Review: Lady Bird

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The Midwest of California

Christine aka Lady Bird (Saoirse Ronan) wants to leave her home town of Sacramento to go to college on the East Coast, but her practical mother Marion (Laurie Metcalf) doesn't think it's reasonable. They clash frequently as Lady Bird comes into her own. 

Saoirse Ronan is one of my favorite working actresses right now, but despite that I wasn't initially sold on Lady Bird. Director/Writer Greta Gerwig has a type and I was worried I'd just see Ronan trying to play, well....Greta Gerwig. Luckily that's not the case at all and what I ended up with has been my favorite movie of the year so far. 

Lady Bird is all of us at one point or another during our teens. She's moody, insecure, confident, angry, awkward, in love, a dreamer, a downer, and has two very different relationships with her parents. Her passive father (Tracy Letts) encourages her as best he can but its the relationship with her mother that takes center stage. I felt like I was almost watching my own relationship with my mother as a teenager at times. Particularly the part where Lady Bird asks why her mother doesn't like her, and she gets the response "of course I love you" instead. Like and love are not mutually exclusive. And Lady Bird's mother doesn't like her. Maybe because they're too much alike. Maybe Marion wants her daughter to be exactly like her. There could be a lot of reasons.

I love the cast, everyone plays their parts perfectly but this is Ronan's show. Her American accent is perfection and she makes Lady Bird feel like a real person. Likewise with Metcalf and Marion. Gerwig may often play herself but her writing when someone else takes the lead is exceptional, as is her direction. I wasn't expecting this film to resonate with me like it did, and I absolutely bawled at the end of it. It was perfect.

Recommended: Yes

Grade: A+

Memorable Quote: "Some of us just aren't made happy." - Julie (Beanie Feldstein)

Comments

  1. Sonia CercaNovember 28, 2017 at 7:13 AM

    First Kevin's review, now yours. Oh, I'm so going to love this movie! I can't believe I have to wait god only knows how long before seeing it :(

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Brittani BurnhamNovember 28, 2017 at 10:35 AM

      I hope it comes to Italy sooner than later. I hope you love it as much as I do.

      Delete
  2. Courtney YoungNovember 28, 2017 at 11:00 AM

    This one didn't resonate as much for me like it did for you (and my co-blogger Andrea), although I definitely appreciated it. Great cast 100% I like seeing Greta Gerwig behind the camera for a change...she did a marvelous job!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Alex WithrowNovember 28, 2017 at 2:36 PM

    A+, awesome! I love that this is the indie darling "It" movie of 2017. I think it'll do very well come awards time. I really enjoyed it too. Ronan is just so damn lovely.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Brittani BurnhamNovember 29, 2017 at 6:41 AM

      I never thought it would get an A+ out of me. I hope it does well during awards season too. it deserves it.

      Delete
  4. thevoid99November 28, 2017 at 2:46 PM

    It just played in my multiplex this weekend as I hope it stays so I can get a chance to see this as I heard great things about this film.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Brittani BurnhamNovember 29, 2017 at 6:41 AM

      I rushed out to see this right away because I don't trust my theater to hold on to it for long.

      Delete
    2. thevoid99November 29, 2017 at 4:17 PM

      Well, I just got some good news. It's still at my multiplex this weekend and I got a ticket to see that and Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri.

      Delete
    3. Brittani BurnhamNovember 30, 2017 at 6:38 AM

      Yay! My theater is getting Three Billboards this week so that will be my new movie too.

      Delete
  5. AnonymousNovember 28, 2017 at 4:16 PM

    The mother daughter relationship felt so spot-on to me, like I could relate to it so well.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Candice FrederickNovember 29, 2017 at 1:09 AM

    i still need to see this!

    ReplyDelete
  7. DanielNovember 30, 2017 at 4:32 PM

    Perfect. Yes. I also got unexpectedly emotional at the end of this. Ronan and Metcalf are a mother-daughter duo for the ages.

    ReplyDelete

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