Is Are You There God? It's Me Margaret Kid Friendly? Parents Guide

Wondering if the film adaptation of Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret is ok for kids? This film won’t be for all families, but it forces uncomfortable conversations, which is a win for parents and children. Here’s what parents need to know in this Parents Guide to Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret.

Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret Parents Guide

Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret is the film adaptation of Judy Blume’s beloved and sometimes controversial book. It’s a coming of age story that explores some of life’s biggest questions for tweens and some of the things they face. 11-year-old Margaret (Abby Ryder Fortson) is uprooted from her life in New York City and moves to the suburbs of New Jersey.

Not only does she have to start at a new school, she’s that age when girls are going through puberty and boys notice a difference. Her parents haven’t pushed their religions on her, and they don’t attend church, but she starts to ask God for help in these new situations. She also relies on her mother, Barbara (Rachel McAdams), who is also struggling to adjust to life outside the big city, and who is now a stay-at-home mom. Her Jewish grandmother, Sylvia (Kathy Bates), isn’t happy they moved away and likes to remind them every chance she gets.

Age Rating: Why is Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret Rated PG-13?

Are You There God? It’s Me Margaret is Rated PG-13 by the MPAA for sex education, thematic material, and suggestive material which means some content is not suitable for kids under 13.

Language

Language is pretty mild in Are You There, God? It’s Me, Margaret, except for one word. There is a use of hell, uses of stupid and idiot, and some uses of Deity like oh g-d, and then a random use of g-ddamn.

Mature Content: Is Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret Kid Friendly?

There is no nudity in Are You There God? It’s Me Margaret, but there is talk of sex. If you don’t like conversations about puberty, periods, and bras, then Are You There God? It’s Me Margaret may not be for your kids. Margaret is middle-school-aged and her friends talk about boys, bra shopping, increasing their bust size, and also make fun of another girl for being too busty.

One young character kisses a bed post passionately to practice kissing. Characters call Margaret flat and insinuate she needs bigger boobs.

Characters talk about getting periods and hope they get theirs. When one does, she’s scared and cries in the bathroom.

A young character changes clothes in front of her friend.

Kids play spin the bottle at a party and kiss in a closet.

Girls take a Playboy magazine from their parents and look at it to see girls with boobs. No nudity is shown, and you see a woman in a swimsuit on the cover.

Girls look at an anatomy book and see a picture of a drawn penis (that is shown on screen) and talk about how it’s saggy.

Kids watch a video about how menstruation works.

Girls purchase sanitary napkins (pads) from a store and you see one character put the pad in her underwear.

There are also conversations about different religions and Margaret wonders if she believes in God.

Is Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret Appropriate for Kids Under 12?

I wouldn’t recommend Are You There God, It’s Me Margaret for young kids unless you’re ready to have some puberty conversations. Some parents are not going to be happy with Are You There God? It’s Me Margaret. If Turning Red was your trigger, then you may not enjoy this, but I thought it was so well done.

You can expect some awkward conversations, some sexual content, talk about puberty and periods, and questions that make some people uncomfortable. To sum it up, Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret is kid friendly for kids ages 11 and older.

Some kids are going to be uncomfortable watching this. Not because the content is inappropriate, but because it’s presented in such a realistic context. It feels real, because it is, and some parents and tweens aren’t ready for that. However, this is exactly the type of movie needed to bring up these conversations and dialogue. Every mother and daughter should watch this movie together.

It’s Me, Margaret is awkward and delightful. My 10-year-old even called it cringey. Because this isn’t a movie where your kids watch inappropriate content with their friends, Hollywood glamorizes it, and then they fantasize about how that’s what life should be. Margaret is all too real, and her middle school encounters hit home.

The sex ed and menstruation video? Been there. Buying pads and tampons at the store? I’m still low key embarrassed to buy them. Buying bras? The worrrrsst.

It showcases an imperfect family that love each other, each demonstrating that love in their own way. Rachel McAdams encompasses all the emotions of being a mother and the weight of trying to be everything for everyone, especially as she grapples with not passing on some childhood trauma to Margaret. She’s one of my favorite things about this film. Truthfully I had so many favorite things, though.

Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret tells it how it is while delivering a powerful, respectful, heartwarming, and real film. But some people still won’t be able to handle it, because it may touch a nerve that they won’t want to talk about.