Blume's tale blossoms in 'Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret.'

Judy Blume's seminal 1970 novel "Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret." comes fully alive in writer-director Kelly Fremon Craig's film of the same name, a fabulous, honest, earnest coming-of-age dramedy told with empathy and heart.

Fremon Craig is the filmmaker who made 2016's "Edge of Seventeen," which also focused on the inner feelings of a young woman coming of age and navigating her way through an untamed jungle of emotions. "Margaret" tackles its subject with a similar balance of grace and sincerity; think of it as "Edge of Twelve."

Abby Ryder Fortson, who played Cassie Lang in the first two "Ant-Man" films, is Margaret, an 11-year-old sixth grader whose life is thrown into peril when her parents, Barbara (Rachel McAdams) and Herb (Benny Safdie), move her from New York City to — gasp — New Jersey. Now she has to start over and make all new friends and, like, isn't being a kid already hard enough?

The move not only removes Margaret from the comforts of her life but it separates her from her beloved grandmother, Sylvia (Kathy Bates), who would sooner travel to Florida than she would cross the river into New Jersey. And the move comes at a time when Margaret is starting to go through changes, barreling toward puberty like a runaway train.

In her new neighborhood, Margaret befriends the bossy Nancy Wheeler (Elle Graham), an alpha-type who displays early signs of Mean Girl energy. Margaret wants desperately to fit in with Nancy and her friends — she wants desperately just to fit in, period — and Nancy is in a race to fast track all the signposts of growing up, from first kisses to wearing bras to menstruation, and she turns them into a competition.

Margaret, meanwhile, is also exploring her spirituality, since she's been raised by her parents without religion. Her father is Jewish and her mom is Christian, which caused Barbara's parents to excommunicate their daughter. Margaret is now trying out different religions, seeing which one fits, all the while carrying on a running dialogue with the God in her head, whomever that turns out to be.

Fremon Craig builds out Margaret's world with care and attention to detail, and also fleshes out Barbara's character, who finds herself struggling with her loss of her sense of self as she conforms to the normalcies of suburbia. (Her procrastination in furnishing the family's new home becomes a metaphor for her unwillingness to fully accept her new lifestyle; going through puberty isn't the be-all and end-all of growing up.)

As "Margaret" juggles these various storytelling aspects, Fremon Craig punctuates the film with humor and affection, enriching the soul and beating heart of Blume's text. The setting is the early 1970s but the issues and feelings it wrestles with are timeless and universal.

Fortson's relatability in the lead role gives Margaret an across-the-board appeal. She's sweet, confused, scared and unsure of what lies ahead, and the young actress' portrayal of the character is spot-on. Same goes for McAdams, a full circle moment for the former "Mean Girl" as she's turned caring mother, and Bates is all class as Margaret's sage grandmother.

Bo Burnham's "Eighth Grade" tackled similar territory five years ago, approaching the subject of growing up with a similar unflinching eye. But where he was going for cringe levels of honesty, Fremon Craig is aiming for hugs, and "Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret." is a warm embrace to audiences of all ages. Hug it back.

agraham@detroitnews.com

Twitter: @grahamorama

'Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret.'

GRADE: A

Rated PG-13: for thematic material involving sexual education and some suggestive material

Running time: 111 minutes

In theaters