Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret. is a 2023 coming-of-age comedy-drama film based on Judy Blume's famous 1970 novel. It follows an eleven-year-old girl named Margaret as she moves to New Jersey, navigates the physical challenges of puberty, and explores different religious faiths. The movie remains highly faithful to the original book, focusing on traditional themes of female puberty and interfaith family conflicts. Modern casting updates are present in the background, but the story avoids contemporary social-justice messaging.
Community feedback
Was our 33% Woke rating accurate?
Breakdown
These are the editorial factors and ratings behind our score for Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret..
Woke representation / casting
The movie uses standard modern casting choices. It casts a black actress to play Margaret's friend Janie Loomis. This is different from the mostly white setting of the original 1970 book. However, this diversity is kept in the background. It does not feel like political signaling or activist preaching.
20%
Woke political dialogue
The dialogue is clean and stays very close to the original 1970 book. The characters talk about normal pre-teen worries, friends, and puberty. They do not use modern social-justice words, gender-theory terms, or political talking points.
0%
Identity-driven story themes
The story is a traditional coming-of-age tale. It focuses on a young girl's physical changes, getting her first period, and having crushes on boys. There are no queer, LGBTQ+, or modern gender-identity themes in the actual movie.
0%
Western institutional / cultural critique
The film shows Margaret's Christian grandparents as bigoted because they disowned her mother for marrying a Jewish man. Margaret also struggles with organized religion and says it causes conflict. However, these themes come directly from the 1970 book and are not presented as a modern activist attack on Western culture.
5%
Woke character or canon changes
The film is very faithful to Judy Blume's book. The only change is casting a black actress for the supporting role of Janie Loomis. There are no ideological changes to character personalities, storylines, or themes to fit modern political views.
10%
Anti-woke backlash and complaints
The movie itself is not woke, but it faced heavy backlash for its marketing. Lionsgate paid trans influencer Dylan Mulvaney to promote the film. Mulvaney interviewed author Judy Blume on TikTok about womanhood. This caused anger and boycott calls from conservative parents who felt it co-opted female puberty.
65%
Creator track record context
The creators have a mix of backgrounds. Author Judy Blume supports trans rights, and producer Julie Ansell has a history of LGBTQ+ advocacy. However, writer Kelly Fremon Craig and many technical crew members have completely neutral, apolitical track records.
35%
Production
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