"Are You There, God? It's Me Margaret" Is A Nostalgic Celebration Of Womanhood

Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret. (2023) Official Trailer - Rachel McAdams

The movie opens with the titular Margaret (Abby Ryder Fortson) returning home from a wonderful summer at camp. She’s happy to be home, until she learns that her parents are moving the family from New York City to the suburbs of New Jersey.

Watching Margaret struggle with boys, agonize over when she’ll get her period, and constantly search for peace about her body, her religion, and her relationships is so real that it feels like you’re watching your own experiences, even if you didn’t grow up in the 70s.

The environment that Barbara (played by Rachel McAdams) and her husband Herb (played by Benny Safdie) create at home is safe and open, adding another layer of comfort that lets you exhale when you sit down to watch. Plus, the care with which Fortson handles her scenes welcomes you into the world in a remarkable way.

Are You There, God? It’s Me Margaret explores what you do when bad things happen. What do you do when your life turns upside down? How do you react if your circumstances spiral out of your control? Even if, on the surface, the issues that Margaret faces feel less drastic than getting laid off or losing a loved one, her experience still hits at childhood wounds. It’s like we live through the healing process all over again.

The emotional turning point of the film comes after a huge family fight between Barbara, Herb, and both sets of grandparents. After the argument, Margaret resolves herself to the fact that everything in her life is getting worse and there’s nothing that anyone is going to do about it. She hides in the school bathroom alone, stifling her sobs with her hands before taking a deep breath, wiping her tears, and disappearing into a crowd of smiling students.

The moment almost makes your heart stop, because there’s something so powerful about the isolation of shame and panic. It’s easy to feel the temptation to deal with everything on our own, then immediately put ourselves back together to face everyone else who’s smiling on the outside. Escaping from our emotions feels safer, even if it doesn’t help us grow.

It's only when Margaret returns home and sits on the couch with Barbara that things start to change. They help each other realize that they haven’t been true to themselves, both because Barbara has avoided her art and Margaret hasn’t been a good friend. Balancing love and truth, they push each other to be better versions of themselves. And the film ends with an empowering and lighthearted moment — Margaret finally gets her period and enters a new chapter of womanhood with courageous optimism as Barbara stands outside the door.

And that’s what Are You There God? It’s Me Margaret is all about. Just like Margaret hasn’t faced the challenges of high school or adulthood yet, there are things coming in our own lives that we can’t anticipate. But when you face them together, with the women around you and the strength inside you, you can face the toughest of new experiences. Because we’re not alone, we can charge headfirst into new territory again and again.