Netflix recently released a romance show with a 95% Rotten Tomatoes score which serves as a great follow-up to an incredible 2023 Rachel McAdams movie, . Judy Blume is, without a doubt, one of the most popular writers who caters to middle-grade and teenage girls. Although some of them came out five decades ago, her books have a perennial quality because they explore very real topics like menstruation, divorce, and sexual development. Luckily,

The 2023 film stars newcomer Abby Ryder Fortson as Margaret Simon, a preteen girl who has to cope with a move from New York to New Jersey. In addition to adapting to the new environment, Margaret pleads with God that she will become a woman already. Two years after the release of the amazingly reviewed Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret., Netflix has released a great follow-up to the film based on a different Judy Blume book.

The coming-of-age book and film version of Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret. focus on a pre-teen girl navigating menstruation, bras, and her changing body. Because the story centers on puberty, it’s great for children ages 12 to 14 and their parents. , focusing on the next face in adolescence – first loves and sexual experiences. Like the 2023 movie, Forever is an adaptation of a controversial and often banned Judy Blume book.

The story follows teens named Keisha and Justin (named Kathleen and Michael in the novel) who reconnect at a New Year's party. Despite a rocky start, the duo fall in love and decide to have sex. While they might have a slightly different target audience, the pre-teens who would have benefitted from Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret., at the time of its release, are now at an age where they might benefit from . Forever caters to teenagers around 15 to 18, even though it’s labeled TV-MA, although the appropriateness will depend on the specific individual.

While the Netflix show does include sex scenes, it’s important to know that they are not overly salacious or exploitative. Instead, Forever takes the same approach as Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret., grounding the story in reality. , as it models topics like consent and safe sex. The show also adds modernization, like the topic of the long-term problems sex tapes can cause. Though Forever is not a substitute for comprehensive sex education, it’s an excellent supplement to health classes, and it can help those without access to sex ed.

The incredible acting is a consistent strength through both Forever and Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret. Forever is too new to know whether it will be considered for awards, but the event season for the Judy Blume movie has long passed. Unfortunately, the Oscars snubbed Rachel McAdams, who deserved a nomination for Best Supporting Actress but went unrecognized despite her incredible performance. In Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret., McAdams plays Barbara Simon, the mother of the titular pre-teen main character.

Rachel McAdams disappears into the role in the best way possible. When watching the movie, it feels like watching a real mother talking to her daughter instead of feeling like Rachel McAdams playing a mother talking to her daughter. Barbara comes across as a person instead of a character. The actress explained to The Hollywood Reporter how she went about bringing Barbara to life. McAdams said:

It was a bit of a challenge to work out her temperature: how insecure she was about her place in the community, finding the line between being comedic and neurotic, and wanting her to be grounded but also bring a light touch to it.

Luckily, McAdams figured out the right balance for the character thanks to the author of Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret. Judy Blume sent play-length notes delving into the psyche of the character, allowing the actor to understand Barbara better. McAdams’ deep understanding of the mother is most noticeable when Barbara has to explain to her daughter that her parents disowned her for marrying a Jewish man, which is why Margaret never met them.

It would be so easy to overact at this moment of Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret., but Rachel McAdams gives a grounded and understated performance that’s perfect for the scene. When the actor cries, it feels like a pure and honest expression of emotion that makes you feel Barbara’s pain. McAdams explained how she approached the scene, stating this:

[In the scene about the grandparents,] I never felt pressure to arrive at any certain thing in my performance. It’s such a heartbreaking situation that you don’t have to manipulate it very far beyond what was there. The truth is already hanging in the air.

Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret. is without a doubt one of Rachel McAdams’ best movies, and it stands out because of how little screen time the actor has. Almost all of the other great performances from McAdams feature her as a lead actor instead of a supporting actor. In this film, McAdams must make her character stand out as an actor while also propping up Abby Ryder Fortson’s Margaret Simon – the true star of the show. This is a tough thing to balance, and Rachel McAdams does it brilliantly.

Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret is without a doubt the best Judy Blume adaptation, despite the film bombing at the box office. However, the new Netflix show rises close to the level of the 2023 film, and it’s significantly better than the 1978 made-for-TV version of Forever. Critics and audience members alike have lauded Netflix’s Forever because of its nuanced and realistic exploration of love and sex for teenagers in the social media era.

Although showrunner Mara Brock Akil’s decision to change parts of Judy Blume’s Forever could have been poorly received, most reviews praise the fact that the Netflix show explores class and race – topics that weren’t prevalent in the original story. It’s not often that TV shows include a sincere and sweet Black love story that doesn’t end in complete tragedy. On top of all the narrative and thematic strengths,

Lovie Simone’s love for the Judy Blume book is obvious in her portrayal of Keisha Clark, but Michael Cooper Jr. does just as good of a performance as Justin Edwards. Fans are already calling for season 2 because they can’t stand to say goodbye to Keisha and Justin. Luckily, the end of Netflix’s Forever leaves the door open for the couple to reunite. Akil has also expressed interest in making a second season after seeing the overwhelming response from the fans. Fingers crossed that Netflix sees the potential of continuing the story of Keisha and Justin in .