User Reviews

In the year 2002, Catholic high school senior Christine McPherson, self-named "Lady Bird," is an impetuous girl literally from the wrong side of the tracks who's at a critical stage in her life: she's continually at odds with her mother, despises her mundane life in Sacramento, and wants to go to college on the east coast in a city with culture. Her ordinary life suddenly takes a turn when she has to deal with popularity, discovering boys and romance, and coping with the problems of people other than her own. Cute, quirky, and thoughtful coming-of-age story is one everyone can relate to, with the all-important themes of teen angst, adolescence, and ambition; colorful dialogue, well-drawn characters, and believable situations are only elevated by a talented cast of actors. Twenty-three-year-old Ronan perfectly embodies the spirit of a self-absorbed teenager in all her complexities, making it easy for viewers to recall a similar time period in their lives. ***

Offbeat and off brand, Greta Gerwig's 2017 major studio directorial debut 'Lady Bird' is a tale of angst, stress and a strive for perfection and acceptance. The 2002-set film showcases Sacramento in all its glory - or perhaps, lack thereof - and puts Academy Award-nominee Saorise Ronan in the driver's seat to make an impact on audiences.

Think of it as a more mainstream, female 'Napoleon Dynamite,' the themes in 'Bird' are common ones that many young adults can identify with during the confusing, competitive high school years. At the center of the film is Ronan's title character (née, Christine), who stops at nothing to escape her hometown for the east coast while battling her mother, Marion (Laurie Metcalf). This rivalry dominates the entire film and helps us understand how one's environment growing up can have a major impact on their choices in life. Between jumping out of moving vehicles, disrupting assemblies at her Catholic high school and struggling with early love, Lady Bird stumbles her way through senior year in pursuit of being part of the "in crowd."

Of course, this premise offers Gerwig a lot to work with, and her signature dramedic, deadpan tone is a constant throughout 'Bird.' Everything from the way scenes are shot to the quirky music selection are dripping with proverbial eye rolls, and they all work. Sure, there are a few moments that could cause general audiences gasp, but most of them are done in a way that is not mean-spirited or in poor taste. Aside from Ronan's A+ performance, others in the supporting cast don't disappoint, from Lucas Hedges to Timothée Chalamet.

'Lady Bird' was not a monster hit, but it has the building blocks to become a cult classic for this generation, similar to the way 'Dynamite' did nearly 15 years ago, and sets up Gerwig and Ronan to become even bigger stars than they already are.

I kind of like films like 'Lady Bird'. Coming of age, teenage dramas where the characters have infinite charm and deal with things we all remember fondly (or not so) from our adolescence. A particularly fond one from recent memory was 'Edge of Seventeen'. I like them as films, but they have to be something truly superb to be nominated for Best Picture at the Academy Awards. For me 'Lady Bird' was not quite that good.

I never read any other opinions or reviews of films before I review them myself, so as to make my review as purely mine as possible. I read in the trivia section though that this has been a nearly perfectly reviewed film. I'm going to be fascinated to read a number of those reviews. That's not to say I can't see someone giving this a good review - it's a perfectly good film after all - but for no one to have found fault in it is incredulous to me.

Saoirse Ronan has been nominated for Best Actress in a Lead Role. She was good without really blowing me away. She had charm and innocence and likability down, but she wasn't given a whole lot of emotion to work with in her character. It's hard to see her winning. Laurie Metcalf was also nominated for Best Supporting Actress and again there simply wasn't enough for her to work with to have any chance of winning the award. She did well with what she was given, but never blew me away by any means.

I would describe 'Lady Bird' as forgettable. A solid, well made, well acted film that I will likely never recall ever again. There is nothing there that will stick with me. When I think back on the great Best Picture nominees over the years (even the ones that didn't win, 'Amour' 'The Green Mile' etc.) they have moments that will stick in my memory until the day I die. 'Lady Bird' had nothing like that in any way, shape or form. Not a bad film, I had just hoped for more.

Allow myself to introduce myself. Bird. Lady Bird. Oh, don't forget the quotes to make it super kewl.

