Lady Bird (2017)

[Empress1]

I really liked this movie! I'm the age demographic and it got a lot right about being in high school at that time. I thought the father was WONDERFUL, and I also like that the movie acknowledged that class exists, and looked at what it's like to be someone without much in an environment where people have a lot more. It added a lot of layers to the relationship between Lady Bird and her mother.

I thought the way Danny's sexuality played out was really well done. He hurt Lady Bird and she was mad and he recognized that she had a right to be - but then when he broke down saying that it was going to be really hard to come out and could she please just help him with that, I was moved. I liked that they ended up friends. The next guy she dated was THE WORST, but definitely a certain kind of guy that a theater geek would be attracted to (although not me, I thought he was a loser from the get). It was interesting to me that the relationships with boys weren't ultimately that important but the relationship with the best friend was REALLY important. The best friend (who I learned today is Jonah Hill's sister) did a lot with what she was given

I also liked that they didn't spend any time explaining why Miguel was Hispanic. I assumed they adopted him; in one of the letters that Lady Bird's mother writes, she says that it seemed like a miracle that she got pregnant with Lady Bird at 42 so I'm guessing the couple tried to conceive, couldn't, adopted Miguel, and then she conceived Lady Bird unexpectedly. (A friend of a friend has kids who are six months apart - they were told they couldn't have kids, adopted one, and surprise! found out they were expecting six months later.) But that didn't really require explanation, I think - he was her brother/their son, end of story.

Did anyone else see it?

[tongueincheek]

One of my favorites of the year. Just a gem of a directorial debut from Greta Gerwig. I've actually seen it twice. 

I had to call my mom after I watched it -- I cried (sobbed!) and thanked her. The film really hit close to home - I also went to Catholic school in Sacramento, and shared that same romanticized lens of the world that Lady Bird had. The mother-daughter relationship humbled me: I can't recall a movie in my lifetime (I'm 29) that so clearly conveyed my own relationship with my mom. It made me feel a little exposed. 

Saoirse Ronan and Laurie Metcalf were pitch perfect (Laurie EARNED her pending 'Supporting Actress' nom), and Beanie Feldstein elevated every scene and moment she had. The whole cast was really fantastic. 

And Empress1 - I completely agree with your points about Danny's sexuality and Miguel - those elements of the story were handled just right. 

The movie's just hysterical too. I went from crying because I was laughing too hard, to just plain crying. 

Also, Tracy Letts', "Oh fuck" towards the end of the movie is one of the best line readings I've seen on screen this year. 

Edited November 23, 2017 by tongueincheek

[Proclone]

I just got back from seeing this.  It's a wonderful movie.  This film perfectly captures what it is to be a teenager, especially a teenager in the early 2000's (I actually graduated high school in 2003 as well).  Their mother-daughter relationship also hit really close to home for me.  I can totally relate to having a relationship with my mother that could swing from being very close to hating her for how critical she was of my life.  The description of her mother as "warm and scary," was really quite apt.  And to be quite frank was one that I could have used to describe my own mother. I actually had a couple of those fights with my mother, especially where Lady Bird asks her mother just to say something nice to her.  And I also think the conversation about sex was something my mother said to me almost verbatim, "You should wait until college and be safe."  And I loved that how neither Lady Bird or her mother were completely right or completely wrong.  Lady Bird was careless and selfish.  Her mother was overly critical and could be passive aggressive. 

The movie encapsulates the pretentiousness that goes along with being 17 or 18.  You're convinced you feel and think things that no one has ever felt or thought before.  You're selfish and you can be mean.  I still look back at things I said or did as a teenager and am embarrassed how nasty I could be.  But they also showed Lady Bird's capacity for empathy when it came to Danny and her reaction to him begging her not to tell anyone about his sexuality.  And I loved her and her friend at prom just having fun (and the look on the nun's face when they were dancing). 

