The 'Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret' movie is 50 years in the making

Judy Blume fans have been waiting a long time for this moment.

The author's 1970 book “Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret” has been a mainstay coming-of-age story, with its sixth grade narrator taking readers through the changes of adolescence with trademark precociousness.

And now, the middle school saga is being adapted into a movie, with Abby Ryder Fortson playing Margaret; Rachel McAdams playing her mom, Barbara; and Kathy Bates playing her grandma, Sylvia. Kelly Fremon Craig, who made 2016’s "The Edge of Seventeen," wrote and directed the film.

The two-minute trailer, which TODAY aired in a broadcast on Jan. 12, will have familiar scenes to readers of the book — including the opening line: “Are you there, God? It’s me, Margaret.”

The action begins with Margaret Simon (Abby Ryder Fortson) reluctantly moving out of New York City and into the New Jersey suburbs with her family.

From there, Margaret heads to cringe-worthy school assemblies about "your changing bodies" and makes a relatable plea to anyone who has felt like an outsider: “Please just do this one thing for me. Just let me be normal and regular like everybody else. Just please, please, please, please, please, please, please."

Just as she does in the book, the pre-teen goes through memorable rites of passages, like bra shopping.

When one of Margaret's classmates invites her to join her "secret club," she's instantly intrigued. But membership comes with a few strings attached to it. “If you wanna be in the club, then you have to wear a bra,” her friend tells her.

Margaret then brings up the topic of bras while talking to her mom, Barbara. “Oh, do you think you need one?” her mom says, and they both look incredibly uncomfortable.

Meanwhile, Barbara is dealing with her own growing pains, keeping up with the suburban Joneses. But when she tries to confide in her own mom, she hits back with some sarcasm: “I read that when you don’t have any loved ones around, your life expectancy drops drastically. But you know, I’ve had a good run."

Perhaps keeping her own tense relationship with her mom in mind, Barbara tries to be understanding while talking to Margaret. "It gets tiring trying so hard all the time, doesn't it?" she says.

During an appearance on TODAY, author Blume said the movie adaptation feels "wonderful."

"And the reason it feels wonderful is because I love the movie," she said. "How many authors can say, 'I think that movie is better than the book?'"

This article was originally published on TODAY.com