Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret

In cinemas now

The journey from page to screen for Judy Blume’s titular coming-of-age tale has been laborious, with numerous studios bidding for the film rights before Blume herself opted to sell them to James L. Brooks and Kelly Fremon Craig. The latter won plaudits for her debut feature The Edge of Seventeen and does a stellar job here of doing justice to the highs and lows of girlhood, an experience that appears (to this writer at least) to be both uniquely personal and communal.

Such a juxtaposition would be ripe for misinterpretation in the wrong hands, but the aforementioned writer-director crafts a film that captures all of the contrasting emotions that are associated with coming of age, while also being unafraid to place a refreshingly honest spotlight on menstruation. Subsequently, Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret is arguably one of the most important films of the year and something that could prove a real help to any young girl navigating the difficult path to womanhood.

Tender and affecting to the last, this joyous picture is aided in no small part by a breakthrough lead performance from Abby Ryder Forston and an excellent supporting cast that includes Rachel McAdams, Benny Safdie, and a scene-stealing Kathy Bates. It also features one of Hans Zimmer’s most intriguing scores to date, in the sense that it is far less bombastic than much of his headline work.

Sometimes cinema can be at its most profoundly powerful when done simply, and Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret is a prime example of that.