Geek Review: Lady Bird

As Greta Gerwig’s solo directorial debut, Lady Bird ticks all the proper check boxes, with a mind set to become the defining coming-of-age film of our generation. It’s harsh at times, endearing and funny at others, and ultimately is an astonishingly realistic portrayal of the bittersweet experiences faced by a teenager surpassing adolescence.

Gerwig began her career working on several mumblecore films – small independent flicks that focused on dialogue and interpersonal relationships over plot – as well as starring in films such as 20th Century Women and Jackie.

Loosely inspired by her own life, and paying homage to her hometown of Sacramento, California, this 2002-set comedy-drama follows Christina McPherson (Saoirse Ronan), a headstrong, individualistic high school senior, as she navigates her way through her final year of school with Julie (Beanie Feldstein), her best friend.

She insists on being called by the name “Lady Bird”, which she defiantly defines as her given name (“It’s given to me, by me”). Hating her middle-class suburban life in Sacramento with a fiery passion, Lady Bird dreams of escaping and attending arts colleges in the East Coast, despite her mother’s wishes. Envious of her wealthy schoolmates in Catholic school, Lady Bird is ashamed of her family’s struggling financial situation, and constantly longs for more than she has.

A huge part of this film’s success is owed to Saoirse Ronan, the talented young star who brings a sense of genuinity into the character of Lady Bird, and somehow turns this opinionated, reckless, and self-centered teenager into someone wonderfully loveable.

You might be surprised to hear that Ronan hails from Ireland, as her thick Irish accent is masked by the convincing Californian accent she adopts in the film. Her acting breakthrough came from her role in Atonement, with other past work in films such as The Lovely Bones, The Grand Budapest Hotel, and Brooklyn.

Lady Bird’s relentless determination to be completely herself and to get what she wants, even if that means hurting people and making mistakes along the way, is strangely inspiring, and undeniably human.

Even as she goes through highly typical growing up experiences of having her first boyfriend, losing her virginity, and fighting with her parents and best friend, these are portrayed in a fresh and unconventional manner, credit to the filmmaking vision of Gerwig.

Gerwig does not shy away from themes of mental health and homosexuality. Lady Bird was heartbroken to discover that her first boyfriend, Danny (Lucas Hedges), was in fact gay. But instead of lashing out in anger, Lady Bird later consoles Danny as he sobs and admits his frustrations at coming out. Lady Bird also learns that her father (Tracy Letts), whom we’ve seen so far as kind and jovial, if soft-spoken, had been struggling with depression for most of his life.

Gerwig neither over-exaggerates these issues nor delves too deeply, but truly reflects what they are like in reality. Anyone in our lives, even the ones close to us, could be battling depression or deathly afraid of coming out of the closet, and a lot of the time it might not be obvious.

It is Lady Bird’s reactions that really shine through, approaching her father and ex-boyfriend with acceptance and support, and showing a surprising amount of empathy for someone preoccupied with her own problems most of the time.

The movie’s defining duo has got to be Lady Bird and her mother, Marion, played beautifully by Laurie Metcalf, whose recent works include Broadway theatre plays, voice-acting parts in numerous Disney films such as Toy Story, and a recurring role as Sheldon’s mother in The Big Bang Theory.

The two have a turbulent relationship, and the deep love they have for one another is clear even as their strong personalities clash over and over again. The tone is set right from the get-go when, fed-up with bickering over colleges, Lady Bird hilariously throws herself right out of the moving car, much to her mother’s horror.

Marion is just as frustrated with her daughter’s ungratefulness and choices as she is afraid of letting go of her, and her inability to express her affection to Lady Bird is simply heart-wrenching.

Gerwig manages to perfectly capture the complex mother-daughter bond across those rocky adolescent years, thanks in large part to Ronan and Metcalf’s award-worthy performances.

Don’t forget, in the midst of all this anguish and pain, this movie is still a comedy. The angst is balanced with hilarious and witty writing, and peppered with plenty of heartwarming moments.

The visual contrasts and editing are beautiful, from Lady Bird gleefully walking the suburban streets with her best friend, ogling at dream houses, to her walking soberly alone past the clustered apartment buildings of New York towards the end. The soft, pastel colour schemes contribute to the film’s overall aesthetic appeal, along with its accuracy in depicting the early-2000s style of fashion, music, and locations.

For a girl who “just wants to live through something”, and believes that nothing happens in her sheltered, small-town life, she experiences so much in her senior year, and changes in ways she never expected. Only after leaving does she comes to realise all the love she had for her family, friends, hometown, and even her real given name, Christina.

Gerwig’s Lady Bird just feels so real, and full of heart and hope, without descending into the realm of cheesy or overly-sentimental. The whole film is well-paced, progressing not in a build-up to a big climax, but almost like you’re flipping through a photo album, where every scene is meaningful and impactful.

It offers a true-to-life glimpse and throwback to what it was like being a teenager again, with Saoirse Ronan’s stellar portrayal ensuring that Lady Bird remains ever so loveable despite her multitude of flaws. At the same time, we witness the growing up experience from a mother’s perspective as well, allowing the film to resonate just as much with parents.

Since its November release in the U.S., Lady Bird has accrued 2 Golden Globe Awards, 5 Academy Award nominations, and currently sits at a 99% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. These accolades are justifiably deserved for Gerwig’s masterpiece, and if this is what she manages to pull off in her first go as writer and director, then we can’t wait to see what she’ll bring us next.

Lady Bird will tug at your heartstrings, and you’ll leave the theatre teary-eyed, filled with an undeniable sense of nostalgia.