To be perfectly honest this movie feels like someone snuck into my house and stole some diaries I wrote as a teenager.  I can relate to so much of it.  I didn't go to Catholic high school, but I dated the fellow cast member of the musical that turned out to be gay (my cast member was also Irish Catholic and had ten siblings), and there was a young flirty teacher that used to hang out at the same clubs as we did.  I can ever relate to me and a group of friends eating everything in my kitchen when we had the munchies.  My mother's reaction was pretty much the same a Lady Bird's mother.  This movie hit almost disturbingly close to home for me, but I really enjoyed it.  Pretty much everyone in the cast deserves nominations, especially Laurie Metcalf if for nothing else the expressions crossing her face as she drives back to the airport.  Ronan was also outstanding.

Edited November 27, 2017 by Proclone

[Silver Raven]

As someone who lives in the Sacramento area, this love letter to the city brings a lot of smiles to my face.  I've been to those places, I've driven along the rivers just on those roads and bridges, I know those stores and those cafes and clubs.  And man, Laurie Metcalf was a joy in this.  My pick for Best Supporting Actress, right now (though there are still a lot of movies left to see).

[methodwriter85]

I really enjoyed this. I graduated high school in 2005 and was in 10th grade the year this is set in. It's so dead-on. Gerwig moved the timeline about a year back from when she actually graduated high school...I'm guessing because she didn't really want to make 9/11 a big focus and the few mentions to it were enough. It also allows her to use "Cry Me A River", which seems to be the only song used actually from that time- most of the songs are a little older than that.

The clothes and hairstyles were so dead-on. Most of the girls had long, straight hair pulled back with a small backcombed ponytail, which was so absolutely dead-on for the time. I'm a guy, and I also had a pucca shell necklace like Danny's that I wore all through high school until like my sophomore year of college. The only thing missing was spiky hair on dudes, but even that was starting to fade out in 2002-2003. And I spied a rugby polo on Jenna. I thought it would be really hard to do a period film about the early 2000's without being able to show brand names on clothing, but they did a great job of evoking the time period. It's not quite the 90's, and it's also not quite the pastels and bright colors of the mid-2000's.

Speaking of Jenna, I loved how they handled the class issues. Jenna driving an SUV and Lady Bird/Julie both mocking it and being envious of it. I was a poor kid who went to a high school that had a pretty affluent student base, and nearly everyone I knew lived in a nice house while I was stuck in a trailer park. One girl's family had an SUV with a built-in DVD player, and I was pea-green with envy about that. Another guy I knew was from the super-rich, old-money development that was on one side of the high school I went to, situated around a golf-course. I totally used to go past rich people houses and think about how much cooler their lives must be. (I tend to do that now whenever I pass urban condos.) I never pretended to be from a nice neighborhood like Lady Bird did, but still.

 

I really loved that they didn't "John Hughes" the rich kids or even Lady Bird's shitty boyfriend. Jenna was a shallow vapid girl who decided that Lady Bird was "weird" after finding out about her lie, but she wasn't Regina George. Timothe was a pretentious dick who lied about being a virgin to get laid, but he wasn't nailing a girl behind her back. I also found it super-realistic that Lady Bird tried out a new cliche for a bit but then went back to her real friend at the end- that's also often true to life about high school/college.

The other thing I really identified with was the post-college brother being stuck in a menial job. I'm still there, and damned if I didn't feel for him.

I also like that they didn't give Lady Bird and her mother a tearful good-bye at the end. As the dad states, she'll be back and there will be plenty of time for that.

Edited December 3, 2017 by methodwriter85

[Silver Raven]

Speaking of Jenna, they mentioned that she lives in Granite Bay.  That's a wealthy area actually a LONG way from Sacramento and in an entirely different county.  I would have thought she would have gone to a Catholic school in her local diocese, instead of having to drive about an hour and a half each way to and from school every day.

[Ohwell]

I know I'm not the only person who initially thought this movie was about Lady Bird Johnson.  I'm old.

[methodwriter85]

13 hours ago, Silver Raven said:

Speaking of Jenna, they mentioned that she lives in Granite Bay.  That's a wealthy area actually a LONG way from Sacramento and in an entirely different county.  I would have thought she would have gone to a Catholic school in her local diocese, instead of having to drive about an hour and a half each way to and from school every day.

Maybe it was just super-important to her parents that she went there? I knew people in very competitive high school that commuted like an hour to get there. It added up to like a two to three hour drive for them. It's also possible that Jenna's family had "upgraded" from the Fabulous 40's to some McMansion in Granite Bay, but they had Jenna stay at her school to finish out there instead of making her change.

