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Poignant coming-of-age story for teenage girls everywhere

posted a year ago by jekporkins (1972)
1 reply | jump to latest

I wanted to watch this with my teenage daughter, as she is the same age as the Lady Bird character and I heard it was original with heart. It certainly is that. The acting is impressive, led by Saoirse Ronan and Laurie Metcalf. It shows an interesting frustration between a girl becoming a woman and wanting to leave the nest, and a mother wishing she could hold her close to home. Leaving the nest doesn't just mean moving away to college but moving out of the comfort zone and taking risks.

There's a lot more going on - control, toxic passive-aggressive behavior, teenage rebellion - but that's what I felt was the crux of the screenplay.

Pros: As I mentioned, the acting is sublime, the screenplay keeps things moving, and the director knows the material (she should - she wrote the thing). It has heart and lots of humor, and there are many great messages in there.

Cons: There are a lot of characters to sort through, and a couple of them and their storylines just seem wedged in.

A random stranger's opinion: It's a nice movie for teenagers to watch, as I'm sure a ton of them can relate to the themes. I saw a lot of comparisons to my senior year in high school and the emotions I felt during that time. Definitely worth a rental.

Grade: B+

[–] Wuchak (8737) 8 months ago

It's proficiently made, but the overall writing and filmmaking failed to draw me into the characters and their experiences.

I guess the writer/director's style just isn’t my thang, speaking as someone who appreciates compelling coming-of-age flicks, including artistic ones, like “Clueless,” “The Man in the Moon,” “Dead Poets Society,” “Little Darlings,” “The Virgin Suicides,” “Footloose,” “The Way Way Back” and “Fast Times at Ridgemont High.” Even spare-change Indies, like “Everlasting Love” and “Colossal Youth,” are all-around superior entertainments IMHO.

The similar “Welcome Home, Roxy Carmichael” had its issues, but it’s a masterpiece compared to this. I’m not saying “Lady Bird” doesn’t have its artistic appeal but, by the last act, I can honestly say I hated it. Odeya Rush as Jenna is one of the few highlights, along with Timothée Chalamet as the cool dude.