There are many positives about this movie and not many negatives and yet, this movie seems overblown with the praise it has received. I absolutely love these quirky, coming of age, real life drama/comedies. But, maybe I've seen too many of them. Or, I've seen far too many better ones.

Yes, this movie is honest and yeah, the drama feels totally real - not to mention some of the comedy is funny. The acting is fantastic, especially by the parents and "Lady Bird," herself, very good. Plus, I loved, for once, they portrayed a Catholic School in a positive and progressive manner. But...

Again, I've seen this all before. With much better and deeper dialogue and emotion. Juno might not have been the first, but it was the biggest modern eye-opener for this subgenre to me and I loved almost every aspect of that true and real story. (Plus it had 10x the soundtrack this one tried to have.)

There's just not much story here, other than one girl's struggle with her struggling parents, her need for popularity and her yearning to get out of the West and meet the East. You won't get too many surprises in this story from maybe one or two scenes, but you will get less conflict than most family dramas and that was definitely comforting.

Planning on leaving this movie a better person, or running to your nearest friend to highly recommend like most films that fit these highlights? Think again. But, simultaneously, you won't regret seeing it and will say it was good and worth seeing. Just...on home streaming. Absolutely not worth paying an admission/parking price for a movie theatre ticket.

***

Final thoughts: Before I go, I will give a huge kudos to one of my life-long favorites, Laurie Metcalf - the mother. Despite the movie's title and the world circling around the daughter, Lady Bird, it's the mother, or Metcalf, that completely steals the movie and if she wins Best Supporting Actress, I'm behind that vote. Heck, frankly, she could also be considered for Best Actress for this since she's in the majority of the feature. Just think, on the eve of the 2018 Oscar Noms, they'll just stick her in the "Supporting" role since the title targets her onscreen daughter. Shame. She definitely could've claimed the top Actress award. Easily.

Even though I was never a rebellious teenage girl at a catholic school in Sacramento, I still found myself relating to this quirky movie. Lady Bird captures the essence of what it's like to be a teenager. And while Saoirse Ronan and Laurie Metcalf really shine, each cast member adds something to the film. There's a lot to love about Lady Bird.

This film is a blissful piece of nostalgic joy. I was nowhere near Sacramento in 2002, but whilst watching I genuinely felt as if I was there.

The relationship between Ladybird and her mother is the underlying thread throughout and they pull off a believable dynamic that's fun to see. There are also a bunch of other sub stories that are beautifully woven in.

I highly recommend if you want a nice relaxing film that is not too long and makes you smile at the end.

Lady Bird is surprisingly set in a post-9/11 Sacramento in 2002 , which is an un-usual but refreshing era for a modern coming-of-age story. While coming of age stories can often fall in to their charming but conventional trappings, Lady Bird shines in that it doesn't shy away from showing the faults of the characters it follows throughout its run time, almost to the point that you want to see even more of their journeys through life.

Lady Bird has excellent cinematography and believable characters with identifiable flaws and traits that really ground the movie. Lady Bird takes influence from the 'mumblecore' sub genre (a drama with emphasis on natural dialogue and personal character relationships over plot) and ties it nicely with a coming of age structure that doesn't over stay its welcome and definitely takes its own path you can relate to as a viewer.

Saoirse Ronan is particularly charming as our main character and bounces well with Laurie Metcalf and Tracy Letts filling in as her parents. The movie addresses a few subjects that aren't touched upon in most conventional coming of age movies, which gives the film a mature feeling. Particularly the 15 certificate in the UK meant the film didn't have to pander towards a younger audience, which is exactly want you want as a viewer of this genre because teenagers swear, talk about sex and abuse alcohol/drugs.

Some viewers may find its general pacing, structure and tone to be not particularly entertaining and up beat as many other coming of age movies but I found it enjoyable, funny and grounded. The soundtrack also wasn't particularly that memorable but does include some nods towards that era and adds some licensed tracks that some may appreciate.

A decent coming of age movie that shakes genre conventions but nothing particularly groundbreaking.

