Who says there’s no such thing as an answer to prayer? “Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret” appears intent on putting any doubts among anxious book readers to rest, as the famous coming-of-age tale certainly seems to have been translated as faithfully and lovingly to the big screen as possible — not that anyone should’ve been worried about that in the first place, with such a strong creative team attached.
Written and directed by Kelly Fremon Craig, her second feature film comes with no shortage of expectations and pressure to live up to the original story. The adaptation stars Abby Ryder Fortson (who portrayed Scott Lang’s young daughter Cassie in the first two “Ant-Man” movies) as the eponymous Margaret, alongside Rachel McAdams as her mother Barbara, Kathy Bates as her grandmother Sylvia, and the rather inspired casting of filmmaker/actor Benny Safdie as her father Herb. Expect the film to hit theaters on April 28, 2023.
For over fifty years, Judy Blume’s classic and groundbreaking novel “Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret” has impacted generations with its timeless coming of age story, insightful humor, and candid exploration of life’s biggest questions. In Lionsgate’s big-screen adaptation, 11-year-old Margaret (Abby Ryder Fortson) is uprooted from her life in New York City for the suburbs of New Jersey, going through the messy and tumultuous throes of puberty with new friends in a new school. She relies on her mother, Barbara (Rachel McAdams), who is also struggling to adjust to life outside the big city, and her adoring grandmother, Sylvia (Kathy Bates), who isn’t happy they moved away and likes to remind them every chance she gets.