone is consistent and manages to get deep about Faith, or really the absence of it, or how hard it can be for a young person to comprehend how, as Margaret ultimately puts it in the assignment to the teacher, religion makes people fight all the time.

For the most part, this is a story that is a School Year in the Life abd it's perfectly content to be about things like, oh, how you're fitting in with a new group of friends (some more agreeable than others), which boys are cute or not, and yet it's actually about something deeper due to the comparison the film makes between Margaret with Nancy and Margaret's Mom with the PTA (led by... Nancy's Mom): a Group isn't inherently a bad thing, but when there's one person asking or really demanding for this and that with pressures it can add to the already-there pressure of life in Suburbia.

Abby Ryder Fortson is so appealing and wonderful in the lead part, where your heart always goes out to her and she is funny and sympathetic and sometimes awkward in that way an 11 to 12 year old is at that time. The film maybe wraps everything up a little too tidy by the end for me, but it's hard to make a fuss when what is all wrapped up is all just, well, "will I finally talk to Moose who mows the lawn, or will "It" happen in the bathroom?" I never read the book, but it feels like it probably managed to bring everything in adaptation that was necessary (though I wonder if things between Margaret and Nancy came more to a head in the book than here, where things just kind of leave off on a silent understanding of a lie).

If it doesn't reach quite the heights of the director's previous movie, Edge of Seventeen, it's still never less than entertaining, amusing is not always funny (ok the dinner scene with both sides of the families is funny), and it's impressive that this can be in theaters as something for families to see that isn't the more soulless IP or candy-coated fast food.

So much to think about after seeing this today. I thought the acting was very good. Realistic. In 4th grade I remember a big controversy at my school about this book. We were not allowed to read it. That was 1978. How refreshing to see what all the fuss was about. Anyway, I enjoyed seeing this film and look forward to buying the book! Powerful. Kathy Bates character is so lovable and fun. Who wouldn't want a Grandma like that? Her timing is hilarious. She's so warm in all the right places. She's the true hero to me. Costumes/attire/fashions seemed believable. Kudos to costume designers. Of course kudos to Judy Blume for the courage to write a book for girls with big ideas. Because we have brains.

This delightful coming of age drama remains sweet and innocent yet honest and heartfelt, never pretending that puberty is easy or otherwise pandering to its potentially young audience. Crucially, though, 'Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret.' presents the pre-teen struggles of its protagonist not as demons to overcome, but as milestones to celebrate; they're just a part of growing up, arguably even more important than all the easy moments. It challenges the stigma that society places on a young woman's journey into adulthood simply by presenting it in a true and complimentary way, allowing it to breathe within a non-judgmental space that openly loves the often messy yet always necessary process. It laughs in the face of taboo, unashamedly portraying a girl's first period as an exciting key moment in her development (and as a metaphor for growing up) and showcasing the 'boy crazy', body anxious, socially conscious, inherently awkward lifestyle of a kid in the 6th grade without resorting to tired clichés or stereotypes. It captures that feeling of everything being incredibly important, even though a lot of it actually isn't. As an adult, you spend a lot of time wishing you were a care-free kid again; as a kid, you spend most of your time wishing you'd grow up and become an adult. When you're young, it doesn't matter matter how many times a grown-up tells you that you'll miss being the age you are, you never believe them; when you're older, you'll wish you had. Another large portion of the picture's theming is that of religion. Its protagonist is given the freedom to choose her own religion, coming from progressive interfaith parents who've opted to raise her without religion due to past trauma that I won't spoil. It handles this really well, too, and is unbiased when it comes to its treatment of the subject. Its message is ultimately an affirming one that ought to appeal to viewers of all kinds, one that opts not to tell people what to think but rather that they should. It essentially says that you should have the freedom to choose what you believe in and how you live your life, positing that you don't have to be religious to believe in God and can feel connected to a higher power (or not) in whatever way works for you. When the source novel was first released in 1970 (which is also when this adaptation is set, meaning that the movie is a period piece even though the book technically isn't), it was apparently highly controversial due not only to its open depiction of female puberty, but also because it had the audacity not to preach to its young readers and suggest that they don't have to blindly follow the religion of their parents. I imagine in some circles, the progressive piece is still controversial, but it's interesting that what once seemed radical now just seems like common sense (and good parenting) to me. Considering the title, though, this story is far more about growing up in general than it is about growing up searching for God, and it's all the better for it. The two elements are balanced well and form a cohesive whole, but the main takeaway from the movie is the subtle yet significant development of its protagonist (the other key characters also all undergo small yet important arcs). Abby Ryder Fortson impresses as the eponymous Margaret, perfectly capturing a multitude of emotions without overselling any of them. The performances, in general, are understated yet brilliant. Benny Safdie is great in his smaller role, Kathy Bates is as radiant as ever and Rachel McAdams really knocks your socks off - particularly in one emotionally charged scene. The supporting kids are all believable and engaging, too. This is the sort of film that doesn't shout about its performances, yet the cast is consistently brilliant across the board and each actor brings to life the brilliant screenplay in a distinctly believable way. The wonderful writing does an amazing job adapting its source material, making considered use of narration (that never feels overbearing) and an almost vignette-like structure to convey the year-long journey of its characters. The picture has a palpable suburban atmosphere capable of instilling nostalgia even in those unfamiliar with its setting or central situation. It feels universally relatable despite being pleasingly specific (or maybe that precision is precisely why it's so accessible). It's the sort of thing that can appeal to everybody, but I can imagine that it's especially important to young girls and their parents. It's genuinely inclusive and progressive, even for today, and it has plenty of important things to say about growing up and taking control of your own life. It's just an extremely pleasant picture, one that's as charming as it is competently crafted. Ultimately, it's a breezy, enjoyable, funny, heartwarming and wonderfully honest experience from beginning to end. It's great.

