Judy Blume Forever

Greetings again from the darkness. It's not unusual for readers to feel a connection to their favorite author, but very few can match the bond shared by writer Judy Blume and her followers. Co-directors Davino Pardo and Leah Wolchok set out to profile the writer whose staggering sales figures (more than 80 million books sold) pale in comparison to the impact she had on so many young girls.

A film adaption (directed by Kelly Fremon Craig) of Ms. Blume's most well-known book, "Are you there, God? It's me, Margaret", is set for a release that corresponds to this documentary, so it's likely her work is about to experience a revival of sorts. You might wonder how a 1970 book for adolescent girls could still have relevance today, and the answer is that the author is one of the few who addressed what mattered (and matters) to this group: masturbation, menstruation, relationships, body development. Blume's work addressed these topics in such a way that girls could not only easily relate, but they felt comfort in knowing that they weren't facing these changes alone. Blume became a best-selling author and a trusted advisor.

The filmmakers opt to include interviews with celebrities such as Molly Ringwald, Lena Dunham, and Samantha Bee, yet it's the words from "normal" girls and women who recount the impact of the books that strikes an emotional chord. Watching Judy go through the mounds of letters she received from readers brings emphasis to what matters here. Yale University houses Blume's archies, letters, and papers, and we sense the sentimentality as she re-reads some of these. Regular correspondence with writers Mary H. K. Choi and Lorrie Kim is remarkable, but it's the consistent letters back and forth with Karen Chilstrom over so many years that pack an emotional wallop. Segments with Judy's own children, daughter Randy and son Larry, are also included.

We learn Judy was a traditional 1950's housewife who pursued a career of her own, a not-so-traditional move of the times. She persevered despite many closed doors, and went on to have incredible success doing exactly what she wanted in a style that bucked the trends. That she sold so many books is remarkable when you consider that the target audience for many of her books were too young to even buy books. We see numerous clips of Blume on TV Talk Shows telling her story ... her confrontation with ultra-conservative James Buchannan is particularly entertaining. Although the film goes mostly in chronological order, only the most ardent fans will know what year a book being discussed was released. Now in her 80's, Blume and her husband run a bookstore in Key West with a posted sign that reads ... "We sell banned books." What a fitting exclamation point to a remarkable woman and her career.

Streaming on Prime Video beginning April 21, 2023.

I have to say what a breath of fresh air. You covered so many things from my childhood and my life that you had me one minute crying like a baby then laughing out loud I woke my wife who had fallen asleep next to me a few times. I find myself a parent again in later years and was wondering how to breach all the seen taboo subjects that as a child I had no help in dealing with. I will be investing some time into your books to hopefully not leave my little person blindly fumbling in life at difficult times. I have to say how brave all your guests were on the film to share their experiences and to do it themselves without a mask or fake name. I apologize for the review if it does not read correctly as I am dyslexic and find it hard sometimes to write. Also, my spelling is not the best but Google spelling helps a little. Thank you Judy for being uncensored and you. If you are reading this and think shall I give this a look then the answer is YES 100% ATB Kind regards Derek.

P. S Just a note for Judy "You can please some of the people some of the time but not all of the people all of the time" and this is OK.

I loved getting to know the woman who wrote all those incredible books. She literally helped me through puberty and all of high school.

Every book has a wonderful story then at the end you feel better and confident that whatever your going through you will be ok. That's a comfort to someone who as a kid or teenager you didn't see past what was going on in my life. I really appreciate the tribute to this wonderful woman.

Brian Grazer and Ron Howard are the best at whatever they put out whether it's movies or documentaries.

I absolutely recommend this documentary to all ages. You will enjoy it.

As "Judy Blume Forever" )2023 release; 98 min) opens, today's Judy Blume is reading an excerpt from her 1973 children's book "Deenie", and we see Judy, now 85, running her "Books & Bools" store in Key West. We then go back in time to Judy's upbringing and youth as a Jewish girl, and her keen interest in imagining fictional characters. At this point we are less than 10 minutes into the movie.

Couple of comments: this documentary is co-directed (and co-produced) by Davina Pardo and Leah Wolchok. Here they assess the life and times of Judy Blume. It's mostly Blume herself talking into the camera and recalling events (such as when she got her first book published and how it changed her life). There are also various talking heads, of which by far the most interesting ones are the women who wrote to Judy Blume to pour out their hearts and their insecurities all these decades ago, and how it affected them (one of them confesses "it literally saved my life". (We learn that Blume was receiving thousands of letter each month.) But this documentary is unintentionally also a very timely reminder that what we are currently witnessing in this country, where MAGA extremists are calling for book bans (among many other things) and defunding of public libraries, is not new. In fact in the early 80s we saw the same thing (and several of Blume's books were banned). What a sad state of affairs that it seems we didn't learn a thing from those events now 40 years later.

"Judy Blume Forever" premiered at this year's Sundance film festival to immediate critical acclaim. There is good reason why this documentary is currently rated 94% Certified Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes. The movie started streaming on Amazon Prime this past weekend. I had read a positive review in a recent New York Times, and couldn't wait to see it. If you have any interest in Judy Blume or in freedom of speech, I'd readily suggest you check this out, and draw your own conclusion.

I came upon this documentary purely by accident, and I'm so glad I did. Judy Blume and her books are inextricably linked to my childhood and for that I'm so grateful. The first book I read on my own, for pleasure, was Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing, in 1978 at 7 years old. For the next couple years I discovered and devoured the rest of her catalog at that time. It didn't matter to me that most of her books centered on girls. I also became a voracious reader because of Judy, and sought out similar books only a few authors were writing, like Norma Klein and Paula Danziger.

Apart from the documentary's particular meaning to me, it's really well done and incredibly informative and entertaining. Judy is so humble, sweet, open, and thoughtful. A genuinely caring soul. There's a treasure trove of photos and clips from past interviews, and commentary from some well-known Judy Blume fans. I got choked up numerous times learning about all the letters she's received over the last 5 decades and the special correspondence she has with some of her (very lucky) fans.

The ridiculous controversy about some of her books (which caused libraries and bookstores to "ban" anything she wrote) that's waxed and waned over the years is also explored, and it's inspiring to learn how Judy has dealt with that blowback and still manages to stay true to herself.

Watching this wonderful doc also sparked some great memories, and I learned so much about the genesis of many of her works. An absolute must for any Judy Blume fan and really for anyone who grew up appreciating young adult books that spoke to them about certain things we all do but receive mixed messages about. Highest recommendation!