I have had phases in life when approaching the end of high school as I start to worry about what I would do in the future. Yeah, every high schooler from freshman to senior year has the problem. What do you want to major in? What school do you want to go to? What kind of friends are you going to make? Why do you want go to school away from your family? How will you turn out in college? There are so many questions pressuring one person, boy or girl, that you cannot stand the people in your familial or friendly circles, sometimes. But, underneath all that pressure of getting into college, your family and friends are your support as the story revolves around the last year of high school. This is a simplistic character study in a coming-of-age movie that has a succinct storyline and great performances to carry the whole package forward.
Christine "Lady Bird" McPherson (Saoirse Ronan) and her mother, Marion (Laurie Metcalf) are returning back to Sacramento after some tours of other California colleges. Marion encourages Lady Bird to stay at a college close to home but Lady Bird is thinking of a applying to colleges away from California, most particularly in New York. Lady Bird attends a Catholic school and she is best friends with Julie (Beanie Feldman) as they mess around in a market where Lady Bird's brother, Miguel (Jordan Rodrigues) and his girlfriend, Shelley (Marielle Scott) works. Lady Bird has an affection for Danny (Luca Hedges) as the two of them start to date.
But after a surprising revelation about Danny, Lady Bird is heartbroken about the truth but she sympathizes with him instead of berating him. Later, Lady Bird starts to hang out with mean girl/popular girl, Jenna Walton (Odeya Rush) by pranking other people. Afterwards, the two meet up with Kyle (Timothy Chalamet), a student who is in a band. Lady Bird and Kyle hook up at a party and as she is having a strong friendship with Jenna, it puts on an uncomfortable strain with her friendship with Julie.
This is a very lovely and nearly realistic coming-of-age movie that is quite noticeable in its pacing as the movie progresses. It is somewhat identical to the everyday life of the teenage, high school years as how rebellious and confused adolescence crosses into the path of youthful maturity as the movie opens and ends with montages giving you a clear picture of what Lady Bird has become during the whole movie. I felt like I was watching a movie that is based on a great book and it is like I cannot put it down or cannot avert my eyes or shut it off because I want to see how the character of Lady Bird will become.
But, also there is a theme of redemption as she causes strain with her mother and also her best friend. Is her mother being supportive of Ladybird even though she is being overly critical and a bit demeaning towards her? Is Julie truly Lady Bird's best friend after abandoning her? Again, who are the people that love you to achieve your best? There are some struggles along the way as Lady Bird has been deceived and also having to overcome obstacles to trying to get into college especially in New York.
Saoirse Ronan has had a strong, short filmography of such versatile roles such as Atonement, Hanna, The Great Budapest Hotel and Brooklyn. This is another strong performance that is worthy of nominations for awards as she is not another one-dimensional trope from coming-of-age movies but she has a bit of quiet charisma, drive and vulnerability. Lady Bird is a persistent character trying to get what she wants to accomplish even though she has to overcome some obstacles. Laurie Metcalf is fantastic as the mother as she has great chemistry with Ronan as the mother/daughter relationship is quite strong in this movie. Beanie Feldman is great as the best friend, Lucas Hedges and Timothy Chalamet are good too. The latter is having a strong year as he will get some potential getting nominations for Call Me by Your Name.
I was quite enamored by the dialogue but I was not as surprised because it was written by Greta Gerwig, who also makes her directorial debut with this movie. This is a strong debut to make this honest portrayal of a character who has confidence but struggles with identifying who she is by making different types of friends along the way. It does echo a little bit of Frances Ha, an underrated coming-of-age movie also starring Gerwig. The third act between the mother and daughter is quite emotionally effective as it is quite balanced nicely as there is some nice dialogue in the ending that fully wraps the package with a nice bow. Lady Bird is another fresh perspective of what defines a coming-of-age movie should be and it is a refreshing movie thanks to the screenplay and the fantastic performances.
****
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