This breezy documentary pays homage to the life, career, and broad social impact of a beloved author.
If the title, Judy Blume Forever, sounds a little fangirl, that's about right. It's clear the creators of the film love and respect Judy as much as the glowing interviewees, who include celebrities, authors, and more.
It's hard not to fall in love with the wise, witty, soft-spoken, and self-deprecating literary superstar on display in this movie. Now in her 80s, Blume announces she won't be writing any more books.
By providing a parallel chronological review of her life and her books, the film makes clear how writing has helped her work through her own life events, some as difficult as divorce and public censorship.
Blume is also representative of many women's experiences over the decades, from the stifling life of a 1950s suburban housewife to the disorder of 1960s liberation to 1980s conservatism, and so on.
The film follows Judy around on her bike in Key West, where she runs a bookstore and still receives regular fan visits. People gush over how influential her stories have been in their lives.
By far the most impactful testimonies in the film are those of two women who began exchanging letters with Blume as children. Both had difficult childhood experiences that Blume helped them through. One wonders if in today's litigious society an author could exchange such open and profoundly personal letters with kids. What a loss that would be, if not.
Directors Pardo and Wolchok also incorporate some gorgeous animation to visualize anecdotes and stories.
Read the full review at Common Sense Media.
Images courtesy of Amazon Prime Video.