Lady Bird (2017)

Lady Bird (2017)

8/10

Starring

Saoirse Ronan

Laurie Metcalf

Tracy Letts

Lucas Hedges

Directed by Greta Gerwig

Lady Bird is one of those movies that is just too amazing not to have seen. At the time of its release, it was considered one of the best movies of that year. Now that I’m seeing it three years later, I have to agree. I can bet it can arguably be cataloged as one of the best movies of its decade.

This is one of the best films to watch if you're in the mood for some coming-of-age drama. The performances alone by Saoirse Ronan and Laurie Metcalf are ones you have to see to truly admire. Their dynamic just gels on screen, and they form a perfect pair.

Then add to that the script they were acting to. The plot and screenplay melt on the screen and take you along with them. The dynamic between the two actors is amazing, and Greta Gerwig, who wrote and directed the movie, made sure we felt all the drama.

The movie sets a realistic tone of what self-discovery is like and the challenges mothers face raising teenage daughters. Even though you used to be a teenager yourself, trying to police things to make your children grow up better than you did is never an easy task. I bet if many of us asked our parents, they would let us know how difficult it was raising us.

This movie is about Christine (Ronan), who gave herself the name Lady Bird. She’s about to graduate high school and go to college. Christine is having a hard time with her mother, Marion (Metcalf), who just wants the best for her daughter, but neither of them can seem to meet anywhere in the middle.

Christine goes to a Catholic high school and is going through life with her best friend, Julie. Dealing with her mother is one thing, but she also faces the challenge of wanting to be as far away from her as possible. This leads her to seek a college far from home in another state. This is something her mother doesn’t want, but Christine works her father to help her apply. To Christine, it seems like she may not get accepted, so why bother her mom about it?

Christine also faces challenges with her boyfriend, who is going through his own struggles. She falls in with the wrong crowd, which causes her and Julie’s relationship to end. How Christine will navigate everything happening in her life and rebuild her relationship with Julie is a journey best left for you to see.

I like the way the movie ends. It leaves us thinking about how the mother and daughter will sort themselves out.

The movie was a critical and commercial success, earning numerous accolades and over 200 nominations across many award-giving committees, mostly for Gerwig, Ronan, and Metcalf. The three received Academy Award and BAFTA nominations. At the Golden Globes, where all three were nominated, Ronan won Best Actress, and Lady Bird won Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy.

Lady Bird is a good movie to watch, and one you’ll be glad you did.