Then I just realized that Jenna said specifically that she loves living in Sacremento so that theory just got shot to hell.

[Silver Raven]

2 hours ago, methodwriter85 said:

It's also possible that Jenna's family had "upgraded" from the Fabulous 40's

When Lady Bird lied about living in the 40s, Jenna said that their "starter house" was there.  She was quite the snob.

I read an article in the Sacramento Bee about that blue house.  The guy who owns said that it's becoming a tourist attraction, and so now he feels obligated to keep the landscaping up.  :)

[Traveller519]

I saw Lady Bird at our local Film Festival in September. I certainly remember it being very good. It was emotional and honest, and also had some nice humor to balance the emotion of a coming of age teenager. I think all the parts are well cast and acted and it tells a nice cohesive story in (or about) 1 year of a young person. I quite liked it.

All of that said, all the critical fanfare and the awards its already winning have me a little surprised. A 100% Rotten Tomatoes score, and two early season wins are pretty big indicators of an excellent film, and I just don't know if I'm there. In fact, I would put Lady Bird behind Brooklyn for a Saorise Ronan starring vehicle, but that could be because at this stage in my life I identify more with Eilis than Lady Bird (the character). And for 2017 films it would still come in behind Get Out and probably on par with Wind River and Stronger for me.

I look forward to watching it again and seeing if there's something to pick up on that I missed the first time around.

[SeanC]

I got to see this yesterday, which surprised me, as I wouldn't normally have expected a film like to come to Charlottetown until the New Year.

I was quite impressed overall.  Such a great cast, and very sharp writing on a scene-to-scene basis.

There's obviously some degree of autobiography in this, so I wasn't sure if the comments toward the end from Mrs. McPherson that Christine seems to like acting (to which she responds that she's probably not any good) are meant to suggest that Christine has a future in the nascent mumblecore genre or not.

[thuganomics85]

Saw this as part of my "Oscar-bait" double feature with Three Billboard of Ebbing, Missouri.  So, my first reaction is that apparently Lucas Hedges is everywhere! Not that I'm complaining.

Overall, I really enjoyed it.  Probably not as much as A24's "coming of age" film from last year (Moonlight), but I really enjoyed how in a lot of ways it was a simple, but realistic story about a teenage girl in her final year at Catholic school, dealing with love, friendship, and conflicts with her parents.  Almost all of it felt real and authentic, and it reminded me of several aspects of my life growing up, despite not being from Sacramento or going to a Catholic school (or being a guy.)  But while watching Lady Bird get her heartbroken by finding out her first crush isn't what he seems and then going through the bad boy phase, or briefly loosing interest with her long term friend to hang out with the more popular girl, might not be anything new, it was still fascinating to watch, because, again, those are things that probably have happened all the time.  I am glad that Lady Bird ended up going back to Julie though.

Saoirse Ronan was definitely amazing in the role and I think she could have a solid shot at capturing the Oscar, especially if she still has some support over her work in Brooklyn (where I suspect she would had won, if Brie Larson/Room didn't come out the same year.)  I like that she didn't shy away from making Lady Bird bratty, selfish, and kind of mean at times, but still making her someone to root for and be optimistic that she would grow up to be a good woman.  Laurie Metcalf matched her scene from scene, and I hope she gets a nomination too.  Any scene involving both of the characters were automatically contentions for the best scenes in film this year.

The supporting cast was good.  Really curious to see Timothée Chalamet in Call Me By Your Name, since he's apparently even better in that film then here (and he was pretty damn good.)  Other then that, the standout was Hedges during Danny's confession/coming out to Lady Bird.

Curious to see how she'll handle a film that isn't close to how it was like for her growing up, but still a pretty impressive turn from Greta Gerwig: both directing and writing wise.

[methodwriter85]

What impressed me about this is that Saoirse Ronan's own teenage life wasn't anything like this- she was a child star and already making movies when she was a teenager, and she didn't have experience with that suburban Middle America feel that Sacramento apparently has. But she just really sold me as a girl from that kind of milieu.