"Another one? Seriously. Will these ever stop?" is probably what you are thinking. The answer is simple, the process of coming-of-age is relatable. A relatable story is one that viewers will warm to. Lady Bird is no different. It packs heart, plenty of character and subtle witty humour. A young girl, who titles herself "Lady Bird", is brought up in a catholic school and is at the stage of moving onto college. As with other synonymous films of this sub-genre, our teenage protagonist experiences their first love, family conflict and identity crisis. All part of the long process of growing up. This is nothing new, you may find its unoriginality to be a flaw but if it isn't broke...don't fix it. Also the short runtime results in a despondent narrative due to the amount of content being rammed into it. Despite the meaty plot, Lady Bird just works. So simple, yet incredibly effective. Addressing problematic themes of religious upbringing, materialism, guilt, wealth and the all important identity crisis when being a teenager. Gerwig may not be the most experienced director, but she definitely puts herself on the Hollywood map now. Nothing too fancy, a few quirks here and there but her reliance of the static camera position allows the actors to own the screen. She enables them to bring out the characters by simply giving them the whole screen. They are fundamentally the vital aspect. The characters themselves are fully realised and developed quite nicely, none of the events felt forced or coincidental and so the natural progression, particularly for Lady Bird and her mother, was presented efficiently. Ronan and Metcalf had a luminous chemistry together that felt both loving and prickly simultaneously. Hedges and Chalamet provided decent supporting roles also. I honestly don't have much else to say, if you've seen any coming-of-age film before then, really, you've seen this as well. Its formulaic approach is a small detriment to an incredibly acted, directed and written drama that will provide smiles all round.

This coming of age movie is finely written and directed by Greta Gerwig. She loosely bases the story on her own experiences growing up in Sacramento. The main character, Christine, is 17 years old and calls herself « Lady Bird ». I like her free spirit. Saoirse Ronan fully embodies the role, bringing her energy and her sense of humor. She gives a great performance, as does Laurie Metcalf. Both actresses perfectly capture the complex relationship between a mother and her daughter. The rest of the cast is also good, especially Lucas Hedges and Timothée Chalamet who play the boyfriends. The scenes with them are indeed funny and colorful. This bittersweet comedy deserves to be seen. It's a refreshing portrayal of teenage life.

With one of my favourite trailers of the year, the awards attention, the theme of coming of age and the critical acclaim, 'Lady Bird' very quickly became one of the year's most anticipated films for me. Deliberately didn't see it at opening weekend though, just in case it was busy and difficult to get tickets, after the insane opening weekend of 'Black Panther'.

'Lady Bird' in no way disappointed. With the above, was hoping that it would be one of my favourite films of the year and it turned out to be exactly that, the awards attention and acclaim more than fully deserved. This doesn't just fly, 'Lady Bird' actually soars and have not seen a coming of age-themed film in recent memory this sparkling or honest or with this amount of humour, brains, heart and charm. Have seen it mentioned as a passion project, and if it was the passion and hard work can be seen all over.

It is a very appealing film visually, with beautiful and colourful cinematography and with editing that flows succinctly and cohesively. The music is has energy yet knows when to understate itself when needed. In her first film as solo director, Greta Gerwig directs with a nimble touch, the comedy is light on its feet and she avoids making the emotional elements heavy-handed or tonally jarring.

The script is one of the year's best, my personal pick actually for this year's Best Original Screenplay Oscar of the nominees. The comedy sparkles in wit and is genuinely hilarious, done in an honest and true to life way yet with some cringes like it would be in real life too. Over-sentimentality is avoided in the more emotional and dramatic scenes, there are some really sweet and poignant moments and an endearing personal touch.

Found myself really emotionally investing in and relating to the mother and daughter relationship, their bonding bringing tears to my eyes and then making me smile and laugh when botched and leaving me with hope at resolution at the same time. The coming of age/angsty elements have a truthfulness, authenticity and twinkle and it was very easy to identify with them if in the same position growing up, they're often very funny but also very heartfelt and charming.

