#375 (no ads): Pre-Teen Sensations, Pt. 2—Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret. (Patreon)

Kelly Fremon Craig’s winning new adaptation of Judy Blume’s Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret. is as gentle and good-natured as the other film in this pairing, Todd Solondz’s Welcome to the Dollhouse, is acerbic and off-putting. But both films are frank in their own way about a stage of life that cinema often ignores, so after talking through Margaret’s warm and welcoming 1970s vision of suburban New Jersey adolescence, we bring Dollhouse’s grim and grungy 1990s depiction into the discussion to compare the films’ respective takes on puberty, peer pressure, crushes, and bullying.

Please share your comments, thoughts, and questions about Welcome to the Dollhouse, Are You There God? Its Me, Margaret., or anything else in the world of film, by sending an email to comments@nextpictureshow.net, or leaving a short voicemail at (773) 234-9730.

Next Pairing:Erle C. Kenton’s Island of Lost Souls and James Gunn’s Guardians of the Galaxy Vol: 3.