Are you there God - it’s me Margaret - Judy Blume adaptation

[heartbreak2]

As a massive Judy Blume fan growing up I am excited to watch the film adaptation of this - although I seem to have missed the cinema run.

A Google tells me it might be available ok Amazon prime; but not yet.

has anyone seen it? What did you think?

Also - has anyone reread any of her books recently or have had DC who have done so (no DC here)?

reviews I've read suggest it's very much of its time. I don't think my young people could 'get it'.

I thought the film was really quite a good and faithful adaptation of the book. Much of the pre-teen angst would still be familiar to children today, despite it being set in the 70s. It was more diverse than the book, perhaps unrealistically so for suburban 1970s America (especially considering that another one of her books is about the issues a black family faces when moving into a typical suburb - here there suddenly seemed to be no issues at all and a diverse class and teacher all friends). The adult characters in this had somewhat more fleshed out personalities and lives, or at least I recognised more that they did - when reading the book as a child, it never occurred to me to think anything much of the adult characters or what they might be feeling or going through. Anyway, I enjoyed it and thought it well done, if not great literature or anything!! But good for the nostalgia factor given how popular the book was.

Some things were updated - like the belts and pads that the girls bought in the edition I had. They were now very thick pads, so still showing the differences between then and now, but not quite so baffling as the mysterious belts that I read about!

I've read some of her more recent pre-teen books, the ones about Rachel and her friends, Just as Long as We're together and the others which again I think deal with the pettiness of pre-teen squabbles and life well.

However I grew up in north america, so the books and some of the aspects of schooling and so on were perhaps more recognisable to me anyway.

Did you find the religion part in your face? I don't think my young people could get a Jewish-Goy/WASP marriage as being remarkable or angst-ridden. Asian-Muslim conservative & white British maybe, but not the trap between cultures feeling that M would have felt.

Also doesn't M. go on the train by herself? I remember struggling to understand the train choices when I was a kid, and just what the heck was a Parkway. Today read Lenore Skenazy's books to understand how weird any independent travel is now for New England kids.

My dd age 12 read it and “got it”. She understood it is of its time. Like reading Diary of Anne Frank, and Adrian Mole etc. all of which she has “got”. Don’t think she will race to sign up to see the film tho

Which was the Judy Blume book where the girl had sex for the first time and her boyfriend called his penis ' Ralph? '

I'm hoping I've not just made this up! 🙈

Adrian Mole was always my fave 💙

@bumpercarbarry me too! My dd did find it funny. I had to explain a few things tho - maybe she was a bit young! 😂

Forever!

You haven't, don't worry 😜
The book is 'Forever'

I can remember me and my mates reading it and having a good old laugh at it, one of our friend's Dad was called Ralph 😂

Aah thanks all. If it’s pretty true to the book, I think I’ll enjoy it, plus for me it’s preferable than them trying to bring into present day with tech/social media etc. however I think it’s a good thing they’ve subtly brought more diversity in.

can anyone find a release date for when this is streaming? I’m unwell at the moment and could really use the comfort watch! If not. I’ll have to find something else nostalgic

It's still being shown in the cinema and there doesn't seem to be a streaming date yet.

I highly recommend it. My friend and I went to see it and we both found it very funny and charming. It's just the right side of sweet. Worth seeing just for the grandmother role played by Kathy Bates!

Early 1970s New Jersey felt like another world to me when I read the book in 90s Dublin. It felt exotic and I loved it.

Looking forward to the film.

The stick on pads took me by surprise and I was trying to work out if the US was that far ahead of us, as the belts were only just going out when I got my period in the 80s. That kind of took me out of the moment.

Otherwise it was a good adaption. Loved the clothes and furniture.

It’s still showing in some cinemas.
I absolutely LOVED the film. I thought it was a brilliant adaptation. I really liked that it was set in 1970 (when the book was published). It wouldn’t work in modern days.
They did only have stick on pads not the belt/loop combo and the film they watched in school about periods reminded me of the one I watched in 1986 😂

11 yo DD enjoyed the film very much. Definitely related to the pre-teen angst and friendship dramas, also enjoyed the 70s fashion.

I found it a very good watch. I liked that the adult characters were more developed than in the book, particularly Margaret’s mother and paternal grandmother.