Judy Blume has been a beacon of light for generations of children. Her beloved book ‘Are You There, God? It’s Me, Margaret’ finally comes to the silver screen. Starring Abby Ryder Fortson as Margaret, the movie follows our protagonist from New York to New Jersey as she deals with the first blushes of puberty. ‘Are You There, God? It’s Me, Margaret’, is a coming-of-age story about self-discovery amidst growing pains.
Change is brutal and unforgiving, bringing us face-to-face with ourselves. Planting our flag outside our comfort zone scares us, but it shouldn’t deter us. We’ve all got friends and family who aid us in the journey of our lives. Some of the films on this list feature characters who have a hard time dealing with change, while others are stories of intense friendships.
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Movies To Watch If You Like ‘Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret’
10. The Edge Of Seventeen (2016)
Before taking on the Judy Blume novel ‘Are You There, God? It’s Me, Margaret’, Kelly Fremon Craig made her directorial debut with this sleep-hit indie. The friendship of two high schoolers hits a snag when one starts dating the other’s brother. The feeling of losing your only friend and finding yourself without a net hits too close to him with ‘The Edge Of Seventeen.’
9. Lady Bird (2017)
Many filmmakers have made movies about teenage girls, but only a few have succeeded in exploring what teenagers think, as Judy Blume has. Picking up from her upbringing in Sacramento, Greta Gerwig’s ‘Lady Bird’ is a love letter, full of beautiful penmanship and papercuts, to growing up and showing up.
8. Whip It (2009)
A small-town girl stuck in the humdrum of life finds her groove. It’s not a fancy makeover but the discovery of rumbling and tumbling sport. In this Drew Barrymore-directed film, the search for belongingness takes you to the roller derby arena.
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7. Booksmart (2019)
Long before ‘Don’t Worry Darling,’ Olivia Wilde announced herself as a major filmmaking talent with ‘Booksmart.’ Two straight-edged students decide to break bad and live all the wild lives they haven’t lived. It’s a great story of female friendships told through an emotional spectrum we don’t see in movies about adults in the making.
6. About A Boy (2002)
A coming-of-age story about a man who’s still a boy: Hugh Grant plays a Londoner living off the royalties from a hit song. Nothing in this life binds him. But when a lovestruck Grant begins to get his life in order, he becomes an unlikely mentor to Markus.
5. The Royal Tenenbaums (2001)
Child prodigies become dysfunctional adults in Wes Anderson’s family drama. It’s cute, like all Wes Anderson movies are, but it doesn’t hold back from calling it as it is. Sometimes, living under the shadow of ambitious parents can drown your voice. Wes Anderson’s film is a haunting vision of failed potentials, with the children finally finding them years later.
4. Eight Grade (2018)
Bo Burnham was touted early on as a child’s comedian, and with ‘Eight Grade,’ he makes the best of his title. You follow a thirteen-year-old girl going through her final week of middle school before she becomes a high schooler. Watching her go through life in school, at home, and on the internet will make you thankful for your school experiences. Or not.
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3. Kes (1969)
A working-class boy with a terrible home life finds a friend in a Kestrel. As his relationship with the bird grows, so does his awareness of societal entrapment. Seasons and troubles come and go, but the boy remains committed to the only semblance of normalcy he has ever known.
2. Novitiate (2017)
Margaret Qualley plays Sister Cathleen, a young woman who throws herself in the service of God. While in the monastery, she begins questioning her relationship with God when faced with temptation. It’s a tender film loaded with the dynamite of revelations.
1. Thirteen (2003)
A more visceral representation of the coming of age and female friendship theme. ‘Thirteen’ is the story of a thirteen-year-old girl discovering the world of drugs, sex, and boys, thanks to her new best friend/worst influence. This film is peer pressure at worst, which most mistake for a lifelong friendship. It also provides a sobering instead of romantic view of self-discovery.
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