I was under the impression that no theatres anywhere near me were showing this movie. Then I came home for the weekend and realized I had multiple options as to where I could see it. So today I had the chance to check it out and I was thoroughly impressed.
In this movie the audience is transported into the senior year of high school for Christine "Lady Bird" McPherson in late 2002, early 2003. She is a rebellious teen with a somewhat troubled home life and a disconnected relationship with her mother. While Lady Bird's relationship with her mother is the central focus of the film, we also see her relationships with the rest of her friends and family grow as well. In my opinion this is the best coming of age film in a while.
Saiorse Ronan plays Lady Bird, and is currently my choice for best actress in a leading role this year. She portrays this character in such a truthful feeling way that the audience doesn't really need any backstory to become invested with her story. She is a character that I think has at least some aspects everyone can relate and connect with which makes it such a great character to watch. The rest of the cast that surrounds Ronan is also incredible. Laurie Metcalf plays Lady Bird's mom and I think she also deserves some award season recognition. She is absolutely fantastic as a mom that means well but has trouble connecting with her daughter and I think a lot of mothers on teenagers will find elements of her performance that they will relate to. While he doesn't have as big of a role, Tracy Letts gives a solid performance as Lady Bird's dad, and his relationship with his daughter is very heartwarming. Beanie Feldstein plays Lady Bird's best friend Julie and the bond the two share is also very special to watch. Her performance is good, but it is made even better by the great chemistry between her and Ronan. Those who saw Manchester by the Sea will know Lucas Hedges, who in this film plays another friend of Lady Bird. I didn't love his performance in Manchester by the Sea, but I think he shines very well in this movie. The only character I didn't like in this movie was Kyle, played by Timothée Chalamet. I personally found his character aggravating and I don't know if that is because of his acting or how his character was written. He also stars in Call me by Your Name this year so once I see that I can give a more solid opinion on him but for now I can't say I'm a fan.
This film is beautifully written and directed by Greta Gerwig. This movie is so captivating I forgot that I was a critic during the movie and had to start thinking about what I was going to say about it. This movie is fairly short, coming in at around an hour and a half, but it almost feels like you're sitting there for a long time and I mean that in a good way. The story is so well told it feels like you are going through this period in Lady Bird's life right alongside her. When the credits began to roll I honestly felt like I personally knew the central characters of this film and I just want to see what happens to them in the future. This is also a film that does a great job balancing emotion and fun. There are some scenes that made me laugh very hard, a ton that put a smile on my face, and some that starting making me teary.
This movie is one of my favourites of the year and I hope to see it make a solid awards run. A captivating coming of age tale that puts you in the middle of the life of its protagonist and an incredible performance by Saiorse Ronan should put this near the top of your watchlist if you haven't seen it yet
Rating: 4.75/5
Written by Matt McKenzie
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