While it’s been a relatively strong year for film overall, Kelly Fremon Craig’s moving coming-of-age dramedy Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret has established itself as a future classic that generations of young audience members can watch with their parents as a “how to” guide for growing up. While Craig’s debut feature The Edge of Seventeen showed her ability to capture youth culture in all of its hilarity and heartbreak, she wasn’t the only reason why Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret is so effective; the film is based on the iconic novel of the same name by Judy Blume. While Blume’s career and the impact of her work was evident to a generation that grew up reading her novels, some audiences may not be aware of how important she actually was. However, they are in luck, because the highly informative documentary Judy Blume Forever is available on Amazon Prime Video after receiving strong reviews out of the Sundance Film Festival. Are You There God? and Judy Blume Forever make for a perfect double feature.

Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret completely upended literary culture with its unfiltered, yet completely accurate depiction of a young girl’s experience growing up and experiencing all the thrills, scares, and challenges of puberty. The film doesn’t change this honest approach, nor does it alter the 1970s setting; it follows Margaret (Abby Ryder Fortson), a middle school student who is forced to move from New York City when her parents Barbara (Rachel McAdams) and Herb (Benny Safdie) make the decision to move to New Jersey. The film’s ability to tackle mature themes feels like a change of pace from what kids usually see today, but it wasn’t the first time Blume broke barriers; as the documentary shows, her work was groundbreaking at the time of its release in how it showcased the female perspective.

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‘Judy Blume Forever’ Provides Context For ‘Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret’

If the film version of Are You There, God? It’s Me, Margaret feels like a rarity in an age of cinema where coming-of-age dramedies from major studios are few and far between, then it’s important to realize that the book was even isolated. There had simply never been a book that discussed sexual identity, female puberty, and a young girl’s struggles to determine her religion to ever hit the market before. The documentary shows the struggles that Blume faced early on in her career in a male-dominated industry that mocked her work and suggested that there was no place for her book; after refusals, dismissals, and rejections, Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret finally landed on shelves in 1970 and became an overnight smash hit.

The documentary brilliantly contextualizes why the book was so impactful and how reading it became a “rite of passage” — this was something that mothers and daughters connected over, and could be passed down by each generation. In the pre-Internet era, there was nothing for young people to read that discussed sex and bodily changes, as the American public education system has always failed to accurately describe these issues to children. The characters in the film are forced to scour magazines for information, and they trade secret bits of knowledge to each other. This of course leads to situations where Margaret is adjusting her expectations in both humiliating and hilarious ways. The film could feel like an exaggeration for modern audiences who weren’t aware of the stigma because they didn’t grow up in that environment, but the documentary shows that it’s simply being accurate.

The documentary also reveals elements of Blume’s life that are pivotal to the story of the film and novel. Like Margaret, she grew up in New Jersey and dealt with a lot of the same issues. It’s great to hear Blume narrate her own experiences, because the authenticity of her voice and perspective is so critical to the film’s success. It also shows the tremendous empathy she had with her readers; Blume was someone who often wrote extensive letters to her fans, keeping in touch with them over the years and answering a wide range of questions about life, adolescence, puberty, religion, and even writing. This empathy is also integral for Margaret as a character. She realizes that not everyone is what they seem, and decides to leave friends who are nasty, mean, and judgmental.

Censorship and Banning of ‘Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret’

Are You There, God? It’s Me, Margaret underperformed at the box office during its opening weekend, and some financial pundits blamed it on the film’s PG-13 rating; despite clearly being aimed at a younger audience, the film got labeled with a higher rating because of the depiction of a natural process. A similar controversy occurred recently when Eighth Grade was saddled with an R-Rating, which prevented its target audience from getting the chance to see it. This has been a recurring issue for the MPAA, whose ratings tend to disproportionately disparage films that spotlight women and the LGBTQIA+ community. The documentary shows that censorship, banning, and public outcry by conservatives has been a recurring issue that Blume and her work have gone up against throughout her career.

Are You There, God? It’s Me, Margaret continues to be banned to this day, and censorship is an issue that is more topical than ever. Judy Blume Forever has a very simple outlook on the literary decisions that individual families should have; it’s perfectly acceptable for a parent to forbid their child from reading something, but it’s egregious for them to enforce that on others. Hopefully, the film will reach a greater status if young girls are empowered to see it, even if it ends up having a larger shelf life on VOD. As the documentary notes, Blume also had a healthy readership of young men, and the film may also draw male viewers. Even if they aren’t as personally affected by the discussion of female anatomy, they may relate to the religious anxieties or the pressure to join social groups.

Watching the two back-to-back is a great way for those unfamiliar with Blume’s status, leading to a more informed perspective. Those who have followed her for quite some time may at least be interested in hearing Blume speak so bluntly about her life and career, and they’re almost guaranteed to love what Craig put together in her adaptation. Nonetheless, you have to watch the documentary first to make sure you catch Blume’s cameo in the film!