Ci sei Dio? Sono io, Margaret.

"Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret" is a delightful coming-of-age comedy written and directed by Kelly Fremon Craig, acclaimed for her previous work on "The Edge of Seventeen." With a cleverly crafted script and an ensemble cast of immense talent, this film offers a heartfelt exploration of puberty, identity, and religious conflicts, all while delivering an ample dose of humor.

Based on the beloved novel of the same name by Judy Blume, published in 1970, if this cinematic adaptation is accurate to the book, then I'd love to read it. The film follows the journey of Margaret Simon, portrayed with remarkable aplomb by Abby Ryder Fortson, as she navigates the challenges of adolescence in the picturesque suburbs of New Jersey. Margaret finds herself at a crossroads, torn between the Christian faith of her mother and the Jewish heritage of her father. As she grapples with this internal conflict, her English teacher assigns her a research paper on religion, setting the stage for a witty and thought-provoking exploration of religious prejudice, traditions, and the clash of beliefs.

Kelly Fremon Craig's screenplay masterfully strikes a balance between humor and depth, utilizing incisive satire to expose the absurdity of religious bias and stereotypes on top of all the awkwardness of pueburty. Within this comedic framework, the film conveys poignant messages about tolerance, empathy, and the importance of embracing one's individuality, all while providing genuine moments of self-discovery and personal growth.

The young cast members deliver exceptional performances, infusing the film with authenticity and charm. Abby Ryder Fortson's portrayal of Margaret is a revelation, capturing the complexities of adolescence with charisma and vulnerability. Rachel McAdams and Benny Safdie bring a delightful blend of humor and warmth to their roles as Margaret's parents, while Kathy Bates delivers a standout performance as Margaret's melodramatic grandmother, stealing every scene she appears in.

Clocking in at a runtime of 1 hour and 46 minutes, "Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret" maintains a brisk pace, ensuring that the audience remains fully engaged throughout the film. The cinematography beautifully captures the detailed facial expressions, New Jersey Suburbs, and elegantly dressed sets, enhancing the authenticity and relatability of Margaret's upbringing.

This cinematic adaptation successfully draws inspiration from the classic 1970 novel by Judy Blume, retaining its timeless themes and endearing charm. The film pays homage to its source material while adding contemporary nuances that resonate with modern audiences. It's a testament to Kelly Fremon Craig's skill as a writer and director, deftly blending elements of nostalgia and fresh perspectives.

Kelly Fremon Craig's talented storytelling, combined with outstanding performances from the talented cast, makes this film a must-watch for audiences of all ages. It effortlessly captures the essence of adolescence, providing a humorous and thought-provoking exploration of religious identity and acceptance in the suburbs of New Jersey.

Story wise, this movie is exceptional as it walks you through the life and journey of a young girl's daily life in elementary school, moving, summer as she struggles to find meaning and purpose.

From a Faith Based Movie perspective, this movie is not about Christianity, Judaism, Catholicism, Atheism, but a journey of discovering hope in God, as a young girl finds herself caught in a family of parents from two different religious backgrounds while facing life challenges every kid experiences and many parents experience.

Exceptional acting, directing, story and cinematography. Perhaps one of the best movies I've seen in quite a few years about average people.

Highly recommended family movie, especially for children in dual religious families where division has occurred.

One of the beautiful things about this movie, is that it doesn't attempt to give the correct answer, as most Faith Based films do, it merely shows one girls struggle as she goes looking for the answer, and the resolution at the end movie leaves one feeling hopeful.

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.

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.

Kelly Fremon Craig, who earlier wrote and directed The Edge of Seventeen comes up with yet another brilliant effort here. Abby Ryder Fortson is the lady of the hour and she's excellent in her portrayal of 12-year-old Margaret who navigates high-school life and everything else that comes with it after moving to NJ from NY in the '70s. I mean, wow! How beautiful it is to see Margaret grow up without the existence of smartphones and TikTok-ing and all that new-age, validatory baggage. There's so much adorable charm that Abby brings to the central character, coming off as someone all of us (regardless of gender) can relate to. She's going through that inexplicable phase in life where she has to figure everything out including making friends, menstruation, boys, religion, grandparents, etcetera. The film captures all of these aspects without applying filters, making it a refreshingly enjoyable watch.

The supporting cast is incredible too - be it Rachel McAdams (who rocks those '70s mom jeans👖), Benny Safdie, Kathy Bates, and the rest. And for a film with a child protagonist, there's a surprising amount of well-written situational humour. The climax warmed my heart and made me realize how seamlessly and subtly the film underlined its feel-good nature. The cinematography and production design also bring back the aesthetic beauty of the era; a time when apparel, furniture, cars, and houses came with a certain handcrafted allure. The adult characters in the film also get nicely fleshed out, and Barbara's (McAdams) arc especially, is a satisfying one. This wonderful story of "girlhood" almost feels like an old-school throwback to Bo Burnham's Eighth Grade, although they're both very different films.