The writer Judy Bloom Long a legendary writer among children, teens and adults, an extensive repertoire that survives today. Earlier this year, Bloom’s work finally hit the big screen with an adaptation of his beloved novel Are you God there? It’s me, Margaret. The film is available to watch now on digital and on-demand platforms, with a Blu-ray and DVD release set for July 11. Ahead of the physical release, Collider is excited to share an exclusive clip featuring the cast members. Kathy Bates.
Clip feature Rachel McAdams (Barbara Simon), Abby Ryder Fortson (Margaret Simon), Kelly Fremon Craig (Writer/Director), Benny Safdi (Herb Simon), and Bates (Sylvia Simon) discuss Bates’ work for the film, with similar thoughts about him across the board. Both McAdams and Fortson noted that working with Bates was a fun experience. Craig expanded on the sentiment a bit further, praising Bates’ commitment to his character. Craig was particularly impressed that Bates created a backstory for his character that was “much richer than you’d imagine.”
Bates himself gives some insight into his process. He reveals that the key is the specificity of a character’s experience. By doing this, a character connects more with the audience in a way that creates empathy. He continues that empathy is the goal for actors, “otherwise it’s just window dressing.” Safdie builds on this a bit more by sharing how Bates is able to be present with her character. Like many others, Safdieu is a big fan of Betts.
Are you God there? It’s me, Margaret Adapted from Bloom’s 1970 novel of the same name. Aimed at a younger pre-teen and teen audience, the film follows its title character, 11-year-old Margaret Simon. Already, young Margaret is experiencing major changes in her life when her family moves from suburban New Jersey to New York City. Moreover, he is on the brink of puberty and growing up in an interfaith family (Christianity and Judaism) must be more aware. Upon initial publication, Bloom and the novel faced strong backlash due to the themes Bloom chose to explore. It has since become a major coming-of-age story finding continued success with audiences.
