Lady Bird: A Film That Feels Like Home [Review]

Film: Lady Bird

Studio: IAC Films

Director: Greta Gerwig

Main actors: Saoirse Ronan as Christine “Lady Bird” McPherson, Laurie Metcalf as Marion McPherson, Tracy Letts as Larry McPherson, Lucas Hedges as Danny O’Neill, and Timothèe Chalamet as Kyle Scheible.

Run time: 1h 35m

Rating: ! ! ! ! !

Greta Gerwig is no amateur when it comes to the twists and turns of modern filmmaking. Her presence in front of and behind the camera has sculpted a successful path for her relationship with cinematic bodies of work. Initially recognized for her acting within independent films, Gerwig has also been co-writer for the well acclaimed Frances Ha and Mistress America. However, it wasn’t until the unveiling of comedy-drama Lady Bird that her directional debut really took off. While embarking on this creative project as both writer and director, Gerwig brought life into all the things she couldn’t be during her formative years. As a result, she produced a beautifully flawed coming-of-age story that is laced with simplicity yet speaks volumes. This one… is a must see my friends.

Being a Sacramento native herself, Gerwig’s film is set in this California city where protagonist Christine “Lady Bird” McPherson is a senior at her Catholic high school. Her dreams are deeply rooted in the idea of leaving her hometown in order to attend a sophisticated New York based college. If only dreams were that simple right? With average grades and a family struggling to stay afloat during financial downfalls, city college would make more sense (as her mother Marion likes to remind her), but being the resilient character she is, “Lady Bird” assembles herself through this vision of what could be. The impulsive and strong personality of “Lady Bird” is accompanied by the strained relationship with her mom, Marion, as they navigate the choppy waters that exist in the wake of adolescent temperament.

It’s rare to stumble across stories that cut through the white noise of filmmaking, but Lady Bird does it so effortlessly with the characters and the realism of what it truly means to grow up. Saoirse Ronan’s stunning portrayal of “Lady Bird” is a performance that makes the film incredibly memorable. Christine McPherson is your average, rebellious, underachieving teen who doesn’t ever explain the reasoning for naming herself “Lady Bird,” but one can assume the thought behind it lies within this concept of escaping into an alter ego of sorts. It allows for this character to tap into a different part of herself and feel some stable ground during a time when everything is out of her control. She is quite the complex character as the audience watches her develop throughout the film and even though we may not fully understand her, we find ourselves relating to everything she embodies. With a combination of being fiercely confident and noticeably insecure, “Lady Bird” is the perfect picture of a teenager struggling on the cusp of change.

The on-screen magic truly comes to life within the mother-daughter relationship between Ronan (Lady Bird) and Metcalf (Marion McPherson). The film focuses on the development of these two characters as they learn how to deal with the conflict that comes when pragmatism and dreams collide. Think about a time when someone asked you about the relationship you share with your mom… was the response ever short and simple? Most likely, no because these relationships are beautifully complicated, and they carry layers of different emotions we can’t define in a single sentence. Gerwig captures the push and pull that arises when two different perspectives clash but the love between these characters is never severed. The story itself is genuine in the way it narrates female perspective through the process of finding oneself. It almost becomes an expectation to say we “know who we are” or understand exactly where we are headed. But life is coated in unpredictable, messy moments and Lady Bird has a way of unraveling the details in a manner that allows us to make sense of the chaos.

In some instances, a film will leave a small impression on you. Perhaps you forget the details, or the storyline becomes blurred into a single image. In other instances, if you’re lucky enough, a film will touch your soul and resonate with you in ways you simply cannot put into words. Profound right? Well, that’s exactly how I felt the first time I saw Lady Bird and as I sat in the theater, watching this story unfold right before my eyes, I couldn’t help but make note of the visual language. There are these detailed moments, and, in each scene, you witness characters express this level of naturalism and realism in a way that makes you say yes, I understand this because I’ve been through it. The scenes are laced with smaller, intricate details of characters getting ready for something or coming down from something and it encompasses Gerwig’s vision of the in-between. Throughout our lives we always know the big events, but we rarely see what happens in the fleeting moments leading up to them.

Lady Bird takes us by the hand and guides us through the experiences of a flawed female protagonist who we admire from the opening scene to the rolling credits. This script became Gerwig’s love letter to Sacramento and it sheds light on the concept of home – a place that comes into focus only once it begins to recede. This story matters and people deserve to watch it as each scene has a certain rhythm – calm and steady, but powerful enough you feel it touch you. Gerwig speaks about how she wanted the film to be dynamic and engaging, but never distracting. It was about exposing audiences to this single story and letting go of the technicalities.

This film is unforgettable in the best possible way and it’s rare in the sense that it can’t be described as just one thing. It portrays growth and family dynamics in a beautifully messy way, but it doesn’t stop there. Lady Bird is a character study. Lady Bird is a journey of self-discovery. Lady Bird is raw and vulnerable. Lady Bird is a masterpiece that allows people to find comfort in the ambiguity of becoming an adult.

Lady Bird… is a must see.