Story is immensely engaging throughout right from the riotous opening to the more emotional and avoiding-being-too-pat ending, anchored by the mother and daughter relationship that entertains, moves and provokes thought. Didn't mind at all that it wasn't ground-breaking, due to not expecting it to be as coming of age can be predictable. Enjoyed the way the characters were written, and appreciated that the film broke away from the typical archetype of school teachers being over-disciplinary and without humour.

Performances are never less than great, with Saoirse Ronan and Laurie Metcalf fully inhabiting their characters and phenomenally. It was wonderful for both to get awards attention with both giving two of the year's best performances. Lois Smith twinkles too in her role.

If Lucas Hedges (who has grown quite a lot) and Timothee Chalamet (not as good as his truly remarkable performance in 'Call Me By Your Name' but showing why he is one of the most promising recent rising stars) continue to go down this promising path they are likely to go on to big careers.

Concluding, fabulous film and one of my favourites of the year. 10/10 Bethany Cox

When you hear all the fantastic praise that a new Oscar bait film is getting, you should probably watch it. Even though I'm personally not the target audience or demographic for this film I still ended up liking the film quite a bit.

The biggest accomplishment and positive in the film is the directing by Greta Gerwig, which for a first time directing is an outstanding achievement. You honestly would not be able to tell if this was directing by an all time great or a newcomer. She has done an amazing job directing the film in this regard it has no faults at all. With this being her first film she has an extremely bright and interesting future ahead and I'm definitely now keen to see what she does next.

The other main positive of the film are the performances which across the board are fantastic, however there are a couple of standouts. Firstly Saoirse Ronan who is fantastic in the film and brings such heart to the character of Lady Bird. For me personally this is one of her best performances that she has done and only increases her reputation. Hopefully this will open up the door for her to get bigger roles more often, she is brilliant. The other standout in the film is Lady Bird's mother played by Laurie Metcalf, she is again incredible in the role and brings elements to her character that I think everyone will recognise in their own mother. She hopefully will get some awards buzz and maybe even a nomination.

Unfortunately though and I know that this is my own personal problem and fault that I feel this is film maybe a little overrated. This is partially to due my fault because well this isn't my type of film, I know thats not the films fault. I could never really connect to the story of the film but again thats my own opinion and fault, but I can understand how and why people really do connect with the story. Lastly the film is good is just nothing amazing or ground breaking in any sense so thats where I'm a little......not disappointed...... let down by the film because I was expecting a lot more considering the praise.

Overall its 70% out of 100 or 7 out of 10 its a good film and its a brilliant starting point for Greta Gerwig's directing career. As well as bringing us great directing it gives us two great performances that will really leave an impression on you after watching it. However because I couldn't connect to the film that much it didn't hit me as hard as it should emotionally, but again thats my problem really not the films. Best directing Oscar Nomination?

We each have nicknames given to us by loved ones. My dad always called my sister "boop" (for reasons unknown), and he called me "TFF" for "Trevor-fo-fevor;" one friend of mine went by his middle name "Xavier," and another calls his daughter "goose." Nicknames always become so personal because they say practically everything about the bond between the name's owner and the name's caller.

So what could be told about a girl who gave herself the nickname Lady Bird? One, she has high self-dependency. Two, she seeks image confidence. Three, she feels too distanced from mom and dad to accept their nicknames. Indeed, you learn even more about Lady Bird as her graduation impends- class of 2003.

Lady Bird just wants to fly away from dull old Sacramento for college on the East Coast; her disrespect upon the confused adults seems understandable enough, since 9/11 still dawdles fresh in the nation's memory. However, Lady Bird only knows Sacramento's restrictive side. Director/writer Greta Gerwig, along with the small production crew, pays off their united vision in a humble, down to earth fashion similar to an early 2000's comedy. Gerwig's often slow/often fast approach documents Lady Bird's problems under the awkward pressure of growing up into the unknown: awareness about weight gain, knowing who her real friends are, uncertainty about sexuality, plus more you survived in your youth.

Lady Bird's oppressive school adds but an extra layer of confusion. The familiar details of a religious institution restrict every teen's need for self-discovery: dancers keep ten inches apart for the Holy Spirit, skirts below knee level, etc. Lady Bird expresses her attitude about the rules by the way she casually eats the communion wafers as if they were goldfish crackers.

