It’s accurately thematic in a sense. But the angst of a teenage Catholic schoolgirl and the middle class troubles of a middle class family as interpreted by director Greta Gerwig is more than cliché. Lady Bird, the semi-autographical dramedy based on Gerwig’s upbringing, is bringing nostalgia back in fashion. It’s more than just a coming of age film; it’s about the cracks in the walls that never seem to stop cracking, and yet, the walls still hold up. It’s about family.
With Lady Bird in the hands of the multifaceted Saoirse Ronan, the 17-year old high school heroine becomes more than just another teenager. She’s become the youth of our generation then, fighting against the unwarranted expectations and the rules written to be defied. She’s the voice of the ones that never belonged, the ones that felt caged, and the ones that longed to break free. Lady Bird is the girl that whispers at church, the girl that will do anything to grow up already, yet she revels in the delights of her glowing youth. She’s a walking contradiction, the same one her mother wishes walked a little straighter.
Lady Bird’s mother, successfully portrayed by Laurie Metcalf, is just as stubborn as her daughter. She’s hardworking and tough, and she’ll never back down from a fight with her teen. It’s a constant battle between the two, but we get glimpses of what it could be otherwise. We take it all in with a grain of salt because every coming scene arrives with a twist that no one expects.
The movie will never make you fall off of your seat, but you can expect to feel that heavy drag in your chest, the one you feel when you’ve just had a row with someone you care about. Gerwig’s got her finger on our collective pulse, as she teaches us about life without sounding like a preacher. She allows a chuckle or two even in the tenderest spots in the film, and she lets us in on family secrets without burdening us heavily with trunk loads of baggage. She’s given us something to reminisce about; while Lady Bird is trying to get out, we want to go back in. It’s a difficult thing to do, this contradiction yet again.
Ronan’s performance is outstanding to say the least. She makes us believe that we were all young once, clashing with everything around us and wanting to rise up in our revolt. She’s as fierce as any talent should be, and she’s shown us a side of her that we’ve never seen before, despite of the many challenging roles she’s taken up before and dominated. For Gerwig, her teenage story may just as well be a reflection of her story now. With Lady Bird’s promised transformation, we also see Gerwig’s artistry and an artist in the cusp of transition, from a budding director into a true filmmaker. Lady Bird was premiered at the Telluride Film Festival on September 1, 2017 and is set for another premiere at the New York Film Festival on October 8. It’ll be in theaters on November 10.
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