For better or worse has a movie ever surprised you?  

Are You There God? It’s Me Margaret is one of those movies that pleasantly surprised me.

      I sat down to watch this movie with low expectations.  I anticipated an overly sentimental film about preteens that would be to overly obvious with its message. I am glad this film set a high bar for itself and jumped way over it.  The script balanced sentiment with charm and life lessons.  No over sentimental lines were crossed and the point of the film subtly integrated into a well thought out story.

     The movie focuses on young women coming into there own through growing pains.  This is an important issue to show young women.  The message about growing up is a universal message that everyone can relate to, no matter your gender or where you are in life.  In this regard it reminded me of The Edge of Seventeen (2016).  

   Adding Are You There God?  It’s Me Margaret to the 2023 release calendar reassures me of the strength of the films this year, a major step up from the previous year.  I am eagerly awaiting the summer blockbuster season and my favorite time when the majority of heavy film hitters vying for awards are released in the fall.