Movie Review: Lady Bird
As the last seconds of Lady Bird slipped by me, one thought ran through my mind: I want more. The new film, directed by Greta Gerwig and starring Saoirse Ronan, is the type of movie that has you leaving the theatre feeling as though you are the main character. You have her quirks and family problems. You can relate to her endless frustrations and elation.
The film follows the eclectic and intense Christine “Lady Bird” McPherson in her senior year of high school. She lives in a small home with her psychiatric nurse mother, jobless father, gothic brother and his girlfriend in Sacramento. Her disdain for her hometown is evident, as she refers to it as “the midwest of California.”
What I loved most about this film was Lady Bird’s relationships with other characters.
Lady Bird wants more from her life. She longs to leave Sacramento, her overbearing mother, Catholic school and the rest of her hardships behind. She wants to go somewhere. Throughout the movie we see Lady Bird experiment with friends, boys and drugs. These experiences reveal her insecurities and bouts of anger, her selfishness and her longing for attention. However, we also see her honesty, creativity, independence and most importantly, her huge capacity for love.
What I loved most about this film was Lady Bird’s relationships with other characters. There were scenes with her best friend Julie, who would lie on the floor with Lady Bird eating communion wafers. Then there were contrasting scenes with her first boyfriend Danny, who was in the musical with Lady Bird and later proved unfaithful to her.
Most importantly, the film centers around Lady Bird’s relationship with her mother Marion—the most nuanced and complicated relationship in the entire film—highlighting both of their flaws. Marion takes out her anger on Lady Bird, holds grudges and treats Ladybird differently than any other character in the film. Their constant rapport—from utter anger and disappointment to bonding and intimate moments—allows us to better understand why Lady Bird is the way she is.
I identified with the scenes between Lady Bird and her mother, specifically in the split second where one of their passive aggressive arguments morphs into a pleasant conversation over a dress they found in Goodwill. I can promise you that after watching this film, you’ll call your mother to tell her how much you love her.
However, Lady Bird is not only good for its tear-jerking moments. Its sharp-witted comedy and underlying comedic tones force even the toughest of critics to crack a smile. From the hilariously clichéd and pretentious Kyle, to popular Jenna Walton’s snide comments, the movie capitalizes on hilarious conversations, guaranteed to make any audience laugh.
Most of all, Lady Bird is the type of movie you can relate to. You can associate the characters with your peers and laugh at their quirks. You can feel Lady Bird’s frustration towards the college process and laugh at the awkward moments in high school which you also failed to avoid. Lady Bird travels through high school as awkwardly and passionately as the rest of us, and we see that even after the hardest of times, everything will end up okay.