Review of Lady Bird (2017) by Kim U — 19 Dec 2017

I wasn't expecting to like "Lady Bird" as much as I did. I feared it would be another of those small movies critics adored but audiences hated. But Saoirse Ronan is irresistible as the titular teen and writer-director Greta Gerwig has fashioned a charming vehicle for her luminous star.

The plot is rather slight, but this coming-of-age story stands apart from others of its genre by developing characters that are rich and real rather than cartoonish. Gerwig has the sensibility to play fair with all the main characters, including mom and dad, the teachers, and even Catholic nuns and priests.

All the supporting performances are top-shelf, especially Laurie Metcalf as Lady Bird's mother. But the movie belongs to Ronan. Although now in her early 20s, the Irish actress easily inhabits the persona of 17 or 18 year old and the accent of an American.

Like most teenagers, Lady Bird isn't always the easiest person to love but Ronan is such a sweet and smart force of nature that she makes Lady Bird appealing even in her lesser moments. And when Lady Bird leaves Sacramento for New York and finally embraces Christine, the name her parents gave her, it's apparent that both the character and the actress playing her have soared to a height few films reach.