Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret

Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret is a 2023 American coming-of-age comedy drama film written for the screen and directed by Kelly Fremon Craig, based on the 1970 novel of the same name by Judy Blume. It stars Abby Ryder Fortson as the title character of Margaret Simon and Rachel McAdams as her mother Barbara.
Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret had its premiere at the San Francisco International Film Festival on April 23, 2023, and was released in the United States on April 28, by Lionsgate. The film received critical acclaim.
==Premise==
Sixth-grader Margaret Simon and her family move from New York City to the suburbs of New Jersey. Since one of her parents is Christian while the other is Jewish, she goes on a quest to discover her religious identity.
==Cast==
*Abby Ryder Fortson as Margaret Simon
*Rachel McAdams as Barbara Simon
*Elle Graham as Nancy Wheeler
*Benny Safdie as Herb Simon
*Kathy Bates as Sylvia Simon
*Echo Kellum as Mr. Benedict
*Isol Young as Laura
*Amari Alexis Price as Janie
*Katherine Kupferer as Gretchen
== Production==
After rejecting several offers to adapt her book in the 49 years since its publication, author Judy Blume sold the film rights to James L. Brooks and Kelly Fremon Craig, who worked together on The Edge of Seventeen, with Craig set to write and direct. A studio bidding war over the distribution rights was won by Lionsgate.
In February 2021, it was announced that Abby Ryder Fortson would star as the titular Margaret, with Rachel McAdams cast as her mother. Kathy Bates was added to the cast in March. In April, Benny Safdie joined the cast.
Principal photography began on April 1, 2021, in Charlotte, North Carolina. Filming also took place in Concord, North Carolina late in May, and wrapped in June 2021. Hans Zimmer composed the film's score.
==Release==
Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret. had its world premiere at the San Francisco International Film Festival on April 23, 2023, and was released on April 28, 2023, by Lionsgate Films. It was originally scheduled to be released on September 16, 2022.
==Box office==
In the United States and Canada, Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret was released alongside Big George Foreman and Sisu, and was projected to gross $7–9 million from 3,334 theaters in its opening weekend. The film made $2.3 million on its first day, including $600,000 from early previews. It went on to debut to $6.8 million, finishing third behind holdovers The Super Mario Bros. Movie and Evil Dead Rise.
==Reception==
On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 99% of 136 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 8.5/10. The website's consensus reads: "Effervescent and refreshingly frank about the travails of puberty, this long-awaited adaptation does full justice to Judy Blume's seminal novel." Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 86 out of 100, based on 40 critics, indicating "universal acclaim". Audiences surveyed by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "A" on an A+ to F scale, while those polled by PostTrak gave it an 88% positive score (with an average 4.5 out of 5 stars).
==Gallery==
AreYouThereGodFilmPoster.jpg
Are You There God? Its Me, Margaret alt poster.jpg
===Videos===
Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret. (2023 Movie) Official Trailer - Rachel McAdams|2:19
Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret. (2023) -MargaretMoments ft. Marge Simpson|0:17
==References==
==External links==
*Official site
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Category:2023 comedy-drama films
Category:2020s coming-of-age comedy-drama films
Category:2020s English-language films
Category:American coming-of-age comedy-drama films
Category:Films about puberty
Category:Films based on American novels
Category:Films based on young adult literature
Category:Films produced by James L. Brooks
Category:Films with screenplays by Kelly Fremon Craig
Category:Gracie Films films
Category:Lionsgate films
Category:Films set in New Jersey
Category:Films shot in North Carolina
Category:English-language films
Category:2020s American films
Category:2023 films