Lady Bird has officially hit the 20 million milestone, which is a big one for indie movies.

Timothee Chalamet's character....we ALL knew that guy/girl in high school/college. Or maybe we were that guy/girl. He was such a douche without going over the top. I feel like a lesser movie would have had Lady Bird discovering him having sex with another girl.

I also didn't get my license until I was right at the end of high school, so I related to that bit, too. You gotta love the symbolism of her not getting her license until after she graduates high school.

[snickers]

I saw this yesterday, I liked it...but i wasn't totally wowed by it....it captured the life of a teenager VERY accurately, so I will give the writer/director props for that, I thought at times it was pretty funny....but I didn't think there was anything "original" about this story, it was just a typical run of the mill coming of age story about a teenager girl

 

I will say though that I looked on rotten tomatoes and it now has a score of 99%...it got a lone rotten review! so there goes the perfect score

 

I wouldn't be surprised if S.Ronan wins best actress, but i'd be surprised if this wins for best movie...I actually thought Three Billboards and the Shape of Water were much better movies :(

[kiddo82]

On December 4, 2017 at 5:34 PM, Traveller519 said:

I saw Lady Bird at our local Film Festival in September. I certainly remember it being very good. It was emotional and honest, and also had some nice humor to balance the emotion of a coming of age teenager. I think all the parts are well cast and acted and it tells a nice cohesive story in (or about) 1 year of a young person. I quite liked it.

All of that said, all the critical fanfare and the awards its already winning have me a little surprised. A 100% Rotten Tomatoes score, and two early season wins are pretty big indicators of an excellent film, and I just don't know if I'm there. In fact, I would put Lady Bird behind Brooklyn for a Saorise Ronan starring vehicle, but that could be because at this stage in my life I identify more with Eilis than Lady Bird (the character).

Those were my thoughts exactly.  I liked it but it just seems like one of these movies that comes out this time of year, everyone universally praises, then three years down the road we go "Oh yeah.  That was a thing not too long ago."  I think it's biggest strength is also it's greatest weaknesses as it's not a particularly challenging movie.  Don't get wrong, there is nothing wrong with that.  Quite the contrary, it's a rather refreshing thing to behold between the glut of challenging movies that come out this time of year plus what's going on in the real world, which is part of its charm and appeal. However, outside of Laurie Metcalf, there wasn't anything about it that has stayed with me.  And again, that's not to sound overly critical but I agree that it's lacking that certain something as a whole that would place it in that upper echelon for me. 

[zibnchy]

Laurie Metcalf makes everything better. I have been a huge fan for many years. She deserves the oscar. She doesn't even have to talk. Her facial expressions are all she needs.

I'm Laurie Metcalf's age so watched this movie with a different perspective. Here's what the movie pulled off - I watched a movie full of teenagers and I didn't hate any of them. Even the vapid Jenna.

I liked it a lot.

[Browncoat]

On 12/28/2017 at 9:17 PM, zibnchy said:

Laurie Metcalf makes everything better. I have been a huge fan for many years. She deserves the oscar. She doesn't even have to talk. Her facial expressions are all she needs.

I'm Laurie Metcalf's age so watched this movie with a different perspective. Here's what the movie pulled off - I watched a movie full of teenagers and I didn't hate any of them. Even the vapid Jenna.

I liked it a lot.

Agreed 100%!  Although, when I was watching the movie earlier tonight, I couldn't help but think of Laurie in "Roseanne" when Becky wanted to go on birth control.

[SunnyBeBe]

I just fell in love with this movie after watching the trailer.  I looked it up after seeing it got an Oscar nod.  It loos so refreshing.  I look forward to seeing it.

[Yokosmom]

Loved the movie. Also appreciated that the first time sexual experience was pretty disappointing, at least from her point of view.

Felt so sad for the father—almost impossible to get even a halfway decent job at his age, especially in tech.

The football coach priest giving The Tempest his all out effort was hilarious.

[choclatechip45]

I loved this movie! The relationship Lady Bird had with her mother mirrored my own relationship with my mom in high school. Thought it was well acted. I live in CT so the opening scene with CT mention got a lot of laughs in the theater.

