Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret review ★★★★★

Given the recent increase of school-book banning in the US, a fresh adaptation of Judy Blume’s popular and controversial novel Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret arrives at a perfect time. The Blume Hive had largely evaded this male, millennial critic, but the writer/director Kelly Fremon Craig (The Edge of Seventeen) provides a wonderful introduction to the author’s work.

The film even warrants more than its 100-minute runtime. When the end credits roll, you're bereft as much as moved by the story of 11-year-old Margaret Simon (Abby Ryder Fortson), who's gently tumbling over the spiky threshold into puberty and adolescence. A 10-part series would’ve been great, but the concept suits the chosen medium well.

The novel is over 50 years old, but Are You There God feels so new and educational on the big screen – even, and perhaps especially, for this viewer (probably not the intended demographic). Is it because, historically, the dominant cinematic examples of adolescence have been geared towards the boys? Probably. As such, this 70s coming-of-age comedy proceeds with a sharp, modern edge.

Rachel McAdams, Danny Safdie and Abby Ryder Fortson as Barbara, Herb and Margaret Simon. Photo: Lionsgate

Margaret is raised in a mostly secular household with Christian mum Barbara (Rachel McAdams) and Jewish dad Herb (Benny Safdie of the Safdie brothers). She tries to figure out her beliefs while maintaining a mental, pen-pal-like relationship with the Almighty. These one-sided voiceover exchanges increase as the family moves out of New York City, away from Margaret’s vivid grandmother (an exuberant Kathy Bates), and into the viridescent suburbs of New Jersey.

But despite her endearing fear and awkwardness of starting anew, Margaret manages to make friends. She’s even accepted into a secret club – run by her super-confident neighbour Nancy (Elle Graham) – to discuss boys, bras and periods. All of them wait eagerly for their bodies to grow and change. At one point, they're inspired by a centrefold in a stolen copy of Playboy. They even commit to a hilarious exercise routine to increase their bra size, chanting ‘We must – We must – We must increase our bust!’

These scenes show the joyful absurdity of childhood. But they also reveal the cracks of insecurity, especially when Margaret and the club bully and gossip about the lonely tall girl Laura Danker (Isol Young), whose body develops earlier than theirs.

Left to right: Abby Ryder Fortson, Amari Price, Elle Graham and Katherine Mallen Kupferer as Margaret, Janie, Nancy and Gretchen. Photo: Lionsgate.

Although Benny Safdie provides charming Dad Vibes, Rachel McAdams often steals the frame – giving Barbara understated strength and kindness.

Barbara hides her occasional struggles to keep it all together, trying to succeed as a suburban housewife after giving up as an art teacher. It’s quietly crushing when she tells Margaret why her own mum and dad don’t visit, McAdams portraying that difficult parental need to keep emotions in check. And it’s crucial: not only in simplifying seemingly complex matters for a pre-teen child, but also in showing Margaret that her parents are nuanced humans in their own right.

The biggest praise, however, needs to go to Abby Ryder Fortson as Margaret – dissolving performance altogether to create a genuine portrait of a young girl. She captures the naivety, the frustration and the uncertainty of that age, portraying perfectly that insecure need to fit in and hide her true self to maintain a comfortable social status.

Margaret Simon is the perfect child heroine, and the warmth of her funny, anxious adventure into womanhood complements these latter days of spring.

Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret will be in UK cinemas on Friday 19 May.