The Movie Minute

Greta Gerwig’s sweetheart of a coming of age movie is warm, witty and pretty darn wonderful.

Saorise Ronan may star as Christine, a rising high school senior who prefers to be called ‘Lady Bird’ thank you, but while this is very much her story, Gerwig allows most of her characters to win us over here, too. For almost everyone, senior year is a toughie: all birds emerging from a nest, so to speak. Has that every gone smoothly? Lady Bird wants to fly, to leave Sacramento and her annoying mother behind, and applies to East Coast colleges, even if her family can only afford instate tuition. Dad (beautifully played by one of my favorite actors to watch, Tracy Letts) quietly supports the effort. Mom, ah Mom, gloriously and furiously brought to life by the remarkable Laurie Metcalf, isn’t having it. And not just because she, after all, as the primary bread winner, will have to foot the bill.

Rarely has a film concentrated on this oh so ripe period in a family’s life, especially with such savvy affection. Our heroine dabbles in all sorts of areas, her parochial school drama club, new boyfriends, new friends in general. And if she leaves a few key people behind, Lady Bird appears to be ok with that. It’s thanks to Ronan’s mash of fierce vulnerability we’re not as mad as her confused mom or jilted BFF.

Gerwig has made a most assured splash with this lovely piece. Maybe because it is so good, I felt somewhat disappointed when a few characters were given short shrift and plot points, or questions, left unanswered. Running a brisk 93 minutes, surely there was time to sew more things up. But to be left wanting more is not a bad thing, either, I suppose. Good luck to you, Lady Bird. And Greta Gerwig.

Greta Gerwig’s sweetheart of a coming of age movie is warm, witty and pretty darn wonderful.

Saorise Ronan may star as Christine, a rising high school senior who prefers to be called ‘Lady Bird’ thank you, but while this is very much her story, Gerwig allows most of her characters to win us over here, too. For almost everyone, senior year is a toughie: all birds emerging from a nest, so to speak. Has that every gone smoothly? Lady Bird wants to fly, to leave Sacramento and her annoying mother behind, and applies to East Coast colleges, even if her family can only afford instate tuition. Dad (beautifully played by one of my favorite actors to watch, Tracy Letts) quietly supports the effort. Mom, ah Mom, gloriously and furiously brought to life by the remarkable Laurie Metcalf, isn’t having it. And not just because she, after all, as the primary bread winner, will have to foot the bill.

Rarely has a film concentrated on this oh so ripe period in a family’s life, especially with such savvy affection. Our heroine dabbles in all sorts of areas, her parochial school drama club, new boyfriends, new friends in general. And if she leaves a few key people behind, Lady Bird appears to be ok with that. It’s thanks to Ronan’s mash of fierce vulnerability we’re not as mad as her confused mom or jilted BFF.

Gerwig has made a most assured splash with this lovely piece. Maybe because it is so good, I felt somewhat disappointed when a few characters were given short shrift and plot points, or questions, left unanswered. Running a brisk 93 minutes, surely there was time to sew more things up. But to be left wanting more is not a bad thing, either, I suppose. Good luck to you, Lady Bird. And Greta Gerwig.