Are You There, Margaret? It’s Me, Generation X
Being Eleven Again — for Just a Few Hours — is Perfect for Middle-Aged Me By Erin Mantz
Women of an entire generation have been waiting decades for Are You There, God? It’s Me, Margaret the movie, based on the iconic coming-of-age Judy Blume book that helped so many girls of my era grow up. The highly-anticipated film is finally here — fifty years after the book — seemingly ages and ages ago since we were eleven. Yet, in a strange way, it’s right on time. (Not intentionally quoting Brandi Carlile!)
While we’ve been waiting, we’ve also been holding our breath. Would the movie do the book justice? Would it mess with the image of Margaret we had in our minds? I am here to say that Margaret Simon has come to life, and this film reaffirms my belief in my eleven-year-old self, in Margaret and in the magic of movies.
Since we held that lavender book in our hands, we’ve grown up, but Margaret stayed the same! And now, we behold her on the big screen, thanks to Lionsgate and a determined Writer and Director who seems like a fan just like us! Kelly Craig Freeman believed it into being. The care and feeding while bringing this beloved book to life could not be more authentic, powerful or moving. The scene where Margaret and her friend are buying pads as the teenage cashier boy waits for the conveyor belt to move them along is so true-to-life, so mortifying, so relatable.
I saw the movie in an early screening and all I can say is I am blown away in a good way. The casting, the dialogue, the characters, the acting, the ’70s music and decor were spot-on. As Margaret, actress Abby Ryder Fortson had some very big shoes to fill — and she does, above and beyond. Seeing Margaret finally come to life is oddly…reassuring. Refreshing. Reaffirming. At a time when my middle-age friends and I are already nostalgic for the good old days, this movie transports us back to the ’70s at the perfect time.
Watching Margaret angst through sixth grade makes me pretty proud to have grown up as a Gen X girl and survived, just like her. As I watched her eleven-year-old trials and tribulations, I wanted to shout out to her on the screen and say “Don’t worry — it will all be okay!” At 53, I know how much more complicated life can and will get, beyond spinning the bottle, bra shopping, and trying to fit in at school.
Are You There, God? It’s Me, Margaret invited me to walk down memory lane in so many ways, and I enjoyed every step. The paper airline ticket gave me a shock and a chuckle. A handwritten letter arriving in the mail, a bra catalog (Amazon was still decades away!) working on school projects using just the World Book encyclopedia, the basement party as records played — was all oh-so-familiar. The 1970s sofa is oddly comforting. Scenes where Margaret simply wants to fit in — and her mom’s wise words ignored, resonated with me as a former kid and as a now-mom! The scene where Margaret insists on wearing shoes without socks to be cool, despite her mom’s warnings about blisters, had me cracking up when she gets home and immediately asks for Bandaids. Now, as a mom, I know mom-knows-best is actually a true thing, but then…
I think the Margaret movie will also make Gen X women feel smarter. I mean, we survived our preteen years! We remember! Looking back now, it seems like such an endless period of trying to figure out who we were, but the times seem shockingly simpler. I was struck watching Margaret and her friends after school without cell phones. They actually talk and interact constantly. There is no Googling information about how to kiss or what to expect when you get your period. Every little thing must be figured out, or bravely asked — as Margaret does — taking a deep breath and asking her mom to take her bra shopping.
Abby Ryder Fortson delivers such a convincing performance that I almost missed those tumultuous years, with all the tiny torturous anxiety-ridden moments. Her expressions as Margaret are priceless and say everything I remember thinking at age eleven. I know Margaret seems so exasperated, but I wish I could tell her it’s actually an exciting time. Now that I have hit middle age, it’s still — and much — harder to figure out who I want to be. Yes, Margaret — many of us are still figuring it out!
I loved this movie because it so accurately reflects how I grew up as a Gen X girl. Some things never change, like the value of true friendship and the comfort of seeing your mom at the end of a hard day. I left the theater not really sure if I was relieved those preteen years were over or sad they were so far behind me. But I was happy. And just like the camaraderie I felt with my middle school friends, looking around at all the other smiling middle-aged women, I knew I wasn’t alone now, either.
