Lady Bird

Community Rating

Director: Greta Gerwig

Writers: Greta Gerwig

Stars: Saoirse Ronan, Laurie Metcalf, Tracy Letts

Runtime: 1h 34m

MPAA: R

Released: December 1, 2017

Senior year of high school can be tumultuous. The transition from teenager to adulthood is sometimes difficult to navigate for even the most self assured among us. Many movies have tried to capture this adjustment, each with varying degrees of success. Lady Bird has to be one of the best examples of successfully doing so in recent memory.

Written and directed by Greta Gerwig, Lady Bird follows the eponymous high schooler as she works through her senior year in 2002 and prepares for college. Surrounding her is a robust set of varied characters that include her family, friends, and educators. These dynamic relationships are at the heart of the movie and what truly drives the plot forward.

Much like real life for an average high school senior there is no big bad to take down in this story. There’s not even a stereotypical bully for our protagonist to overcome. Instead we get true to life struggles involving test scores, first loves, and family dynamics. Greta Gerwig has wrote at the heart of what it means to be a new adult.

It is clear much inspiration for Lady Bird has been taken directly from Gerwig’s own life. Like Lady Bird she was born and raised in Sacramento California, went to catholic school, and moved to New York for college. But have no fears of the film being self indulgent or narcissistic, instead it is full of sincerity. As such, Lady Bird likely encapsulates the concerns of many young women and teenagers alike.

Saoirse Ronan also brings a great deal to the character of Lady Bird. Her work here feels perfectly measured as a head strong teenager ready to get as far away from home as possible. Far from perfect, she sometimes hurts family and friends. She then does what she can to make the situation better, showing her caring nature and why she actually makes a great ally. These strengths and flaws work to make Lady Bird such a compelling character.

She fights often with her similarly tempered mother, played by Marion McPherson. This leaves her dad, played by Tracy Letts, to often be the peacekeeper between two large personalities. Both mother and father get many special moments with their daughter that can bring laughs or tears.

Lucas Hedges and Timothée Chalamet also both get moments to shine as romantic interests for the young Lady Bird. The two, who could not be further from each other in temperament or style, bring a lot of humor and emotion to the film. Also of note is Beanie Feldstein as Lady Bird’s best friend. She works well with Ronan to create a chemistry that feels completely genuine.

In fact, the cast is so stacked with interesting characters that it actually leads to one of the few shortcomings of the film. While the script is tight, more could have been shown with the fate of many side characters. The biggest of them being Father Leviatch, acted by Stephen McKinley Henderson. To be clear, this is a small quibble as every main character wraps up their story completely.

This is all presented with the cozy cinematography of Sam Levy. Many shots in Sacramento are used tastefully, creating a sense of home even for viewers who have never been to the city. Nick Houy has made a tight edit of this footage that sometimes adds quirk to the film with the use of quick cuts.

The finished work is an emotionally uplifting movie that’s sure to satisfy many. It’s a pleasure to see a quality “coming of age” film that successfully avoids a great number of clichés the genre can often posses. Lady Bird is a beautiful film that should be enjoyed by many teenagers and adults.

★★★★☆