LIKES:

The Pace -It's very good. A movie that feels like a good book that brings you in with every page and keeps you reading.

-Margert's journey has a pace that isn't too slow and not too fast, coming together to make these things handle all of this simplistic adventure so well to many audiences.

-Religion has adequate time for experience without being preachy. Girl issues get the time without isolating guys. And the drama is fleshed out and planned enough to be a staple without becoming a sob fest.

-Add the other elements, and it is just entertaining to watch to a reviewer like me that makes things fun, friendly, and just engaging without going too silly.

-Excellent planning by the team in this story adaptation and wonderful direction to mix all of this so well in the short time.

The Handling Of Sensitive Content -It's a movie that addresses a lot of topics that a young girl might be facing.

-Religion, biology, love, family tension, and more are all in here and these are heavy topics that today may be a tad in your face about.

-But for me, this movie just didn't feel that way, at least not too often, as we get this dive into an exploration of all these concepts for a girl in that decade.

-It touches enough and really keeps it to the affected person, vs. Going on an agenda driven rant designed to sway your thinking, and you know what... it works.

-The movie puts so much into balancing this journey and showing the character not the concept and in doing that, again captures a book feel that welcomes watching and not eye rolling like so many "storytellers" do.

-And even though there is overreacting by the character... it still jus works so well to give food for thought, but never force anything. It was kind of awesome and I appreciated how well it handled so much when it came to making a good movie.

The Comedy: -I can't say I was laughing my head off all the time, but the comedy is classy, fun, and designed for the target audience quite well.

-This movie may be targeting younger females, and females who went through this, but the comedy is portrayed in a way that you can laugh and appreciate the awkwardness of the situation.

'A chant to work on breast growth was the one that had me laughing, while Margaret's quiet time with God added staples that were just so well done with both emotion and laughs, I couldn't help but look forward to the next prayer session.

-Again, it's part of a story and doesn't try too hard to work itself in, but rather focuses on just making it a part of the story and that works for me.

-I love this aspect of movies and find that to do this so well, works super well with the natural flow and I loved every moment of it.

How Cute It Is -Again the movie is all about being family friendly but not to the point of being annoying to watch.

-Margaret's tale is quite honestly family friendly, but not dumbed down. It helps present so much, but never lose the finger on the pulse of the person's journey for some gospel about the way you should move.

-And in that discovery, in the way of handling things with mistakes, successes, and joys and downfalls... it's something that makes me absolutely enjoy the movies and keep to the feel of the movie.

-And to have such a family friendly movie, well... I can't help but promote seeing this in theaters if you can for just how well they captured a young character's experience in life without it being a slog.

-And the fact that you have the realistic feel without being bored to tears, we once again have a surprise for what is coming up in the future.

The Setting/Taking Us Back In Time -Like Foreman's movie, I love when somebody pays attention to details to make me come back in time.

-Margaret's costume design is certainly something that will anchor a lot of people, whether those looking for new outfit ideas, to the times where that was standard apparel.

-Then you get those car moments that take me back to the 60s-70s, wide frames, safety laws a little laxer, and that stuffing the family in the car aspect that I absolutely loved.

