Review of Lady Bird (2017) by Paul F — 21 Dec 2017

A24 has done it once again. The studio behind gems like Ex Machina, The Witch, and more recently The Disaster Artist brings yet another fantastic film to theaters this year. Lady Bird is directed and written by Greta Gerwig in her directorial debut and stars Saoirse Ronan in the role of the titular main character, Christine "Lady Bird" McPherson. It is the story of that character's journey through her final year at a Catholic high school, and it details many of the struggles, emotions, mistakes, and triumphs that she endures.

As I mentioned, Lady Bird features Saoirse Ronan in the leading role. Her performance is the first great thing about the film. Ronan brings a humanity, vulnerability, and relatability to the character that makes her story in the film truly special. Having only graduated from high school two summers ago, it was very easy to understand many of the things Lady Bird struggled through. These things included the stresses behind choosing (and getting accepted into) a college, the emotion associated with enduring the pressures brought on by her parents, and the complications brought on by forming and ending relationships with people. The film also does a spectacular job in the way it portrays Lady Bird's relationship with her mother, portrayed by Laurie Metcalf. All of their interactions and each of their conversations feel very real and believable, paralleling many mother-daughter relationships that I have seen in the real world. Both of the performances behind these characters are especially good, and I hope to see Oscar nominations for both actresses.

The thing that makes Lady Bird such a special experience to watch is the reality of the events that it portrays. It is not some romantic movie that focuses on an unrealistic relationship that Lady Bird finds with the perfect guy. It isn't a drama film focused solely on her journey to find the right college. It doesn't make itself a Mean Girls type of movie that centers on the drama between girls' friend groups. Many modern coming-of-age stories fall into these same traps. Instead, Lady Bird is all of the things I just mentioned and more. The film simply walks the audience through a year of this young girl's life. It presents her story in a way that allows us to feel the emotions that she feels and learn the lessons that she learns. It allows the audience to see how the events of her youth shape her and bring her closer and closer to becoming an independent adult. This makes the film's most emotional moments truly satisfying and will probably lead to a few tears.

There is one more detail about the film that I'll touch upon before concluding. First of all, as a Catholic guy who went through a Catholic grade school and a Jesuit high school, I found the way they portrayed her high school refreshing. While many modern films present these schools as negative institutions that cause their students suffering, Lady Bird presents its school much more realistically: as a nurturing and uplifting environment that houses many rebellious students experimenting with new experiences. I thought it was well done so I decided to mention it.

Lady Bird distinguishes itself from the many coming-of-age stories of its kind by offering a refreshingly realistic and emotional portrayal of the life of one fiery and rebellious young girl. It is an exceptional debut for writer and director Greta Gerwig, and it gets 5 out of 5 stars.