Yet the girl's shaky maternal bond most allows the coming of age story's real heart to bloom. Right away the two argue in the car about college, a disagreement she ends by opening the door to the pavement. Now a pink cast on her forearm, a profanity written on toward the one she accuses as responsible, explains their whole relationship. Contrary to Lady Bird's assumptions, mother truly loves her, as expressed through a clear balance between disciplined silence and a compassionate ear to keep Lady Bird's head on straight. You may even notice a subtle role reversal, proving Lady Bird's invisible likenesses to her family. So I wholeheartedly recommend Lady Bird for any mother-daughter night out.

While the script's more personal than usual, it still comes off one- sided, mainly against Lady Bird's overly oppressive Catholic school experience. Both inside and outside the school, Lady Bird's rebellious actions, such as shoplifting, play either for cheap laughs or to cast a stark shadow over religion. Her two older adoptive siblings also contribute little plot importance besides forgettable reactions about her attitude. These two piercing studded emos of ethnic color should have been more down-to-earth voices of reason, ones different from the parents or teachers, but this opportunity is missed.

Gerwig's approach predominantly passed the opportunity of true love for Sacramento as a location. Remember that song about West Virginia? A love letter about the state's old life: older than the trees and younger than the mountains? No comparable love for the city of Sacramento resolves Lady Bird's matters in a satisfying fashion by the end.

An added complaint goes to the crew's decision to cast 23-year-old Saoirse Ronan to play a teenager, even though she looks too old to play someone underaged. A couple of the other actors halt the enjoyment, particularly Lucas Hedges' (Manchester by the Sea), clumsy performance as Lady Bird's little turtle-dove.

Although many other strong performances keep the production's awards thirst hydrated, especially Oscar-bound Laurie Metcalf, who vigorously plays Mrs. Lady Bird. Stephen Henderson, the underrated thespian from Fences, satisfies as well as the school's cheerful old drama coach.

So, if I had a nickname for Lady Bird, it would still embrace the initials LB, for "Loving Believability," as you believe the low points and love the high points. Everyone itches at some desire to leave home, so we each could use a comforting soul like Lady Bird by our side.

This film tells the story of a high school girl who tries to find herself in the world, amongst her peers and the adolescent turbulence.

"Lady Bird" is a charming film about real life. The characters are believable, and in fact I can relate to multiple characters in the film. The story does not feel formulaic. There are no outrageous drama or overly cliched characters, but the story just keeps me interested in it. The ending is a nice resolution, wrapping up and referring back to various moments in the film. I like it.

At first glance, this second feature from actor-turned-writer/director Greta Gerwig appears to be yet another quirky and twee little indie feature which made the cut as the obligatory low-budget entry into the Best Picture category at this year's Academy Awards. Yet Gerwig wasn't brought in by Noah Baumbach to co-write Frances Ha and Mistress America for nothing. She has a unique voice, and a keen eye for the smaller moments in life that most people didn't realise they had forgotten or missed. Lady Bird is riotously funny, incredibly relatable (for both sexes), and features two incredible lead performances. It's also profoundly authentic, and will have many female viewers (and some male) squirming in their seats as their own awkward memories of adolescence come pouring back.

It's 2002, and Christine McPherson (Saoirse Ronan) is an artistically-inclined teenager on the verge of leaving her Catholic high school and fleeing her home of Sacramento to attend college. She longs to be different and stand out from the crowd, opting to go by the nickname of 'Lady Bird' and dressing in a grungy, non-conformist way. She shares a relaxed relationship with her depressed father Larry (Tracy Letts), but struggles to communicate with her ball-busting but well-meaning mother Marion (Laurie Metcalf). The film covers her final days of school and her struggles to find her identity. Best friend Julie (Beanie Feldstein) is always there for her, but Lady Bird is more interested in pursuing her burgeoning sexuality and trying to fit in with the cool, richer kids. All the disappointments of teenage life await her, but she firmly believes that life will only truly start once she escapes her childhood home.

