“WELL WRITTEN, WELL ACTED DRAMA ABOUT GOD AND PUBERTY”
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:
ARE YOU THERE GOD? IT’S ME, MARGARET is a coming-of-age movie about a young teenage girl growing to maturity and searching for God. Margaret is sad when she finds out her family’s moving from New York City. However, on arriving in New Jersey, she meets a girl in her grade named Nancy. Nancy’s focused on puberty and boys. She forms a club to just talk about those things. Margaret is more interested in finding out about faith in God and starts praying aloud.
CONTENT:
(BB, C, LL, SS, NN, M):
Dominant Worldview and Other Worldview Content/Elements:
Strong moral worldview, main character prays out loud to God, and no overt mentions of Jesus, but the protagonist visits Jewish temple, a Baptist church, a Presbyterian church, and an Episcopal church
Foul Language:
16 obscenities and one strong Jesus profanity
Violence:
No violence
Sex:
Discussions about puberty and menstruation, talks about female busts growing, and girls look at a Playboy magazine
Nudity:
There’s a cartoon picture of male private parts, and a girl is seen from the back changing
Alcohol Use:
No alcohol use
Smoking and/or Drug Use and Abuse:
No smoking or drugs; and,
Miscellaneous Immorality:
A girl lies and deceives.
MORE DETAIL:
ARE YOU THERE GOD? IT’S ME, MARGARET is a coming-of-age movie about a young teenage girl growing to maturity while searching for and finding God. ARE YOU THERE GOD? IT’S ME, MARGARET is made well, with a fabulous lead performance, and has a strong moral worldview about a teenager girl looking for God and visiting Christian churches, but the movie doesn’t mention Jesus, talks a lot about her changing body during puberty, and has 16 obscenities and one strong profanity.
Margaret loves living in New York City, near her grandmother, Sylvia. When her parents tell her father got a promotion, so they’re moving to New Jersey, Margaret is very sad. Soon after Margaret arrives she meets a neighborhood girl named Nancy.
Nancy is pretty consumed with the fact that her body is changing. She’s also crushing on boys. This makes Margaret think she too needs to be focused on these things. Nancy starts a club where girls talk about all the changes they’re going through during puberty and the boys they like. Margaret starts her new school and is influenced by Nancy on who to like in the class and who not to like.
With all these changes in her life, Margaret has started to talk to God and pray out loud. She knows her parents are not fond of religion, because her mother’s parents disowned her for marrying a Jewish man. Even so, Margaret is curious on finding religion for herself, because she likes to pray. Margaret goes to the Jewish Temple with her grandmother, then to a Baptist church, an Episcopal church, and a Presbyterian church.
The questions going forward are, Will Margaret find direction on faith? How will her life change during and after puberty?
ARE YOU THERE GOD? IT’S ME, MARGARET is an interesting movie that’s made well. The movie is also well written and provokes some interesting questions while watching it. Abby Ryder Forston plays the main character and does a fabulous job.
ARE YOU THERE GOD? IT’S ME, MARGARET has a strong moral worldview about faith and the search for God. The movie suggests religion itself is flawed, but also says a personal relationship with God is a benefit to your life. The movie never mentions Jesus, however, and instead points to God in general. The movie also talks a lot about puberty, mentions Playboy magazine, and shows a cartoon image of a man’s private parts from an anatomy book.
