JASON EVANS' 100-WORD REVIEWS: Are You There God? It's Me, Magaret

Honest and Humorous

Film critic Jason Evans has made it his mission to tell you everything you need to know about movies in less time than it takes to reminisce about your youth. His reviews are exactly 100 words long (99 would be too short, but 101 is just excessive). Here is his 100-word review of Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret.

The Premise: 12-year-old Margaret (Abby Ryder Fortson, Cassie from the first two Ant-Man films) has just moved with her mother (Rachel McAdams) and father (Benny Safdie) from New York City to the Jersey suburbs. With a Christian mother and a Jewish father, Margaret is unsure where she fits in with the rest of society. She soon befriends neighbor Nancy Wheeler who has a club of fellow 12-year-old girls who are all struggling to navigate puberty and the way their bodies are (slowly) changing. The film is based on the classic 1970 novel of the same name written by Judy Blume. It is written and directed by Kelly Fremon Craig, who has already mined the field of teen angst with the critically acclaimed Edge of Seventeen.

The 100-Words: The daunting task of adapting a beloved classic is handled beautifully by Craig. Though the film gets a little overwrought at times, it has the same mix of humanity, reality, and comedy that made the book such a success. Fortson is asked to carry almost the entire film and proves well up to the task. McAdams shines as well. Women of all ages will surely see much they can relate to in this wholesome flick and men can probably learn a bit by watching it too. Everyone will enjoy this frank and funny peek at the travails of pre-teen puberty.

Reach out to Jason Evans on Twitter @JasonDukeEvans