“Are You There, God? It’s Me Margaret” could have easily been a smash hit at the box office. The film, which is based on the beloved coming-of-age Judy Blume novel by the same name has it all: nostalgic appeal, a star-studded cast, a fun retro vibe, and glowing reviews from both critics and fans alike. And somehow, it’s not even woke.
But so far, “Are You There God” has been a box office bomb that hasn’t met financial expectations. Deadline reported that the movie brought in $6.8 million opening weekend while predictions had it hitting closer to the $7 to $9 million range, with the most optimistic predicting close to $10 million.
One fan review on Rotten Tomatoes summed up the likely problem best: “Not sure who the audience for this movie is,” they said.
On the surface, the movie could be perfect for the same aged prepubescent girls who loved the book when it first came out. It turns out modern audiences are a little trickier, though.
“Are You There God” follows 11-year-old Margaret Simon (Abby Ryder Fortson) when she moves with her parents from New York City to the New Jersey suburbs. Margaret experiences a lot of confusion while going through puberty, including learning about her period and her developing body, having crushes, and being part of an interfaith family. The comedy/drama also stars Rachel McAdams as Maragret’s mom, Barbara Simon, and Kathy Bates as her grandmother.
The movie is set in the 1970s and stays true to the time period. Director Kelly Fremon Craig told The Daily Beast that the idea of Margaret with a smartphone “really ruined everything” for her, which helped solidify her resolve to keep the whole story set in the past. Fremon Craig talked about trying to be as authentic as possible, however, which led her to speak with real fifth and sixth graders to make sure she got it all right.
“We hung out in a fifth grade and sixth grade classroom and spent some time interviewing,” Fremon Craig told the outlet. “I completely believe in that research and that journalistic approach to begin with. There are so many details you can’t make up. There’s something about sitting in a room with somebody that you just absorb stuff that you can’t elsewhere.”
She also encouraged the young actors to ad lib when they wanted, which led to some funny candid moments. One example of this unscripted magic happened when Margaret’s friend Gretchen (Katherine Kupferer) exclaimed, “It looks like a thumb!” upon seeing an illustration of a penis in a book about puberty. Gretchen also said her developing breasts looked like “little wizard hats” compared to a model’s fully developed chest.
Penis drawings and breast pics aside, Common Sense Media gave the PG-13 film a vote of approval for children ages 11 and up. Compared to other movies with the same rating, “Are You There God” is free from sexually suggestive situations and over-the-top leftist propaganda. At no point does Margaret or any of her friends question whether they are really girls or if the boys in the class will be getting their periods too.
“Young women get their periods. Boys are weird. Adolescence is confusing. And, setting the story in the early 1970s, keeps the woke wave at bay,” Daily Wire contributor Christian Toto wrote of the movie.
But despite a subject matter that should appeal to both sides of the political spectrum, “Are You There God” seemed to rely too much on drawing in an audience of middle aged women eager to relive their childhoods. Deadline reported that 55% of the film’s ticket buyers were women over the age of 45, of which 70% were Caucasian. There’s a good chance they were the ones with fond memories of reading Blume’s books during their youth.
The publication noted that this has been the hardest audience to bring back to theaters following the pandemic. In contrast, 13 to 17 year olds only made up 6% of the audience opening weekend.
It’s too early to give up on “Are You There God,” however. Plenty of other films have suffered a slow start but kept attracting audiences as weeks went by. More would-be moviegoers may read the glowing reviews from both critics and fans, which could entice more women and teens to check it out.
The movie currently has a 98% critic score and 94% audience rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
“We forget how much we wanted to rush to grow up, and also how, once it started happening, we weren’t sure how to adjust to this rattling new normal. Are You There God?, both funny and generous, brings it all back,” the Time reviewer said.
“It was made with care, humor and compassion and if those things guaranteed success at the multiplex, it would be a smash,” Minneapolis Star Tribune reviewer Chris Hewitt agreed.
“‘Are You There God?’ stays true to Blume’s book in ways that should connect it to future generations of confused teens. Its minor flaws hardly matter in the big picture,” Toto concludes in his review. “[The movie] understands the value, and cultural heft, of the source material and proceeds accordingly. Thank goodness!”