[Brn2bwild]

On 12/3/2017 at 1:29 PM, Silver Raven said:

When Lady Bird lied about living in the 40s, Jenna said that their "starter house" was there.  She was quite the snob.

I read an article in the Sacramento Bee about that blue house.  The guy who owns said that it's becoming a tourist attraction, and so now he feels obligated to keep the landscaping up.  :)

When she stopped being friends with Lady Bird because she lied about where she lived, it seemed like the lying was an excuse to ditch Lady Bird now that she knew Lady Bird wasn't actually rich.

I loved that blue house.  I love any houses that have a bold color like bright blue, since too many in my area these days are beige, white, or gray.

[annzeepark914]

On 1/27/2018 at 6:06 PM, Yokosmom said:

Felt so sad for the father—almost impossible to get even a halfway decent job at his age, especially in tech.

The football coach priest giving The Tempest his all out effort was hilarious.

I didn't love this movie but was impressed with the actors.  And I too felt so bad for the dad trying to get a job and probably being discriminated against due to his age.  Loved the football coach revving up the young actors.  What did the mom do?  Was she a clinical social worker or a psychologist?  I must've missed where it was explained what she did for a living.

[snickers]

2 hours ago, annzeepark914 said:

What did the mom do?  Was she a clinical social worker or a psychologist? 

hmmm i thought social worker but i don't remember her really being dressed the way one would think a social worker would...wasn't she in scrubs? I almost wonder if she was a nurse....i think if she had a psychologist they wouldn't have been struggling as much financially.....

[hendersonrocks]

Quote

What did the mom do?  Was she a clinical social worker or a psychologist?

My impression was that she was a nurse in a psychiatric practice of some sort - the scrubs, the reference to the psych hospital. That a nurse's salary alone would be tough to financially support an entire family also seemed to fit. Laurie Metcalf's portrayal was so raw and so loving, both.

Lucas Hedges impresses me in pretty much everything he does. I thought he added a lot of depth to Danny in what could have been a very difficult role to make work - and obviously Saoirse gets a lot of credit for that too. She's incredibly talented - three Oscar nominations by 23? Damn. 

The early 2000s music choices were inspired.

[Max fan]

 Very overrated IMO!  I didn't think it was good at all ! Could have been a made for TV movie. Waste of money seeing this in the theater! I usually like Laurie Metcalfe , that was the only reason I even saw it!  She was OK , but none of the other  actors/ characters were very likable or memorable !

[Bruinsfan]

I have to disagree, I thought Saoirse Ronan's acting was superb, she was just playing a mostly unlikable character that was very difficult to sympathize with. (She did redeem herself somewhat to me with her relationship with her father and her concern for Julie on Prom Night.)

 

On 2/1/2018 at 6:45 PM, hendersonrocks said:

My impression was that she was a nurse in a psychiatric practice of some sort - the scrubs, the reference to the psych hospital. That a nurse's salary alone would be tough to financially support an entire family also seemed to fit. Laurie Metcalf's portrayal was so raw and so loving, both.

Nurses do make decent money though, so I don't understand why things appeared to be on the brink of financial ruin for them before the dad was laid off. It sure wasn't from the mortgage on that house—did they go into debt paying for Miguel's college education?

[stealinghome]

I saw the movie tonight and liked it, but I’d put it behind the other two Oscar contenders I’ve seen (Call My By Your Name and I, Tonya) if I had a ballot. I agree that it’s a well-done coming of age story, but one that doesn’t break any new ground. Rather, it’s a movie that knows what it wants to be and is that very well. I also agree that the entire cast gave great performances, and I think they really elevated the movie. Laurie Metcalf was especially fantastic, but I was particularly impressed by the teenage supporting cast surrounding Lady Bird as well. None of the young actors hit a single wrong note. The best friend and gay boyfriend in particular did a lot with their roles, but even the actor for the popular girl and the CMBYN actor managed to make some unlikeable characters still feel somewhat, if not sympathetic, still somehow relatable or human, because we’re all idiots when we’re teenagers. As others said, I appreciated that they were all realistic idiot teenagers without being mustache-twirling villains.

