Greta Gerwig is already known for her writing and acting. But now she has another credit with her impressive directorial debut, “Lady Bird.” It was originally called “Mothers and Daughters” and that’s basically what it’s about, set in 2002-2003. Christine McPherson is a high school senior who has given herself the name “Lady Bird” to create a more interesting identity for herself. Saoirse Ronan is older but hits high school rebel vs. adult attitude spot-on. She runs the gamut of emotions of a girl with raging hormones and without any hint of her real Irish accent. She swears in American accent all too well.
Lady Bird is acting out teen angst constantly. She makes a statement with her ratty dyed pink hair and her unfiltered language in front of everyone from teachers to priests and nuns. The nuns in this film are pretty hip and hip to her.
But who’s the object of her wrath? It’s always Mom, of course. Not only is she ready to be done with high school, she is ready to do battle with teachers, classmates, boys, her brother and Mom. She’s also ready to be done with Sacramento and has dreams of heading to the East Coast, as far away as she can, for college. Gerwig grew up in Sacramento and there is a pretty montage of the city.
Laurie Metcalf pulls out the stops as Lady Bird’s hard as nails mother on
her back every minute. Mom is a psychiatric nurse and you’d think she might be a little more sensitive. She is to some people, but not to her own daughter. Yet Gerwig gives the two of them a push me/pull me ride in scenes where they are at each other’s throats one minute and then one says or does something that breaks the tension showing just enough tenderness and understanding.
As Gerwig told us at the Austin Film Festival, they really do love each other. It’s particularly graphic in a scene we asked Gerwig about in a thrift store looking for a dress for a prom dress. All of a sudden, Metcalf pulls out a dress and her daughter melts. “It’s perfect.” And then Mom spends the night stitching adornments to make it even better, just like Moms do. Gerwig says it’s hard to be a teen, then and even more now, because of social media.
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Tracy Letts told us at the screening at the Chicago International Film Festival that Gerwig directs to her own rhythm and she responded to the comment saying she’s just trying to let the actors do what they do best. Letts plays nice guy, but depressed Dad who recently lost his job. His wife never lets him forget that she is now the breadwinner and she rules the roost. Letts is the mild mannered, reasonable Dad who gives Lady Bird the love. He tries to reason with his wife, too, but to no avail.
The film is actually a series of scenes with Lady Bird playing out what any teen would do. She bounces from situation to situation dealing with teen issues including friendship, bullying, popularity, fickleness, sexuality, screaming teen hormones and virginity, authority, and dreams for the future. Some of her behavior is downright outrageous and rebellious, but it is also funny. Saoirse Ronan covers every emotion and even though you want to slap her, you feel for her too. Reminded us of our own teen years.
The scenes of her in the car bickering with Metcalf as her Mom to the point where she jumps out of the car is shocking! Plus finding out first boyfriend, Danny, (Lucas Hedges) isn’t what she thought he was and that her first sexual partner, Kyle, (Timothée Chalamet) isn’t either, are scenes filled with harsh doses of reality. But we did like how she and her friend, Julie (Beanie Feldstein who is Jonah Hill’s sister) handled the fickleness of friendship at that age.
Gerwig told us that teens will always have issues to deal with but she thinks it’s much harder now with social media. She has created a collage showing growing up is hard no matter what stage of life you’re in. But just like Lady Bird, Greta Gerwig is a creative force to be reckoned with.
A24 93 minutes R