-And then throw in all the houses and even the school feel and you are getting this again step to the past that may not be the most needed aspect, but helps make the time period come to life a bit without robbing the modern relevance I think this story was shooting for achieving.

-That is something I absolutely loved, and found that balance quite clever and subtle.

Acting -By far, the acting makes the movie sensational and certainly something that I think brought the movie the highest it could bever be.

-All the feel and acting was quite honestly mediocre to great, nothing too bad, and establishing a community with the time you had. While not every character got the time I would have liked, it was quite good with how they handled things.

-But to the main three as I do, starting with Kathy Bates, the woman is great at the number of roles she can play. She always has that baseline she launches from, and it's there, but as the grandmother she has some pop to it that reminds me of three of her characters wrapped into one.

-McAdams is playing a role I think she is quite familiar with, but to me works better. It's dramatic certainly, but she does well to curb towards the mother with elements that actually relieve us of the crying theatrics she's good at.

-I liked her balance role and the chemistry she had with so many worked so well to convey this mom going through the motions and doing her best to thrive.

-And then comes the star of the show, Fortson. This girl has blown my mind with how well she acted in Ant-man, but wow, she has upped her game so much in this short amount of time.

-She's so good at conveying the emotions of the middle school aged girl, and I loved the way she just interacted so much depending on where she was.

-She sells Margaret's role so well, the confusion, the vulnerability, the friendship and joy that she alone is a movie on herself. And how she never feels overacted either, just focusing on doing the job right and really selling me this 12-13 year old girl going through a lot of life's trials.

-I look very much forward to her future roles if she does this movie's performance in other films.

DISLIKES:

Predictable -It's a movie about life and a specific aspect of life, and you can pretty much guess what is coming from about twenty minutes into the film.

-The foreshadowing and emphasis on certain things paints a big target for where it is going and the familiar tale does not do much to mix things up.

-Is it the worst thing? For me, no, because the other aspect make it fun and a nice refresh in this type of film, the quality and presentation helping make it fun and fresh.

-But, I can't say there is really any excitement which can dull the movie theater experience for many of my fellow friends.

A Little More Finesse For Finishing Some Scenes -There are moments where I'd have liked a little more gumption and movie magic to handle the scene and finish these trials a tad better.

-Margaret's journey is again not meant to be her kung-fu fighting or solving a murder mystery, but I also expected a little more creativity and spectacle for this strong young woman to finish out.

-It sticks to the feelings of realism, but a little more dialogue, a good deed, or something might have gone more for me. I'm guessing other books might help this out, or maybe they had to edit for time, but a little more finesse would have gone a little ore.

-In addition, I would also say that there were other characters I wanted more time with, but again, a sequel of some sort may be perfect to see in the future and give me more time later with the group established.

I wanted More -To be honest, I wanted more with how much fun I was having with this film.

-And sadly the time limit bit it in the butt a bit for robbing us of more fun, though I do have to appreciate the fact that it is time sensitive.

-Had this been a seasonal series, I might have gotten the perfect time with this character, but not bad for a dislike.

The VERDICT Margaret is a wonderful character, and her first film on screen was sensationally balanced above what I was expecting and thoroughly entertaining. It's a fun adventure that might not be the most unique, but has this fun flair and presentation that makes me enjoy going to the movies. A pace that is respectful of time and content, a great setting with actors to bring the characters to life, and just a great fun feeling are all the rages of this film that I love. And even more, seeing such heavy content presented so well and not having an agenda made this movie even more amazing for me to view. True, there isn't as much theater quality, and the movie's predictable timeline and lackluster finishes may not be the most wow factor. But in all honesty, they are minor compare to other films that come out and handling this tale was quite fun for me. Thus, this movie is definitely meant for the target audience and even more so for families to go see in theaters, while the rest should be checking it out at home if you can get access. My scores for this film re:

Comedy drama: 8.5 Movie Overall: 8.0.

This movie was beautiful. Judy Blume waited for the right person to take on her universe. Kelly Fermon Craig brought a simple touch to Blume's story, making it a true gem to watch.

I had read this book as a young girl and had my daughters read it while growing up. It has given girls a door into their own adolescence for more than 50 years.

I cringed just as I did 45 years ago at the awkward moments and feeling as an outsider as Margret did, but now I also cringed at the mother's misteps. I also known how trying to fit in to being a stay at home mom can be.

Thank goodness the film stuck to the time period. Seeing the electric skillet and blue Corningware made my day.

Thank you for a comfort food kind of movie.