In a time when a steady increase in book bans has gripped the USA, an adaptation of trailblazing YA author Judy Blume’s seminal female coming-of-age novel provides a joyful antidote to all the moral panic and censorship. If you haven’t read Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret, the book’s exploration of religion, desire and womanhood sit at the centre of this often hilarious drama set in 1970s New Jersey. Directed by Kelly Fremon Craig (The Edge Of Seventeen), the film radiates a delightful yet candid energy that is matched by endearing performances across the board.

An incredible Abby Ryder Fortson stars as the pubescent Margaret who is desperate for her boobs to come in and her first period to start. When her mum Barbara (Rachel McAdams), dad Herb (Benny Safdie) and grandma Sylvia (Kathy Bates) announce a move to suburbia, her growing pains increase as a change in location brings with it a new gang of friends (including Elle Graham’s insufferable Nancy) and even more challenges.

From the very start, a warming tone is set through Margaret’s family dynamic. Bates is notably funny as the interfering but adored Jewish grandma, Safdie plays the gentle father with a lightness of touch, and McAdams turns in a winning performance as a woman struggling with her place in the world and estranged Christian parents who rejected her marriage. Margaret’s private prayers act as a diary of sorts, as she gets to grips with her changing body, and her interactions with her friends are packed full of giddy excitement and naivety. It’s a fantastically judged movie for teens and parents alike. 

Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret is in cinemas from Friday 19 May.