The football coach musical director cracked me UP but I also want to give some love to the nun Lady Bird sat down with a few times—I laughed at the scene where she was like “oh no, the car prank was funny!” And the nuns insisting that the kids leave six inches for Jesus, and then giving Lady Bird and her best friend the stink-eye, were also hilarious. Though really, they couldn’t have been the first girls in the history of the school to dance together!

You can tell that this movie was Greta Gerwig’s love letter to her own childhood and Sacramento. Her love and care pretty much permeated every shot.

[methodwriter85]

On 2/8/2018 at 9:12 PM, stealinghome said:

 The best friend and gay boyfriend in particular did a lot with their roles, but even the actor for the popular girl and the CMBYN actor managed to make some unlikeable characters still feel somewhat, if not sympathetic, still somehow relatable or human, because we’re all idiots when we’re teenagers. As others said, I appreciated that they were all realistic idiot teenagers without being mustache-twirling villains.

Like I said, a lesser film would have had Timothee's character cheat on Lady Bird, and Jenna would have been less vapid shallow snob and more out and out Benny from Pretty in Pink bitch. They probably would have also had Jenna obsessed with the prom. I kind of like that they made it clear she didn't really give a shit about anything but her boyfriend and having fun. She wasn't Regina George by any remote stretch.

[Inquisitionist]

A bit of a Steppenwolf Theater reunion, with Laurie Metcalf, Tracy Letts, and Lois Smith all hitting home runs in sizeable roles.  I was prepared to be underwhelmed by this movie, given the hype, but I found it delightful and engrossing.  Well done, Greta Gerwig!

[Inquisitionist]

There's a marvelous piece about Laurie Metcalf in the NY Times today:  Laurie Metcalf Was Hiding in Plain Sight

Quote

But it is Metcalf’s role in Greta Gerwig’s “Lady Bird,” her first film in nearly a decade, that has lately encouraged us to see her anew. In her Oscar-nominated performance as Marion McPherson, mother of the teenage Lady Bird, she gives a performance so layered, vital and precise that it retroactively casts a spotlight on the meticulous but accessible, methodical but electric work she has been doing for decades. At 62, Metcalf is now being widely recognized for what she has always been, an actress of remarkable power, range and skill, a pre-eminent chronicler of the American working woman.

 I would love, love, love it if Metcalf scooped up the Best Supporting Actress Oscar.  I've had the pleasure of seeing her on stage at Steppenwolf Theater twice.  Sooooo good!

[Bruinsfan]

She's my pick for the award as well, though not as clearly dominant in her category as Frances McDormand. (I couldn't really argue against people who prefer Lesley Manville's quiet, subtle performance, and I've not seen I, Tonya or Mudbound to judge; Octavia Spencer's work in The Shape of Water is definitely lesser than the other nominated actresses I have seen.)

[Inquisitionist]

It seems to be a race between Metcalf and Alison Janney.  I've seen both of those performances.  Janney was very good, but the role didn't entail much range.

[stealinghome]

Janney had a bigger role in I, Tonya than Metcalf did in Lady Bird, though (or at least that's what it felt like to me). I agree that the performances are neck-and-neck, but I think Janney will have the edge because she was a bigger part of her movie than Laurie Metcalf was of this one.

[Jac]

I adored this movie. I graduated a year ahead of Christine/Ladybird (and in Australia) but other than that so much of our lives were similar, I am Catholic educated (all-girls though), I grew up in a family that had just begun to gain a bit of ground socioeconomically at the time I graduated high school (we moved out of our starter home at the start of 11th grade) but related deeply to having parents who were really having to work hard for not very much (legit, my dad is a psych nurse) and were trying to give their children the best lives possible, even when said children were pretty ungrateful about it (guilty as charged there). I also deeply related to Ladybird's desire to be where, as she put 'where culture is.' I grew up in an exurb of Sydney that was at least a two hour trip from anything remotely cultural and I resented the crap out of that as a teenager. I wanted to go to college in a big city, even though there was a perfectly good university literally five minutes drive from my house (which I eventually did but as a mature aged student who had saved up some cash to fund it) and I felt very trapped as a young person in the environment I was in. It was just such a relatable set of circumstances to me. 

