SUNDANCE FILM FESTIVAL 2023 REVIEW! My first real job was working at PostWorks, a post-production house in New York City, just after film school right off of Union Square, co-owned by Larry Blume, Judy Blume’s son. I was a receptionist. One day I answered the phone, and it was Judy Blume. I froze in glee because on the other end of the line was the voice of a woman whose books guided me through the roughest time in my young adult life, and she was speaking to me, if only for a moment.
As I sat and watched the premiere of Judy Blume Forever in a packed theater, I was not the only one who felt Judy Blume was their therapist. There were thousands of us, many of whom wrote to Judy. This audience was hardly a pin drop in the sea of people who had read any of Judy Blume’s 28 books and still do. A documentary that had to be made regardless of whether or not you like Judy Blume’s books or not, Judy Blume Forever is a testament to a modern-day writer that now lives on forever—thankfully.
Directors Davina Pardo and Leah Wolchok did not miss a beat in their ability to provide the world with the importance, bravery, and gift that is Judy Blume to so many. As Judy Blume’s story unfolds from finding her path as a writer and her ability to thrive in life, we learn about the roadblocks that existed for a woman who wanted to share her stories, unlike anyone before her.
“…did not miss a beat…to provide the world with the importance, bravery, and gift that is Judy Blume to so many.”
Being Jewish, living in the 40s and 50s, divorcing, writing about taboo subjects, and being robust against critics and the uneducated masses, made Judy Blume an icon. She forged ahead when so many tried to stop her, always with grace and decorum. Throughout the film, we learn about an unbelievable amount of young people she helped through her stories providing a sense of sanity and clarity to develop as purposefully human beings. And she genuinely helped those as a voice of comfort who had no one else either to confide in or connect with on issues and thoughts that needed explaining. An audience member who appeared in the film stood as proof of Judy’s heartfelt help. Being banned 50 years ago did not stop Judy Blume readers from finding her books. Today in 2023, being prohibited again will hopefully not stop readers because Judy Blume’s relevance is more important than ever as we live with a pandemic and world of mental instability, especially for those who have questions. Judy provides answers or, at the very least, an ear.
Judy’s narration and interviews, sprinkled with charming animation filled with zinnias and other inviting elements, along with an abundance of archival images, talk show appearances, articles, and book signings, provide an overview of Judy’s writings and popularity that affected legions of readers. And not just young adult readers but also those who read Judy’s adult novels. Not fitting the 50s housewife image or life, Judy found writing and never looked back. Her young adult, coming-of-age books provided freedom of thought and feminist values for handling a harsh world, and in detail, much to the chagrin of some. Judy shares the controversy that continues, including her writing adult novels. Influencing Molly Ringwald and Lena Dunham, to name a few who showed up with their large stack of Judy Blume books, and several others shared their Judy Blume experience from being a pen pal or helping with severe issues, Judy has had room for us all, adding great humor, beauty, and love at every turn. And Yale University has all the letters in its archive for safekeeping.
From Judy’s bookstore in Key West, Florida, to following her around New York City for the 50th anniversary of Are You There God It’s Me, Margaret? there isn’t a moment lost in the film that you didn’t want to see or know, especially when Judy showed up on the screen for a live Q&A at the end of the film’s premiere for her standing ovation donning her blue glasses, ready for her people. Author Judy Blume had a profound effect on many a young girl and boy’s life and adults whether you read one of her books or all of them. This documentary film is a testament to why.
Judy Blume Forever screened at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival.
