A
coming of age drama and a breath of fresh air from actress turned writer/director
Greta Gerwig, Lady Bird features a
complete performance by Saoirse Ronan and impressive support by Laurie Metcalf.
In
2002, Christine (Ronan) is having an identity crisis preferring the name Lady
Bird as a senior at a Catholic high school in Sacramento, California. Whether auditioning for a school play,
prepping for the senior prom, or scrambling to find what college to attend even
as her family struggles with finances, she
desperately wants to fit in and impress her peers even if it means lying. Her
life is constantly at odds with her stressed out mom, Marion (Metcalf), who
is consumed with responsibilities at work and home. Romance blooms, and life takes unexpected
turns as friendships and loyalties are tested.
Gerwig has a
filmmaking style that belies her independent film background in which the
narrative is structured as a series of moments in Christine’s life. The dialogue is realistic (and memorable) in depicting teen angst and
class disparity while peppered with genuinely funny moments.
The core of this
film is inevitably the love and hate relationship between two headstrong family
members, Christine
and Marion. There are touching moments which
ring true about life, a mother and daughter’s love for one another, and about Christine’s
painful maturation in the real world.
The
performances are quite good; expect
Oscar nominations for both women. Ronan
is building an impressive body of work at a young age while Metcalf has a
golden role that she mines for every nuance. Gerwig brings a unique voice to cinema and in
Ronan, she has found a perfect surrogate to depict adolescent yearnings in a
drama that rings true.
**** of
**** stars
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