Sacramento, California, 2002. Seventeen-year-old Christine (Ronan), who prefers the artistic yet slightly pretentious 'Lady Bird' as her official title, is desperate to get away from home. Dreaming of leaving her mundane life and financially troubled family behind in favour of a 'city with culture', Christine fails to appreciate everything she already has right in front of her. Navigating her way through relationships, her turbulent relationship with her mother (Metcalf) and her school theatre program, Christine goes through all the trials and tribulations every young person endures throughout their late teens, discovering her true self along the way.
Greta Gerwig makes a truly remarkable directorial debut here, working from her own excellent screenplay to craft an engaging coming of age story. Lady Birds strongest factor is without a doubt the terrific performances. Front and centre of the film is Ronan, who is superb as always. Portraying the aggravations and heartache of the titular character, Ronan presents us with someone painfully relatable, allowing us to fully invest in her journey. What works best in the film is the strenuous relationship with Christine and her mother, in which they are frequently clashing. Gerwig's dialogue is written in a way that is raw and human, and there isn't a single line that fails to resonate. Arguments aside, the bond between mother and daughter is one Gerwig reigns focus on the most. It is this bond that cleverly opens and closes the film, and by it's end, we feel like we know these characters intimately.
Lady Bird is an impressive debut for Gerwig and another home run for Ronan. I'm glad to see low budget, indie films like this get recognition at awards shows, but in the end, it's not the awards that matter. Focused and sharply written, this is one of the finer coming of age tales in recent years, which will hopefully lead to further films with Gerwig behind the camera.