The focus is primarily on Lady Bird's concerns, but this is also a story of a young girl struggling to communicate with her mother. Marion does all she can to help her daughter find the best life for herself, such as working long shifts at the hospital and maintaining a steady routine at home, but she is also burdened with unrealistic expectations and emotionally scarred by her own abusive childhood. Their relationship is summed up in the opening scene, as Lady Bird opts to jump out of a moving vehicle and break her arm rather than listening to her mother voice an opinion. The dynamic forms the film's backbone, and their quick-tempered back-and-forths will be familiar to many. Both Ronan and Metcalf are outstanding in their roles, finding sympathy for their characters when they are at their most flawed and unreasonable. Gerwig finds the perfect balance between light and dark, taking the edge off when events get a little too familiar with some beautifully-timed comedy. Lady Bird will no doubt launch Gerwig onto bigger and better things.

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It is such a rarity - but a delight - to see a maintstream movie both written and directed by a woman. As well as being a fine actress, Greta Gerwig has written before (notably "Frances Ha" and "Mistress America") but this is her directorial début. Astonishingly (but deservedly), at the age of just 34 this made her only the fifth woman in history to be nominated for a Best Director Academy Award and the first to be so honoured for her directorial début (but she did not win).

It is also uncommon - but again a pleasure - to have a leading role in a film with a decent budget taken by a young actress. Here Irish Saoirse Ronan plays the eponymous 17 year old American senior year high school student in this coming-of-age story. We first saw Ronan in "Atonement" but she has since proved to be an outstanding talent in work such as "Hanna" and "Brooklyn".

"Lady Bird" is clearly semi-autobiographical territory for Gerwig: the central character's real name is Christine (the name of Gerwig's mother); the narrative is set in the early 2000s when Gerwig herself was a teenager; and, like Christine, Gerwig went to a Catholic high school in Sacramento before studying at a liberal arts college in New York City.

But Gerwig does not romantise her central character who has acne and a poor hair dye and exhibits selfishness and anger as well as charm and humour in a narrative that is at turns poignant and funny but always engaging. Although the focus is on one girl in one year, the supporting characters - notably Lady Bird's parents and four friends (two girls and two boys) - are well-cast with Laura Metcalf especially impressive as the hard-pressed mother. In short, a rare treat of a movie which, at just 93 minutes, never overstays its warm welcome.

It's 2002 Sacramento. Christine MacPherson (Saoirse Ronan) demands to be called Lady Bird. She has a combative love hate relationship with her hard-working mother Marion (Laurie Metcalf). Her father (Tracy Letts) is struggling. Lady Bird is desperate to go to college in New York despite her mother's money concerns. She has a crush on Danny who is surprised that she actually lives on the other side of the tracks. She abandons her best friend Julie to get close to rich girl Jeanna and rich slacker musician Kyle.

Greta Gerwig brings a personal touch to the mother-daughter relationship and her home town of Sacramento. There is a warmth to their verbal combat. There is real heart to their portrayal. There is biting humor and quirky gentleness. There are real insights into the mother daughter connection. Only one scene troubled me. Saoirse dials up the "Please talk to me" scene to eleven when a nine would be more heart-breaking. I see the emotional push but it gets too manufactured in that one scene. Overall, this is an outstanding film with some great laughs.

"Lady Bird" is an inspiring film for teenagers and practically the directorial debut the unknown Greta Gerwig, who is also the writer of this sensitive coming of age story. Saoirse Ronan has wonderful performance in the role of Christine 'Lady Bird' McPherson, a teenager with typical adolescent problems. Troubled relationship with her mother and siblings; high-school pranks; romance; sex; disappointments with boyfriends and friends; financial problem; dream on going to college and improving life, all these elements are realistically explored by Greta Gerwig, maybe based on her personal experiences in Sacramento. The optimist conclusion with the growth of Christine is another plus in this original film. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "Lady Bird: É Hora de Voar" ("Lady Bird: It Is Time to Fly")

In a revival year for movies, one with an abundance of notable gems, Lady Bird manages to stand out in the crowd. While taking on the coming-of-age angle, which has been done to death for 30something years, director Greta Gerwig makes this one different. She brings freshness to a stale genre by releasing a steady stream of humor, heart, and honesty.

