Lady Bird
By Charlotte Dekle
I adore this movie, it’s probably due to the fact that I have never related to a movie more. Other than Sacramento and a Catholic High School, I relate so much to the movie and its characters. Every actor shines in understated acting and you are genuinely invested in all the relationships. Whether it’s between Lady Bird and her mother or between Lady Bird and her friends. We can all relate to the angst brought on by adolescence and Greta Gerwig captures it beautifully. According to Gerwig, people who read the script who had sisters or mothers would say “this is my sister and my mom” or “this is my wife and my daughter”. On the other hand people who didn’t know women as well wondered “Do women actually fight like that?” The answer is yes and Gerwig understands that. It’s based off her life after all. This movie is wonderful in every way. From the acting, to the script, to the direction, it’s all beautiful and perfect for this indie movie. Honestly, this is one of the greatest movies I’ve seen and I think everyone should watch it. It may help everyone understand how some young adults act because it may seem so odd. Lady Bird is the pinnacle of a teen angst movie for me. Because it’s not about teen angst, it’s simply about a girl and her mother. The girl happens to be angsty but so are we all.
logline: Christine "Lady Bird" McPherson is a high school senior from the "wrong side of the tracks". She longs for adventure, sophistication, and opportunity, but finds none of that in her Sacramento Catholic high school. This movie follows the title character's senior year in high school, including her first romance, her participation in the school play, and most importantly, her applying for college.
My Favorite Characters:
Lucas Hedges as Danny O’Neill: Finally, I get to write about Lucas Hedges. I love Lucas Hedges and he is at his best in this movie. He portrays Danny with a light touch and he feels like a fully fledged human and not just a character. Lucas Hedges is an underrated actor who deserves more love and that begins with this review. I LOVE LUCAS HEDGES.
Saoirse Ronan as Christine “Lady Bird” McPherson: it’s pronounced Sur-sha, just to get that question out of your mind. Ronan shines as Lady Bird, there’s no other way to say it. She captures the angst of adolescence so perfectly. You are Lady Bird and she is you. The character is multifaceted and, in the hands of a lesser actor, may come across as annoying. But in Ronan’s capable hands, Lady Bird is annoying but you understand why and she’s a full character.
Something I liked: When they did Merrily We Roll Along as the school musical. They got the tone of school productions spot on. From the awkward and cheesy choreography to slight pitchy-ness, I know these shows too well. When Lucas Hedges pointed with his downstage arm, I cringed because you’re always supposed to motion with your upstage arm. If you don’t do theatre, you probably have no idea what this means. So ignore this. But Merrily is an underrated Sondheim show and I adore it. The characters all sang Sondheim songs for their auditions and I was singing with them.
Rated R for language, sexual content, brief graphic nudity and teen partying.
Where to watch: Netflix, and available for rent or purchase on all major platforms.
Image source: IMDb