No, this movie is not about Lady
Bird Johnson as my parents both assumed. I could say that it’s about a high
school senior named Christine who insists on being called Lady Bird as she
navigates life and her identity in Sacramento, but there’s a lot more to it
than that and plenty to discuss. Even though her parents can barely afford to,
they keep Christine out of the public school where there was a stabbing so she
can attend a private Catholic school. And there are so many interesting
dynamics at play: the primary having to be the tough love approach from the mom
that works double shifts as a nurse. The whole family is interesting, however,
with the softie good guy father, and the care-free kinda goth older brother
that maybe isn’t living up to full potential. And as with any good
coming-of-age film, Lady Bird meets and interacts with many characters, each
providing a new spin to the midst. Basically, what I’ll probably be repeating
constantly will be about the fully realized, pretty authentic characters throughout.
Let’s
start with some positives. Lady Bird’s adorable best friend Julie is a joy.
Yes, I know, she fills the comic relief side character, but she’s someone that
rewards an audience for sticking with her for the whole journey. And really,
unlike a typical journey filled with plenty of pit stops, the characters here—including
Julie—may drop out of the picture temporarily, but they remain relevant all the
way through. Another example is Lucas Hedges who plays the first love interest
of Lady Bird. This may be a cast of young actors, but having been in films like
The Grand Budapest Hotel, Moonrise Kingdom, and recently Manchester by the Sea, Hedges is picking
unbelievable scripts to work in and holding his own. And as much as I want to
include a minor spoiler, all I’ll say is that one reason the characters in Lady Bird feel developed and real is the
ability from writer/director Greta Gerwig to understand that characters can be
conflicted internally and externally without having to be marked as good or
bad, protagonist or antagonist.
This
is certainly a charming film, and that’s proven by the almost historic score it
received from Rotten Tomatoes. The thing is that every film there is either
fresh or rotten, so critics can enjoy a film and call it fresh without loving
it. I feel like that applies to Lady Bird.
From the opening with Christine and her mom talking in the car, to the moments
in drama class rehearsing the play, to countless hangouts with differing friend
groups, the dialogue feels real. The cast is sharp and confident, and the story
never lulls. But after that, you can probably start nitpicking. Both the score
and soundtrack are unremarkable—with the soundtrack even borderline basic—and
the cinematography starts off strong in an almost Wes Anderson inspired way,
but that reasonably drops off in the middle when the characters truly start
taking over. I was surprised by the opening and one moment with Hedges, but the
story is slightly predictable beyond that.
What
this all amounts to is nitpicks. You won’t exit the theater with any glaring
mistake in mind. What should stick out are the stronger moments. The
mother-daughter relationship is exceptional. Lady Bird is whining one moment,
then defending her mom to a friend the next. The mom is spending valuable time
with Christine in one scene, then (and more typically) she’s nagging about
Christine’s laziness immediately afterward. Although hardly expressed verbally,
the love is constantly apparent. And the subtleness of all the emotions in the
film is really one of the best parts. Instead of Lady Bird proclaiming to Julie,
“Wow, Julie, I really can’t stand that Kyle guy!” they may make a snarky joke
to each other and laugh over cheese plates. Even the most exaggerated
characters like Kyle brings the right amount of comedic tone during some more
serious scenes. After all, Kyle will forever be “hella tight” guy to me.
When
I think of coming-of-age films, I immediately think of American Graffiti and Boyhood.
I can’t necessarily say that Lady Bird
will come to mind. I absolutely enjoyed watching the film, but it doesn’t have
any element I would describe as spectacular enough for me think that I’ll
remember this film down the road. Again, if given time, I’m sure I’d recommend
this film to someone, but there isn’t really anything in there to jog my memory
in an instant. But if you’re looking for strong acting, authentic and relatable
stories, and strong themes that are never presented in an in-your-face manner,
then this is a solid film to see. And besides, how can you not enjoy Saoirse
Ronan?
