Lady Bird - Review - Mind on Movies

R: November 17th, 2017 | R: 93 minutes | R: R

Move over J. Law! I think the industry has a new IT girl come 2018. Saoirse Ronan has been slowly making a name for herself, from essential supporting roles in Atonement and The Lovely Bones to a lead role in critically-acclaimed Brooklyn and even a fun role in Ed Sheeran’s music video for “Galway Girl.” Saoirse does it again in Lady Bird, with support from an amazing performance by Laurie Metcalf.

Saoirse stars so comfortably as Christine “Lady Bird” McPherson, a spirited young woman navigating through her senior year of high school in Northern California. Riding the middle-class line in a school full of “rich kids”, Lady Bird struggles to find her way, from joining the drama club play to having a boyfriend to getting involved in the popular crowd and partying. First-time director Greta Gerwig perfectly depicts the culture of adolescence in the early 2000’s, from overcoming heartbreak by playing “Crash Into Me” by Dave Matthews Band on repeat to high school dances to wearing plastic headbands and high school house parties. I instantly felt a blast from the past when Lady Bird has to give out her house phone number to a boy she likes and writes the number on his hand; this was a time when very few of us had cell phones!

Lady Bird stumbles and grows throughout her senior year, experiencing the perils of a first heartbreak and the decision to lose your virginity. She tries to navigate much of this with her best friend, Julie - played by a scene-stealing Beanie Feldstein, yet loses touch when she changes her persona to become part of the popular crowd to get the guy she likes. Lucas Hedges also plays a heartbreaking role as Danny, Lady Bird’s first boyfriend, who must navigate through a huge Irish Catholic family at a Catholic High School while carrying a frightening truth he doesn’t want to admit to himself.

Lady Bird was a touching story about growing up in the middle class and having dreams of reaching for more. Lady Bird refuses to be stuck living in Northern California, longing to attend college in New York and secretly applying to schools behind her mom’s back. Laurie Metcalf is amazing as Marion McPherson, her witty, loving, and sometimes infuriating mom who loves Lady Bird unconditionally, even when she makes it almost impossible. For anyone who has lived through their adolescence and come out unscathed needs to see this movie. As an adult, I can look back at heartbreaks and fights with my parents or friends that seemed life-ending, yet here I am, a stronger, better person – as Lady Bird will be.

Rating: 5 out of 5

Lauren (Contributor) is born and raised in South Jersey. When she isn’t yelling at Philly sports teams on the TV, she enjoys seeing the latest action films and true crime documentaries.
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