My thoughts about Lady Bird (2017)

Written & Directed by: Greta Gerwig
Starring: Saoirse Ronan, Laurie Metcalf, Tracy Letts

The core conflict of the movie is between Lady Bird (Saoirse Ronan) and her mother Marion (Laurie Metcalf). The reason they're always at odds with each other is because they are so alike. We see Marion counselling Father Leviatch (Stephen McKinley Henderson), and Shelly (Marielle Scott) remarks just what a big heart Marion has. We see these qualities reflected in Lady Bird, echoes of the same empathy, like when she ditches her date to hang out and attend prom with her best friend Julie (Beanie Feldstein).

This is why at the end of the film when Marion finds out Lady Bird has been accepted to a school in New York, she cuts off all contact with her. This devastates Lady Bird who doesn't understand why her mother won't even get out of the car at the airport to see her off. We see Marion's inner conflict before and after this moment. She feels betrayed that her daughter wants to leave her, but also there's an element of Lady Bird being able to go make something of herself. An opportunity that Marion feels she never got. And of course there's the regret that she wasn't able to bring herself to say goodbye, and the fear that she may never see her daughter again.

This isn't the only bad decision made in the film, but it might be the most devastating. Lady Bird is a coming of age story. Part of being a teenager is making bad decisions, and learning from your mistakes. Most of the teenage romance, and Lady Bird lying to try and fit in with more wealthy and popular kids made me cringe. I felt embarrassed because I too remember how awkward I was as a teenager, how difficult even the simplest of social interactions can be. There's a lot of shame involved with adolescence, because you're figuring out who you are. I think this is best demonstrated in the coffee shop scene with Lady Bird and Danny (Lucas Hedges).

He was Lady Bird's first love before she finds out he's gay. He visits her in the coffee shop to apologize for misleading her. Not out of malicious intent, but going to a religious school, Danny thinks that there's something wrong with him for feeling this way. When Lady Bird hugs him as he cries, she forgives him. This is a moment of healing and another example of her blossoming empathy.

Spirituality plays a prominent role throughout the film. After moving to New York, Lady Bird drinks too much and is hospitalized. After being discharged, she finds herself outside a cathedral on Sunday morning. If only for a brief moment, attending the mass heals something that is broken inside of her. In the final moments of the film she leaves a voicemail on her parent's answering machine. She thanks them for her real name "Christine". She's spent so much time trying to be someone else and I think she realizes how much that hurt her mother. Lady Bird was sent to Catholic school to avoid the path of her brother. While the film is critical of the views of the religious (in relation to homosexuality and abortion), religion as a mentoring and positive force is demonstrated by the priests and nuns at Lady Bird's high school.

Personal enjoyment: ★★★★