Rachel McAdams blossoms in Blume's controversial story of pre-adolescent angst, struggle

“Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret.” - ★ ★ ★ ½

One scene in this movie caused me to shed a tear or two, and it happened when Rachel McAdams, playing Barbara Simon, tries to explain to her 11-year-daughter Margaret (Abby Ryder Fortson) why her maternal grandparents have cut off all contact with the Simon family since her birth.

McAdams, in what clearly qualifies as the personal best of her career, tells Margaret the unpleasant family history in a clear, deliberate voice, but her eyes betray the lingering pain and sadness that she refuses to express.

This singular moment, with the camera focused squarely on McAdams' forced facade of calm and control, elevates everything else in “Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret.”

For five decades, celebrated author Judy Blume refused to sell the movie rights to her controversial 1970 novel “Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret.”

Why so long?

Because she undoubtedly knew how the Hollywood factory would handle her frank and unvarnished account of a young girl struggling to understand an unfair world, her lack of religious upbringing, and her combined fear/excitement at the prospect of becoming a woman, including how to kiss a boy, the proper way to increase her bust, and how to cope with the intimidating arrival of menstruation.

Blume knew the Hollywood machine would round off those rough edges, sanitize the content, flatten out the individual characters and send everyone out of the theater with an artificially manufactured reassurance that all's right with the world all of the time.

Or something like that.

Filmmaker Kelly Fremon Craig persuaded Blume (now 85 and still feisty) to let her adapt this often-challenged and censored book into this appealing, highly commercial movie.

Blume agreed, partially because she appreciated Craig's only other feature, 2016's “The Edge of Seventeen,” a dialogue delight, and an enjoyably funny romp through the emotional and social minefields of high school adolescence.

Craig brings that same gentle, knowing sensibility to “Are You There,” even if it does slightly send everyone out of the theater with an artificially manufactured reassurance that all's right with the world all of the time.

Encouraging her cast to ad-lib in character, Craig extracts some wonderfully nuanced performances from impressive young performers, especially Fortson, whose large, expressive eyes emanate the natural curiosity and awkwardness of a soon-to-be teenager.

“Are You There” begins with Margaret returning to her Manhattan home from summer camp only to discover that - horrors! - her parents Barbara and Herb (Benny Safdie) are moving her family to New Jersey for Dad's new job, separating Margaret from her beloved, kindred-spirited grandmother Sylvia (Kathy Bates in stellar form).

Why is this such a big deal?

Her parents - Dad's Jewish, Mom's Christian - have agreed to allow Margaret to make her own choices on religion when she gets older. But sneaky Sylvia has been taking Margaret to her synagogue, which ceases when the Simons move.

Once in suburban New Jersey, an unhappy Margaret gets her spirits lifted when a bossy blonde neighbor named Nancy (Elle Graham) insists she join her tweener club with her fellow women-in-waiting classmates Janie (Amari Alexis Price) and Gretchen (Katherine Mallen Kupferer). Her rules require members wear bras, join in conversations about kissing, practice exercises so they can look like Playboy centerfolds, and gossip about classmates, particularly the already developed Laura (Isol Young), a tall and self-conscious social recluse.

Using a narrative device adapted from the novel, “Are You There” utilizes many inner monologues in which Margaret prays to God, asking specific favors that mostly do not come to pass.

It would have been highly effective to craft this movie as an intimate, first-person narrative event. We see nothing except what Margaret sees, hear nothing but what she hears.

Instead, Craig's screenplay fleshes out supporting characters in unnecessary subplots, mostly Barbara's comically difficult transition from artist to stay-at-home mom and overanxious school committee volunteer. Curiously, Dad, likely the parent with the more fascinating back story, gets a short shrift.

But, then again, Blume never wrote her iconic novel for the male demographic.

Starring: Rachel McAdams, Abby Ryder Fortson, Elle Graham, Benny Safdie, Kathy Bates

Directed by: Kelly Fremon Craig

Other: A Lionsgate theatrical release. Rated PG-13 for suggestive content. 1 hour, 45 minutes