I love “Lady Bird”. Watching Writer and Director Greta Gerwig’s “Lady Bird” is seeing life happen. Saoirse Ronan plays self-named “Lady Bird” Christine, the Catholic Girl School senior doing her best to leave her hometown in Sacramento in 2002. Laurie Metcalf plays Marion – Christine’s Mother, who is the workaholic nurse covering double shifts to make ends for her family. Her husband, Lady Bird’s Dad Larry, played by understanding Tracy Letts, who suffers from clinical depression is laid off from his job. Lady Bird has a “step-brother” Miguel, played by bright Jordan Rodrigues, the UC Berkeley graduate working at 7 Eleven.
Lady Bird and her Mom have the biggest hearts, yet often not gracious for each other. Lady Bird’s chaste boyfriend Danny, played by Lucas Hedges, confesses “Your Mom is so hard on you ” Lady Bird defends, “She loves me.” In the moving scene, Lady Bird and Mom shop for prom dresses. Lady Bird asks her Mom, “Do you like me?” Mom replies “I want you to be the best version of yourself.” Lady Bird says, “What if this is the best version?” Apparently, that isn’t enough. They break your heart.
Ronan and Metcalf have profound authentic screen partnership. Ronan is raw, hysterical, and compassionate. Metcalf is strength and tenderness in her quiet and measured words. “Lady Bird” is hilarious and touching in humanity. It celebrates being and loving the best version of yourself, acknowledging the unconditional love of those who see and listen to you as greater. Director Gerwig’s debut feature boldly looks at life touching all our hearts.
In the opening car ride home after visiting State universities Lady Bird and Mom argue. Lady Bird wants to go to college back East. Her Mom reminds that they can’t afford that, and besides she doesn’t have the grades. Hysterically, Lady Bird opens the car door and leaps out of the moving car. Later we see her back in Catholic School with a pink cast on her broken arm. Gerwig brilliantly captures our attention.
Lady Bird’s best friend is Julie, played by kind-hearted Beanie Feldstein, who is the sweet girl who suffers some over her appearance. Her divorced Mom has a live-in boyfriend. Math whiz Julie crushes on her teacher Mr. Bruno, played by Jake McDorman. Lady Bird would like to be on the Math Team, but she isn’t good at math as Sister Sarah Joan, whimsically wise Lois Smith, points out. Instead, the Sister convinces her to try acting in a play with another school. It’s love at first sight for star Danny, gentle Hedges. Danny from the big Catholic family betrays Lady Bird in the surprise reveal.
In her cultural exploration she jettisons BFF Julie for rich girl Jenna, haughty Odeya Rush, and pursues her romance with mysterious loner musician Kyle, charming Timothee Chalamet. Turns out mysterious is really the conspiracy theorist kid with the tragic family. Meanwhile, Lady Bird enrolls her Dad (Lett) to help her apply to East coast colleges unbeknownst to Mom.
Lady Bird does her best to invent that best version of herself. Ronan makes us laugh and cry along the way. I laughed so hard while Lady Bird and Julie lie on the church floor eating communion wafers discussing the uses of “shower heads”. When Ronan compassionately hugs Danny, who confesses his fear, I cried. When she holds Julie who doesn’t have a prom date, who says “Some of us aren’t built for happy.” I had the biggest smile. As exasperated Mom tells her daughter, “It’s never enough!” that breaks Lady Bird’s heart and ours.
“Lady Bird” has the biggest heart of any movie I’ve seen. Ronan makes this so. Ronan and Metcalf reveal that unconditional love of Mother and Daughter in their fierce words and silence. They touch with their humanity. We are all the better for it. In the end saying, “I love you” is more than just thanks. That expresses the best version of ourselves. I think “Lady Bird” is the best movie of the year. At least it is my very favorite.
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Originally Published on IMDb