In a desert littered with intellectual-property revivals, prequels, sequels, and other failed attempts at blockbuster fare, "Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret" is an oasis. Though this adaptation of the beloved Judy Blume novel cannot claim to be wholly original, itself a take on one of the most well-known YA novels ever published, it represents a remarkable and welcome balm from the current state of the modern movie. Here is a film that, like its source material, treats its characters with care and tenderness, establishing an instant and unbreakable bond with the audience that hits home in scene after scene. Coming from Kelly Fremon Craig, the writer/director of the smart and spiky teen dramedy "The Edge of Seventeen," it's little surprise that "Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret" is so calmly brilliant, so intelligent, and patient, and knowing. This is the first great film of the new year.