Lady Bird (B+ or 3/4 stars)
'Lady Bird', the directorial debut of indie actress Greta Gerwig, is the semi-autobiographical coming-of-age story of a teen from Sacramento, California in 2002, who believes that she is trapped in a pre-college dead-end existence. Christine McPherson (Saoirse Ronan), who prefers to go by the name "Lady Bird", thinks that Sacramento is the most boring place on Earth. She dreams of graduating from her faith-affiliated high school & going to a 'liberal college out East' but, when voices her hopes for Yale, her guidance counselor just laughs. LB is smart & has gumption, but good grades she does not.
She & her loving mom Marion (Laurie Metcalf) have strong personalities, but get along like oil & water. Her relationship with her dad (Tracy Letts) is more soft-hearted. But … he recently lost his job; putting the already lower-middle class family {which includes Lady Bird's adopted brother & his Goth girlfriend} under major financial strain. Meanwhile, to raise her spirits, Lady Bird & her BFF Julie (Beanie Feldstein) decide to try out for the school musical; but the actual drama occurs off-stage when she starts seeing her 1st-ever boyfriend, the too-good-to-be-true Danny (Lucas Hedges). She then becomes ensnarled with the "in" crowd: new boyfriend, musician Kyle (Timothee Chalamet) & "it" girl Jenna (Odeya Rush). Lady Bird hopes to make it into a NY college, but troubles arise and, when her world starts to fall apart, she starts to realize that home really is where the heart is.
I quite enjoyed this affectionate movie which explores the chasm btwn. childhood & adulthood with witty humor & catharsis. Much like Woody Allen in his film not starring himself, Gerwig brings her own persona to the wonderfully nuanced role of Lady Bird; beautifully realized by Saoirse Ronan. Ronan knows her subject and, perfectly adopts Greta Gerwig's trademark agitations, scatterbrain ideas & soulful, sweet nature. Some of the agitations? Well, her relationship with her mom, for starters. There is much love there, but it's buried under layers of teen angsty bitterness.
'Lady Bird' has its share of noteworthy moments {funny & dramatic}. One of the funnier ones has Lady Bird & Julie snacking on (unconsecrated) communion wafers while discussing masturbation. Another moment occurs during a pro-life/anti-abortion assembly when Lady Bird makes her BLUNT feelings known about the speaker. A 3rd moment occurs when Lady Bird observes Danny in a bathroom stall. And a 4th moment comes in the wake of Lady Bird's 1st sexual encounter. This film is chock full of 'moments' & includes what seems like hundred of mini-scenes & splashes of instances. While I like how Gerwig & her editor smash so much into the 93 min. running time, some of those mini-scenes could have breathed more for fuller effect.
'Lady Bird' is more about a time, a place & an emotional state of mind rather than having a conventional 'story' to follow. Sometimes that slices-of-life approach works in a film like this & sometimes it doesn't. For the most part, it worked for me; though, I'm never wild about endings where you're left to wonder what happens next. Care is given to Lady Bird's mom in the film, and Laurie Metcalf is heartbreaking {in one particular scene} & wonderful as the no-nonsense matriarch who loves her daughter deeply despite their differences. Though loving Lady Bird can be a chore, Saoirse Ronan makes her relatable & ultimately winsome. There's nothing overly new or insightful about 'Lady Bird', but it's a compelling, open-hearted little flick about the universal tribulations of adolescence. I dug it.
She & her loving mom Marion (Laurie Metcalf) have strong personalities, but get along like oil & water. Her relationship with her dad (Tracy Letts) is more soft-hearted. But … he recently lost his job; putting the already lower-middle class family {which includes Lady Bird's adopted brother & his Goth girlfriend} under major financial strain. Meanwhile, to raise her spirits, Lady Bird & her BFF Julie (Beanie Feldstein) decide to try out for the school musical; but the actual drama occurs off-stage when she starts seeing her 1st-ever boyfriend, the too-good-to-be-true Danny (Lucas Hedges). She then becomes ensnarled with the "in" crowd: new boyfriend, musician Kyle (Timothee Chalamet) & "it" girl Jenna (Odeya Rush). Lady Bird hopes to make it into a NY college, but troubles arise and, when her world starts to fall apart, she starts to realize that home really is where the heart is.
I quite enjoyed this affectionate movie which explores the chasm btwn. childhood & adulthood with witty humor & catharsis. Much like Woody Allen in his film not starring himself, Gerwig brings her own persona to the wonderfully nuanced role of Lady Bird; beautifully realized by Saoirse Ronan. Ronan knows her subject and, perfectly adopts Greta Gerwig's trademark agitations, scatterbrain ideas & soulful, sweet nature. Some of the agitations? Well, her relationship with her mom, for starters. There is much love there, but it's buried under layers of teen angsty bitterness.
'Lady Bird' has its share of noteworthy moments {funny & dramatic}. One of the funnier ones has Lady Bird & Julie snacking on (unconsecrated) communion wafers while discussing masturbation. Another moment occurs during a pro-life/anti-abortion assembly when Lady Bird makes her BLUNT feelings known about the speaker. A 3rd moment occurs when Lady Bird observes Danny in a bathroom stall. And a 4th moment comes in the wake of Lady Bird's 1st sexual encounter. This film is chock full of 'moments' & includes what seems like hundred of mini-scenes & splashes of instances. While I like how Gerwig & her editor smash so much into the 93 min. running time, some of those mini-scenes could have breathed more for fuller effect.
'Lady Bird' is more about a time, a place & an emotional state of mind rather than having a conventional 'story' to follow. Sometimes that slices-of-life approach works in a film like this & sometimes it doesn't. For the most part, it worked for me; though, I'm never wild about endings where you're left to wonder what happens next. Care is given to Lady Bird's mom in the film, and Laurie Metcalf is heartbreaking {in one particular scene} & wonderful as the no-nonsense matriarch who loves her daughter deeply despite their differences. Though loving Lady Bird can be a chore, Saoirse Ronan makes her relatable & ultimately winsome. There's nothing overly new or insightful about 'Lady Bird', but it's a compelling, open-hearted little flick about the universal tribulations of adolescence. I dug it.