In her directorial debut, indie darling Greta Gerwig is bound to receive some award season acclaim with her fresh take on teenage adolescence.
The backbone of Lady Bird is a simple one: the struggling battle and relationship between a teenage girl who thinks she knows it all and her overbearing, loving mother. But beyond that, there is heart, humor -- and Justin Timberlake.
"Lady Bird? Is that your given name?"
Christine “Lady Bird” McPherson (Saoirse Ronan) comes of age in early-2000s Sacramento, striving for something more -- whether that's through the drama department, a cute boy, or moving to New York to experience actual “culture.” Lady Bird really has no idea what she wants because she is a 17-year-old girl. Her strong-willed mother (Laurie Metcalf) works tirelessly to do what she can for her family and what she thinks is best for Lady Bird. Again, what she thinks is best. [caption id="attachment_5723" align="aligncenter" width="300"]
The mother-daughter dynamics stand out in this film.[/caption]
Ronan and Metcalf are probably the strongest assets of this picture. They work effortlessly off each other. From the scenes where they're fighting to the scenes where they're dress shopping, it's all completely organic.
Metcalf’s delivery is extremely grounded and harsh. You can’t help but laugh, but also feel like you're being scolded.
Irish actress Ronan is only 23 and has been nominated at the Academy Awards -- twice. She can easily transform herself into any character she's given. One of the internet’s boyfriends, Ryan Gosling, even referred to her as “Meryl Streep reborn.” Ronan easily becomes an awkward, overdramatic, yet charming teen. You want to console her and discipline her at the same time.
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Lady Bird (Saoirse Ronan) and her best friend Julie (Beanie Feldstein)[/caption]
