May 12 – 16

7 pm Nightly
Matinee Sun May 14 @ 1:30
Mother’s Day special treats for moms!
Rated PG— 1 hr 46 min
Comedy / Drama Adeptation

Judy Blume’s novel, Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret — a modest story of a sixth grader who, on the cusp of puberty, finds herself talking with God — endures because it offers readers solace during a famously uncertain time. Puberty happens to everyone, but amid newly sprouting pimples and peculiar body odors one can suddenly feel desperately alone. The magic of Kelly Fremon Craig’s film adaptation comes from its respectful reanimation of the source material. It stays close to Margaret and her emotions, using them to honor an already sturdy narrative while also expanding our understanding of the world around her.

The film works because it’s a love letter from one Blume fan to many others. It is a responsible and uncomplicated adaptation, one that capitalizes on the story’s lore and legacy. This is also one of those rare teen movies where the parents aren’t duds: her father Herb (Benny Safdie) and mom Barbara (Rachel McAdams) are wonderful as parents who know they have to largely sit on the sidelines as Margaret navigates all this new confusion, though they’re also at the ready to catch her when she slips. As Margaret makes her way through a new neighborhood, new friends and the peculiarity of puberty, she keeps God in the loop. Later, spurred by a school project from her teacher (Echo Kellum), she tries to find him through different religions.  

Of course, at least on the surface, Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret, is designed for young people. But there’s a transportive quality about it too. I’m not sure it’s possible to watch it as a grownup and not see, somewhere on that screen, a version of the awkward little person you used to be. It’s only taken half a century. But “Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret,” Judy Blume’s enduring 1970 bestseller about a pre-teen girl’s tug-of-war with puberty and religion, has finally made it to the big screen. And the result is totally irresistible.