I also super admired Gerwig's writing and directing and her restraint in both. As has been mentioned further up the thread, it would have been so easy to have Ladybird find Timothee Chalamet's character in bed with another girl. It would have been so easy to have Jenna go full Regina George but the characters were developed in far more realistic and interesting ways. I also was really impressed Gerwig's direction. I felt that she did a really good job of making a small film feel visually interesting and not making the obvious shot choice.

The performances were great, I am still annoyed that Laurie Metcalf lost to Allison Janney (though I also thought that Janney's performance was very good).

Finally, the music was spot on. Particularly the repeated use of Crash Into Me. I feel like every 17 year-old of that era had a Crash Into Me phase. I sure as hell did. 

[Simon Boccanegra]

I really love this movie, and it's one that I can watch repeatedly, still finding my favorite scenes satisfying even though they are familiar. I guess that's as good a definition of a classic as any.  

One of the actors in it said he thought it could be the Mean Girls of its era. I think it's too shaded and contemplative to be that kind of enduring youth film. Maybe more of a Say Anything... But it does seem to reach people in different ways. There are people who like it and all that strikes them about it is that it's funny and charming, and it works just on that level, but there are other things going on.

So many of these characters are trying with varying levels of success to escape some kind of worry and sadness. It's written, directed, and acted with compassion for its characters, of all ages. Stephen McKinley Henderson's Father Leviatch, genial but carrying around unspoken sorrows, and Marielle Scott's grave Shelly, who seems to have left behind a family life worse than she lets on. Laurie Metcalf's Marion...so many of her reactions tug at the heart: her look when she's told the high grocery bill is even after the employee discount; and the one when Lady Bird is wearing clothes Marion has never seen, talking about friends she's never met, crying about things she hasn't shared; her face in the drive away from and toward the airport. Timothée Chalamet's Kyle, the bad boyfriend Lady Bird will look back on ruefully, and Lucas Hedges's Danny, the bad boyfriend who will be in her life forever. Beanie Feldstein's Julie...there's so much communicated in the way she "lightly" comments that the play is probably the only time she will get to be with an attractive guy, and the way, left alone, she touches her name on the list and savors the moment. Even the football coach turned replacement theater director (Bob Stephenson), who might have been there just for easy laughs, and does get laughs, is so genuine in his enthusiasm when Danny scores the winning touchdown recites the closing monologue. I can't help being happy for him too.   

Sister Sarah Joan might be my favorite of all the supporting characters. Lois Smith goes all the way back to East of Eden, and she brings such wisdom and humor to that role. Just in a few scenes, she makes a character not quite like any similar one I've seen. The role is minor; the performance is major. She can relate with students and say things like "I hear it's a real blast" and she never sounds silly or try-too-hard. The conversation with the line "Don't you think maybe they are the same thing? Love and attention?" may be my favorite interaction in the film, and it would be a long list.    

I can say all of that without even mentioning the star, Saoirse Ronan. I guess it's no bragging point if I say I knew she was special from Atonement, because just about everyone who saw it felt that way.  

It will be interesting to see where Greta Gerwig goes as a writer/director. I think it is smart that her next film is a literary adaptation rather than a similar comedy/drama about Sacramento, because this would be a hard debut to match. But if she has similar stories to share, I hope she eventually does so. 

Edited January 18, 2019 by Simon Boccanegra

[tennisgurl]

I really enjoyed this movie, and the early 2000s setting (I was in middle school during this time) hit me right hard in the nostalgia. I listened to Cry Me a River a LOT at friends houses and on long car trips! And, as others have said, I loved how "normal" the movie was, and how things were generally played in a realistic way, not in a movie way. 

Like, Lady Birds first time having sex was disappointing, and she was hurt that her boyfriend lied to her about his history, but it wasn't traumatic and she didnt have a pregnancy scare or anything, nor did she catch him cheating on her or try to assault her or something else like might happen in a movie trying to add more drama to the story. The boyfriend was a pretentious douche, but the kind of kid that a lot of people knew in high school, and was maybe even acting extra pretentious and too cool for cool to deal with his father dying. Or Jenna the popular girl, who was clearly snobby and shallow, but she didnt play some horrible prank on Lady Birds best friend or even really bother picking on other girls like a typical Mean Girls character. And while the parents clearly had financial issues and their own things going on (dad had depression, mom grew up with an abusive alcoholic) they were still a functioning family that had nice times as well, and handled their issues in realistic ways. 