Gerwig's first solo directorial effort features the winning young actress who is also quickly becoming a veteran actress Saoirse Ronan (Brooklyn, Atonement). Ronan shines, playing a Gerwig surrogate of sorts and showcasing a flawless Sacramento accent. Named Christine McPherson by her parents, she decides to instead go by the name Lady Bird. As she calls it, her given name (she gave it to herself). Mom (Laurie Metcalf) and Dad (Tracy Letts) are both perfectly cast joys to watch. Mom and Lady Bird flip a switch between sharing joyful moments to clashing in heated ones. Sweet and supportive dad does his best to help them both, even while fighting his own depression. Best friend Julie (Beanie Feldstein) is delightful to viewers and loyal to Lady Bird.

In her search for her identity, Lady Bird tests out a new best friend and an ill-fitting musician boyfriend (Timothee Chalamet). She lies about herself to both of them, pretends to live in the rich neighborhood, lies about her parents, trying to seem cool. Classic high school move, one of the cliché moments. The movie isn't entirely original, but what makes it so special is that everything feels authentic, never crammed in to fit a template. The characters and problems could have come across as stale and vacuous, but they contain real depth and honesty, so they're always compelling.

Lady Bird meets another boyfriend, Danny (Lucas Hedges, Manchester by the Sea), while rehearsing for the school play. He resists the temptation of sex with her, "out of respect." Their relationship comes to an abrupt end but not before he describes Lady Bird's mom as "warm and scary." While Lady Bird scoffs at this descriptor at the time, she later recognizes the truth in it. She spends so much effort preventing people from seeing her family for who they really are that she never truly sees them herself. There's something in this movie for everyone. We may not all be now, nor have ever been a pink-haired teenage girl in Sacramento, but we all know what it's like to feel unsure about who we are and who we want to be. Lady Bird covers familiar experiences, but not only the pleasant ones. It's not an "aww" fest. Gerwig's directs the way Lady Bird's mom parents—with toughness and care. She explores the humor and hurt with equal deft. Her movie is heartwarming and heartbreaking. It will make you laugh, it will make you cry, and it will make you think. Gerwig delivers a story extremely personal to her in a way that makes it feel personal to all of us. Lady Bird is a wonderous success and truly one of the year's best movies.

The greatest thing about this film is its balance. It's funny, it's touching, it's emotional and it's heartfelt. Some scenes will make you laugh out loud, others will make you shiver and some will make you feel happy. Every emotion is perfectly measured out. Not one single scene is overdone or melodramatic.

The theme of the film is classic: growing up. Christine is seventeen and she wants to be different. That's why she calls herself Lady Bird. She lives in Sacramento ('The Midwest of California') and she hates it. That's why she wants to move to the East Coast ('where there is culture'). She attends a high school run by nuns called Immaculate Heart, but she feels she doesn't belong there. That's why she applies for Ivy League universities, defying advice and common sense.

All the coming-of-age ingredients are there: the longing for greater things (already in one of the very first scenes), the parents who have forgotten what it's like to be a teenager (one parent in particular, in this case), the joy of turning eighteen, the urge to get away from home.... and I could go on.

Because all this has already been done so many times on the big screen, it's difficult to stand out. But director Greta Gerwig has managed just that. Not by adding anything special to the mix of familiar themes, but by showing them just as they are. And by applying the perfect mix of a laugh, a tear, a shiver and some goosebumps.

Greta Gerwig, usually disappoints me - as an actress and now in her writing and directorial debut, LADY BIRD, a coming-of-age film about a seventeen-year-old girl growing up in Sacramento "…the Midwest of California…" (the best line in the film,) and the love/hate relationship she has with her working-class family and peers. Social distinctions figure prominently in Gerwig's cinematic world of "ironic class strivers." I keep wondering why I am left cold by her words and her characters and eventually understood that LADY BIRD is too self-consciously trying to be inclusive - inclusive of every contemporary issue - touching upon a diversity of characters and situations with momentary episodic flashes.The touch is light, illustrating concerns rather than delving into them, giving us tokenism - glossing over deep pain and longing with a CliffsNotes diminution.

