Lady Bird (2017)

Review

94min

Genre:       Comedy, Drama

Director:    Greta Gerwig

Cast:         Saoirse Ronan, Laurie Metcalf, Tracy Letts…and more

Writer:      Greta Gerwig

-Synopsis-

The story of a spirited and irrepressible California high school senior, with East coast dreams beyond her station and a strained relationship with her loving but frustrating parents, in this quirky coming-of-age dramedy from indie darling-turned-director Greta Gerwig.

After spending the last decade delighting audiences by bringing to life flawed but quirky and endlessly endearing characters in a stellar indie acting career, Sacramento native Gerwig makes her directorial debut and expands on an already established screenwriting career by penning an eccentric and semi-autobiographical coming-of-age tale—capturing the imagination of critics, audiences and award shows alike, as the wave of social change sweeping through Hollywood breeds an industry more receptive to female-led cinema.

Saoirse Ronan stars as ‘Christine “Lady Bird” McPherson’, a self-styled and self-named under-achieving suburban Sacramentan with a yearning for a cultured and sophisticated higher-education, but without the motivation to earn it, struggling to balance her individuality with regimented Catholic schooling and peer expectations. Grappling with life under the roof of her loving but hyper-critical mother ‘Marion’ (Laurie Metcalf) and overly docile dad ‘Larry’ (Tracy Letts)—plus the treacherous waters of sexual awakening, and the intricacies of friendship with best bud ‘Julie’ (Beanie Feldstein)—Lady Bird will learn if the solution to her problems truly lies in greener pastures.

Having garnered plenty of experience both writing and portraying idiosyncratic and awkward characters, thanks in no small part to her own endearing personality quirks, Gerwig manages to join the ranks of filmmakers like Jason Reitman, Richard Linklater, Cameron Crowe and her own partner Noah Baumbach in crafting a charming and relatable chronicle of the intricacies of adolescence and family—but does so from a distinct female perspective as Patricia Cardoso did with 2002’s ‘Real Women Have Curves’, a film with which ‘Lady Bird’ shares so much.

Already dubbed this decade’s ‘Juno’ by some, ‘Lady Bird’ sees Gerwig pouring some of her adolescent experiences, neuroses, artistic inclinations and a comparatively provincial upbringing to a titular character who is far more self-assured and strong-willed, yet still suggestible and empathetic, capturing the imagination of audiences who identify strongly with what they see. This has particularly been the case with female viewers who respond to a well-judged and finely balanced portrayal of growing up, tender when it needs to be but never unduly sentimental, presenting a coming-of-age story from a female perspective which does not revolve entirely around romance—and where the protagonist is not defined or validated by a love interest.

‘Lady Bird’ is also of course a comedy. Cheeky and deliberately awkward, often observational and occasionally impudent, but this is very much a light affair at heart, without real grit or emotional strife let alone much of an edge, and only the occasional bit of genuine pathos. Yet Gerwig manages to inject plenty of emotional honesty without resorting to contrived drama or sensationalism, and most importantly maintains a sense of humour throughout.

Mistress of accents and child acting prodigy Saoirse Ronan continues her maturation into one of the most impressive young actors working today, easily carrying the film on her 23-year-old Irish-American shoulders with charm and rebellious grace, ably supported by a cast of talented fellow youngsters. Meanwhile TV comedy veteran Laurie Metcalf is reborn as a film actor with a wonderful turn as the hypercritical, straight-talking but big-hearted mother, while the always excellent but often stern Tracy Letts proves the level-headed heart of the family and the film, as a character which is arguably his most likeable to date.

Yet despite all the film’s merits and the fact that it has no major flaws, for us ‘Lady Bird’ isn’t quite the indie coming-of-age masterpiece that it’s made out to be, and it just doesn’t capture our imagination the way it obviously has for so many. Although the characters and relationship dynamics are certainly relatable and quirky, they’re not quite eccentric or energetic enough to make a truly lasting impact, and the titular character doesn’t prove as instantly iconographic as in something like ‘Juno’—while the comedy isn’t quite consistent or balanced against enough genuine poignancy or pathos to make for an instant dramedy classic.

Nevertheless there’s no denying how utterly charming and captivating Greta Gerwig’s directorial debut is. A very personal and expertly crafted project which manages to capture some very endearing traits of her own personality, while presenting an honest and idiosyncratic look at a flawed but spirited adolescence which will ring true across audiences—helping to launch an indie filmmaking career into a new stratosphere . . . which we look forward to keeping a close eye on.

The Bottom Line…

Charming, relatable and endearing to a fault, ‘Lady Bird’ may not make enough of a lasting impact to be dubbed an instant classic, but this highly personal, finely judged and majorly entertaining directorial debut for Gerwig amplifies her distinct cinematic voice for all of mainstream cinema to hear . . . let’s just hope her deep indie roots are not forgotten.

Similar films you may like (Home Video)

Real Women Have Curves (2002)

Caught between her ambition and an unwanted job at an East L.A. clothes factory, a spirited Mexican-American teenager struggles with her self-image and the hyper-critical attentions of her blunt mother as she tries to find her place in the world, in this Latino coming-of-age dramedy about self-acceptance.

Directed by Patricia Cardoso and starring America Ferrera, Lupe Ontiveros and George Lopez among others.

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