Lady Bird


     Lady Bird is directed and written by Greta Gerwig (Frances Ha) and stars Saoirse Ronan (Brooklyn), Laurie Metcalf (Scream 2), and Timothee Chalamet (Interstellar). It tells the coming-of-age story of Christine "Lady Bird" McPherson, a teenager trying to navigate her world in Northern California.
     The hype train for this movie started all the way back in September, when it first premiered at Telluride Film Festival. Since then it has garnered nothing but positive reviews from every critic. Naturally, this had me quite excited for Greta Gerwig's directorial debut.
     I found this movie to be extremely engaging and fascinating. The longline seemed like something I would normally stray away from, yet the performances instantly drew me in. Saoirse Ronan was magnetic in the titular role. Her ability to make you feel how she felt was great. And although you do not always side with the decisions she makes, you can see her thought process and understand how she got there. Metcalf was also great as Ronan's mother. Although the two are at odds throughout the majority of the runtime, their heart for each other ultimately shines through in a beautiful way.
     The coming-of-age genre has tropes that have begun to plague it. When stories begin to follow these tropes, they become trite and boring. Yet Lady Bird manages to turn many of these tropes on their heads, leading to quite the refreshing movie going experience. Plot points I imagined going one way were abruptly sent in another direction. Small things like this left me not knowing what would happen next, a pleasant surprise in today's movie going age.
     I tried to think of something I did not like about this movie, and I could not come up with anything. I smiled. I laughed. I felt for the characters. Overall, a great movie going experience and Lady Bird is possibly one of the best films of the year.

When should you see it?
Opening Night

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