Rotten Tomatoes, a website that accumulates critic and audience feedback on films, says that 99 percent of critics have given the film “Lady Bird” positive feedback. Well, I suppose that sometimes conformity isn’t such a bad thing, because I certainly I fall into that 99 percent.
“Lady Bird” is a simple story at its core. It tells the story of Christine “Lady Bird” McPherson, a young girl who is trying to make a name for herself at her high school in Sacramento, California. This may sound like it is intended for a teenage demographic, I can assure you, “Lady Bird” takes the tired clichés of a high school movie drama and presents them in a new light with excellent writing and performances.
The film is directed by Greta Gerwig, an actress who is known for such films as “Frances Ha” and “Twentieth Century Women.” “Lady Bird” is Gerwig’s directorial debut and if it’s true that a director’s worst film is their first, then Gerwig has an outstanding directing career ahead of her. The texture of the film’s landscape will remind you of an old Polaroid you’d find in an attic. Sacramento is a location that often gets a spotlight thrown on it by Hollywood, but “Lady Bird” films the West Coast city in a way we haven’t quite seen before.
Saoirse Ronan plays the title role of Lady Bird. Audiences may recognize the actress from her roles in Peter Jackson’s “The Lovely Bones” and Wes Anderson’s “The Grand Budapest Hotel”. A native of New York City, Ronan pulls off a performance that makes the film go from being a good movie to a great movie. Take away her performance and the film certainly wouldn’t be getting such prestigious awards as the Golden Globe for best Comedy or Best Actress at the New York Critics Circle Awards.
Overall, Lady Bird is an indie darling that will remembered years from now If you get the chance, Gerwig’s “Lady Bird” is a definite Pick it