52 Films by Women Vol 7. 41. ARE YOU THERE GOD? IT'S ME, MARGARET (Director: Kelly Fremon Craig)
The release of the film adaptation of Judy Blume’s novel, Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret , adapted and directed by Kelly Fremon Craig, raises some interesting issues about promoting girl-focussed family movies and, of course, grammar; there should be an additional comma between ‘there’ and ‘God’. Films about boys being raised in dysfunctional households and encountering difficulties at school are marketed as family comedies and can spawn franchises – Diary of a Wimpy Kid grossed 75.7 million dollars back in 2010. Films about girls at school have to face an additional barrier – sexism in the movie industry. Both types of film negotiate issues of perception, acceptance, bullies, sexuality, and bodily discharges. But Are You There God is marketed a women’s picture, focussing on the intergenerational bond between grandmother (in-law), mother, and daughter. The promotional image is of Sylvia (Kathy Bates), Barbara (Rachel McAdams) and the titular eleven-year-old Margaret (Abby ...