Warm, charming and tender: Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret reviewed

Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret is an adaptation of Judy Blume’s seminal young adult novel (1970) about an 11-year-old girl who talks to God about her friends and boys and who she wants to kiss and whether she’ll ever get breasts or menstruate. (This could also be called Are You There, Margaret? It’s Me, Your Period, and I’ll Come When I’m Ready!) Not being the target demographic, I assumed I’d be bored to death but, ever the professional, I drank 12 espressos and 17 cans of Red Bull beforehand. That turned out to be wholly unnecessary. This is a wonderfully charming, warm, tender, pitch-perfect film, much better than anything else I’ve seen recently. So that’s a good outcome, even if I did jangle for days afterwards.

This is a charming, warm, tender, pitch-perfect film, much better than anything else I’ve seen recently

The film is written for the screen and directed by Kelly Freman Craig, and Margaret is played by Abby Ryder Fortson, who would have to carry the day, and does, incandescently.