“I have to get out of Sacramento—because it’s soul-killing.” The quote encapsulates the lamentation of Christine McPherson, Lady Bird’s main protagonist, as she dreams of moving to an out-of-state college to live a life full of color and culture. Released in 2017, Lady Bird is a coming-of-age comedy-drama that allures viewers into the life of an ambitious high school senior living in the city of Sacramento, California. Covering subject matter relating to self-identity, relationship, and maturity, Lady Bird lends a sense of reminiscence to viewers as they empathize with Christine’s teenage struggles.

Receiving 41 nominations, 13 of which the film won, Lady Bird is a heartwarming film about how individuals are influenced by the relationships and beliefs they acquire from their hometown. Likewise, Lady Bird follows Christine on her path of discovering her true identity. The comedy-drama captures the elusive period of struggle during puberty and resonates with moviegoers as it showcases a genuine look into the journey of growth of a young woman.

Lady Bird is considered to be a solo directorial debut for the American actress, playwright, and director Greta Gerwig. As mentioned in an interview with Gerwig at a New York Film Festival press conference, the film holds some key aspects that were inspired by a reflection of Gerwig’s adolescence. Gerwig's understanding of these teenage years translates perfectly to audiences as Lady Bird was named 2017's top film by the National Society of Film Critics.

Diving Deep into the Life of Lady Bird

Unlike other coming-of-age movies that sugarcoat the average high school experience, Lady Bird exemplifies a rather raw, yet quirky portrayal of reality. Christine struggles with what most teenagers grapple with: identity crisis and how they wish the world to see them. In the film, Christine is unsatisfied with many things in her life. She hates her given name, the house she lives in, and even more despises the fact that her dreams are rejected due to financial problems. Played by Irish actress Saoirse Ronan, Christine grants herself the name “Lady Bird,” introducing her name claiming “it’s given to me, by me” at the beginning of the film. Christine, a rising senior at a Catholic high school, is desperate to attend a prestigious college in the city of New York to experience its culture and live an opposite life from the boring Sacramento.

Christine’s obsession with being called Lady Bird stems from the difficulties she faces due to her over-protective mother, as well as her inability to escape from her family’s financial troubles. Christine attempts to hide from these issues by concealing her personality and life from others. This ultimately leads Christine to undergo an identity crisis. In doing so, the film portrays how a young adolescent struggles to shape her own identity. In the film, Lady Bird forges her identity by changing her name and dyeing her hair, thereby creating an image of how adolescents strive to become a distinct version of themselves.

Lady Bird’s complex relationship with her mother is another aspect of the movie that challenges her self-identity. While their relationship is filled with passive-aggressive conversations, there are moments of emotional and affectionate warmness between the mother-daughter duo. The movie expresses the complex relationship between a mother and daughter in a realistic manner that audiences can relate to, as well as the unconditional love and caring relationship in the mother-daughter bond—the struggle that exists in all parent and child relationships during adolescence. Lady Bird’s demand for resistance and freedom from her mother’s guidance implies her ways of rejecting her old self to grow into the actual “Lady Bird” she aspires to be.

Giving off a Reminiscence

As a coming-of-age narrative, the film tackles topics concerning complex interpersonal relationships and gives viewers a reminiscence of reflecting on themselves during their adolescent years. It explores themes of complex relationships with family, friendships, love, and the journey of maturation of a teenager. Just as the self-identity crisis lies at the heart of most coming-of-age stories, the movie promotes a sense of realness in portraying the struggles of an average high school student throughout adolescence.

Throughout the film, Lady Bird portrays in a realistic manner the feelings most people may have faced growing up as young individuals. The ups and downs of emotions, insecurities, curiosity, and rebellion of a teenager are what Lady Bird attempts to depict by encapsulating the typical experiences of teenagers - female teenagers in particular. In this way, Lady Bird invokes strong memories and feelings from the past, and appropriately captures the joy and pain of adolescence.

More than just the standard plot of any other coming-of-age movie dealing with love, new relationships, prom, and college applications, director Gerwig rejuvenates the story with a fresh twist to the cliché. The steps Lady Bird takes toward acknowledging herself along with sorrowful and witty moments in life create a semi-fictional story that audiences can deeply connect with. This portrayal of a young adolescent navigating through her life is what makes the movie more relatable and captivating to watch.

Lady Bird unconsciously gives the film a feeling of memory as the process of growing up involves several learning processes of understanding oneself through many fluctuations in life. Moreover, the movie shows a fragile image of one’s childhood where youngsters aspire to be great. Although the movie primarily deals with the reflection of Gerwig, viewers that come across this movie will be able to empathize with several scenes of the struggles Lady Bird endures. In the end, Lady Bird is an emotionally satisfying movie that plunges viewers into Lady Bird’s life as she recollects the significance of self-identity and belonging.

Film Information

Release Date: November 10, 2017

Director: Greta Gerwig

Cast: Saoirse Ronan, Laurie Metcalf, Timothée Chalamet

Running Time: 94 minutes

Genre: Comedy, Drama