It helped that all of the performances were wonderful, very realistic and nuanced. Obviously the main actors like LM and SR were wonderful, but even the more minor characters, like the drama teacher priest who was suffering quietly while trying to do his best for the kids, or the football coach priest who was obviously thrust into a job he had no experience in, but was going to give it 100% no matter what, were really well drawn and performed. 

I grew up in a much smaller town than Sacramento, and I grew up feeling rather stifled in that environment, and dreamed about going to a big city filled with what I imagined would be nonstop culture and adventure, so I could really relate to that feeling of restlessness, even if I feel like teenage me was a bit less angry and more dreamy! But I also rather related to that ending where she was in New York at last, and didnt feel totally right there either. Despite spending the whole movie rolling her eyes at her Catholic school and its many prayers and rituals, she definitely bristled when that guy she was talking to at the Cool Loft party said that believing in God was ridiculous, and ended the movie going to mass when she felt homesick, and felt a new understanding of her mom. I feel like that is a relatible feeling, especially after just leaving home. She might not want to be in Sacramento in the future, but its still a part of her, and now that she has had even a little bit of distance, she can more see the good, as well as the bad, and how that place shaped her. I can really understand that feeling. 

[methodwriter85]

6 hours ago, tennisgurl said:

Or Jenna the popular girl, who was clearly snobby and shallow, but she didnt play some horrible prank on Lady Birds best friend or even really bother picking on other girls like a typical Mean Girls character.

I mean, I went to a high school that was like 65 percent female, so it was almost like going to a girl's school despite being a guy. Yes, there were bitchy Mean Girls, but for the most part, the popular girls were like Jenna. Shallow and snobby, but they really just didn't care about bothering with anyone not in their friend group or their romantic interest. I did cringe a lot when Lady Bird pretended to be from a rich family because she wanted to impress Jenna. I knew where that was going. I did go to a high school that had a pretty fair amount of affluent students from "good" families and being a kid that lived in a trailer park meant that I pretty much never invited anyone home. I related to that embarrassment, although I never really tried to pretend I was from a rich family. I was pretty obsessed with wearing American Eagle and Express clothing, though.

[Bastet]

I finally watched this last night, and liked it.  It's a very simple story about average people, a basic coming of age story, but the characters are written and played so realistically it's interesting to watch.  Lady Bird and Marion both have some horrible personality traits, and the actors completely embraced them - they were willing to be totally unlikable at points throughout the film, because it's real, trusting that it will be balanced out by the characters' good traits.

I like the way sex was handled, from her mom saying college is a better age to start having it, but just be safe, to Lady Bird not having it when she didn't want to, having it when she did, and deciding she likes dry humping better, but not treating her physically and emotionally disappointing experience as a mistake or a huge deal.

I also like how many silly little things there were, like Lady Bird buying cigarettes, a nudie mag, and a lottery ticket on her 18th birthday.

And I like that the popular girl didn't rat her out when she found out Lady Bird had lied about where she lived.  She was turned off by it, but they were dating guys who are friends, so they'd still be around each other and it wouldn't be an issue.

The actor playing the best friend did good things with a stereotypical role. 

Everyone in the supporting cast turned in great performances; I especially loved Lois Smith as the nun who tells dancing teens to leave six inches space between them for the holy spirit but also finds it a hoot to have unknowingly driven a nunmobile with "Just Married to Jesus" on it.  (I love her interaction with Lady Bird overall, but especially in that meeting when she says they're not just married, it has been 40 years, and Lady Bird says, "Well, he's lucky to have you.")

And, of course, the leads.  Saoirse Ronan and Laurie Metcalf were wonderful.  The dressing room scene when Lady Bird says she wishes her mom liked her, and her mom completely misses the point and says, "Of course I love you" is my favorite moment of Ronan's, and Marion's face as she drives through the airport is my favorite of Metcalf's.

Edited February 7, 2021 by Bastet