Judy Blume on Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret

For book nerds, Judy Blume is huge. Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret was not her first book adapted into a movie. That would be Tiger Eyes, but Margaret is the big one. A Fudge movie franchise would be cool too, but at least they got a TV series.

Blume joined a Zoom press conference for the Critics Choice Association to discuss the film adaptation as it enters awards season. The film is now available on home video.

Q: You’ve said you think the movie is better than the book. Do you really think so?

I do. I love the movie. I love it and I’m so grateful to the team who made it with such delicacy. They took the spirit of the book. I don’t even know anymore what I wrote in that book and what Kelly [Fremon Craig] did in the movie. I had to ask her last night, “Was that scene from the book?” I think there’s no higher compliment that the writer of the book can give to the filmmaker than that and I’m grateful and thrilled that I waited 50 years.

Q: What made you decide to go with Kelly Freeman Craig and producer James L. Brooks?

They made me trust them. First of all, the biggest thing, and this had never happened to me before, is that Kelly came to me and said, “Oh, I wrote and directed this movie The Edge of Seventeen.” Well, I had recently seen that movie and I loved it and no one had ever come to me with a credential like that where I could actually see something that they had written and directed. She came to me with Jim and they came to Key West where I live. It just all fell into place. I felt safe. I felt this is it. Boy, was it, is it. Again, I’m very thankful and I’m extremely happy.

Fred Topel: I actually read Are You There God? as a kid not knowing what it was about because I was just a fan of your books, so it was educational. Why did it take so long for there to be a movie adaptation of your work?

Well, I wouldn’t sell Margaret so that was me. My son said something interesting, I think it’s true. He said, “Judy, just wait for the women who grew up with your books to come to Hollywood and have positions of power. You’re going to see the change.” He’s right. It’s happening. I’m glad. I’m so glad that I did wait, especially for this movie.

Q: How does it feel to see your words realized by actors and filmmakers on screen?

I don’t see the characters. I hear them. It’s all very much about hearing their voices and getting the voices down but I don’t necessarily know what they look like. So it’s fine because you bring in actors and they’re wonderful. So it’s not like oh no, I don’t think that’s what she should look like. It’s not that with me. In some cases, writers may see their characters specifically. With me, it’s all about hearing them and the voice.

Q: What is it about being a tween and a teen that fascinates you?

When I started to write, so it was a long time ago, 50 something years ago, and I still was that kid really. I have a good memory. I can still have a good memory for it but then I really was. I was Margaret. It’s what came naturally to me. It never occurred to me not to write that. Later on I did write about grown-up women and I liked that too.

Q: Did you have a favorite scene in the film?

Oh, I have so many favorite moments. I don’t want to spoil it but there is a moment of great humor when I said to Kelly, not that long ago, “Every time I watch this scene, I just break out laughing. I can’t stop it. That was spontaneous, wasn’t it? What you did there, what you captured with Margaret and Nancy, that was something you improvised, right? It feels that way. It feels so natural.” Kelly said, “No, that was always in the script.”

Q: Did you initially write the book for your daughter?

No. That was forever. Margaret, I didn’t know what I was doing. I just sat down and it poured out. It came out quickly and spontaneously because I didn’t know anything about writing a book.

Q: How do you feel the film addressed the issues that were taboo when you wrote it?

Delicately and beautifully thanks to Kelly and her work with the actors. The actors were so great. I think there are things that never change from generation to generation. We have so much going on today in the world and I think you can feel that in this movie.