Saoirse Ronan is excellent as Christine "Lady Bird" McPherson - a nickname she gives herself to appear distinctive. I am sympathetic to the aspirations of a young, self- involved teenager searching for a path to glamour and excitement. Youth is an innocent time - one open to endless fantasies - reality has not yet penetrated the hermetic world of dreams. The "firsts" of the teen years - first kiss, first sexual experience leading to the loss of virginity, first self-awareness of one's own ethical and moral values, and the critical realization that the world is not always spinning for you alone - solely for your personal gratification.

The film opens with Lady Bird and her mother - a wonderful performance by Laurie Metcalf - who is driving and listening to Steinbeck's Grapes of Wrath on audio tape - both simultaneously weeping, moved by the beauty of the spoken words; their mirrored responses reflect their enduring affection. And suddenly the mood is shattered and we see the other side of their relationship - a mother who works double shifts as a psychiatric nurse to supplement the family income so that her daughter can go to a private Catholic school; the burden of monetary expenses weighs heavily on her shoulders. The ever-present resentment that comes with sacrifice is often unleashed on her oblivious daughter in a torrent of sarcasm, humiliation, and disparagement.

Greta Gerwig is at her best in the scenes between mother/father and daughter. A lovely tenderness exists which is often choked and stifled by the exigencies of financial straits.The underpinnings are there for a truly fine movie, but in the rush to cast a wide net, Gerwig compromises her subjects' humanity, placing a veil of bromides over what could have been profound interactions. Maybe next time. I hope so.

A truly remarkable coming-of-age comedy, above all for its sincere, credible nature and it is not at all easy to be honest and sincere with a film of this kind, for the simple reason that in most cases these "coming- of-age "are often filled with clichés, stereotypes and commonplace, and more often than not they base their foundations precisely on these things. In doing so they are not credible and absolutely forgettable. Well this is not the case. The merit of an extraordinary script that is impeccably written, it is a mature, intelligent, often ironic, sweet, credible, intense and also very emotional script. Greta Gerwig manages this script in a superb way, despite her little experience (this is her second film as a director but first soloist) is extremely aware of the intensity of her film. The interpretations are also particularly notable and not only that of the protagonist, played by the talented Saoirse Ronan that with this role, in which she identifies perfectly, reaches its 3 nominations at the Oscars at only 23 years, it could be called a new Meryl Streep; but also the interpretations of the rest of the cast: from the young and promising Beanie Feldstein, to the most mature, and in this movie is also very good (so much to receive a nomination, the first in her career), Laurie Metcalf, up to two young masculine promises Lucas Hedges and Timothée Chalamet, both discovered only in these two years (the first in 2016 with his performance in "Manchester by the Sea" is the second this year with "Call me by your Name". Unfortunately, however, from an extraordinary beginning, extremely ironic, fun, fresh, the film lost itself a little towards the middle, which is a little heavy, and then it recover itself in the final. Watching it, it came back to me, given their similarity in terms of the theme and the rhythm, another coming-of-age of 2016, "The Edge of Seventeen", also an excellent film that unfortunately was relatively forgotten and ignored.

Exuding passion, affection & honesty throughout, Greta Gerwig's solo directorial debut is a labour of love that's heartfelt, nostalgic, whimsical, amusing & above all, genuine. Crafted with care, told with sincerity & radiating a sense of warmth from the first frame to the last, Lady Bird is an amalgamation of everything that one would imagine Greta Gerwig to be.

A dream start to Greta Gerwig's filmmaking journey, Lady Bird is a cinematic equivalent of joy that's as lively, friendly, cheerful, jubilant, gleeful, lighthearted, adventurous & vivacious as its creator. Commencing a new chapter in Gerwig's life on the best possible note with a promise of greater things to come, Lady Bird is definitely worth a shot.