For more than four decades , the Judy Blume novel " Are You There God ? It ’s Me , Margaret " has help oneself girls understand such " taboo " theme as get your full stop or corrupt your firstbra . And for almost as long , Blume turned down requests from producers to turn the beloved novel into a movie .
But all that changed in October 2018 whenBlume granted the film rightsto producer James L. Brooks ' Gracie Films and to Kelly Fremon Craig who wrote and directed the teen - oriented film " The Edge of Seventeen . "
And in conclusion , girls ( and women ! ) everywhere who ’ve been waiting since that announcement do n’t have much longer to waitress . The movie version of the bookpremieresApril 28 and we could n’t be more excited .
" [ We ’ve ] spent much meter together talk about ' Are You There God ? It ’s Me , Margaret ' and [ I ’m ] so looking forward to seeing their combined vision of ' Margaret ' on the screen , " Blume told us in an emailed argument in 2018 .
Timeless Coming of Age Book
So what makes this novel so special ? Published in 1970 , " Are You There God ? It ’s Me Margaret " tells the story of an 11 - class - honest-to-goodness girl named Margaret Simon who ’s the girl of a Jewish father and a Christian mother . raise without any particular religion , Margaret talks to God throughout the book as she navigates growing up ( particularly about capture her menses ) and tries to image out which religious belief she should join .
" As far as I ’m aware , it was the first novel write for young jejune girls that accurately , thoroughly , and non - judgmentally described puberty , " untried grownup writer and former Viking Children ’s Books editorLeila Salessaid in an e-mail when we talked to her in 2018 . " It treated the average experiences common to fundamentally every young teen lady friend as something important enough to write a book about , "
That feeler resonate well with preadolescent lady friend . " My mom did n’t tell me squat about pubescence and other than a brochure my sister brought home from a health class at school ( which was AWFUL ) , I had Judy Blume as my only guide , " Ellen Mangold in Thompson ’s Station , Tennessee , said in an email . " I retrieve feeling like [ Blume ] had bewitch all my crazy idea on paper . I was so glad to know that I was n’t the only soul who worry about all that stuff . "
While just about everyone remembers many of the more - gimmicky aspects of the book of account ( like the group chant " We must , we must , we must increase our bust ! " ) " Are You There , God ? " also opened a wad of young eyes to spiritual differences and options . The book presented organized religion as a choice or else of something you were bear into . That was a first for many reader .
Although the book is for the most part fiction , author Blume drew on personal experience to develop the spiritual aspect , writing on her websitethat like Margaret , she " had a very personal human relationship with God that had little to do with unionised religion . God was my booster and confidant . "
Courting Controversy
While the al-Qur’an research climax of years with candid humor that resonated with lector , it was n’t without its detractors . Despite Blume ’s good intention , the story ’s perceived intimate and " anti - Christian " subject mattercaused much controversy .
As a result , the presence of the book was fought in plenty of libraries around the land , although only removed from those in Gilbert , Arizona , elemental school . Other school opted to require a written note of approval from parent for checkout .
Despite these roadblocks , however , " Are You There God ? " became a societal turn item that resonates with mother and daughters around the world even today .
" I remember how it made me feel : normal and hear and like it was going to be OK . And I remember thinking Judy Blume was the only grownup on Earth who remembered what it was like to be a immature lady friend , " Michelle Brownlee of Spring Hill , Tennessee said . " She temper things that were not discussed at home and only whisper about among friends . "
From Book to Big Screen
In the big - covert adjustment , 11 - year - old Margaret is played by Abby Ryder Fortson who ’s extirpate from her life in New York City and moves to the suburbs of New Jersey .
Margaret relies on her mother , Barbara ( wager by Rachel McAdams ) , who also is struggling to adjust to their raw life outside the Big Apple , and her adoring grandmother , Sylvia ( meet by Kathy Bates ) who is also learning how to live in this latest phase of her own life . The pic opens April 28 , 2023 in theaters everywhere .
