Lady Bird is a 2017 American comedy-drama film written and directed by Greta Gerwig and starring Saoirse Ronan, Laurie Metcalf, Tracy Letts, Lucas Hedges, Timothée Chalamet, Beanie Feldstein, Stephen McKinley Henderson, and Lois Smith. Set in Sacramento, California in 2002, it is a coming-of-age story of a high school senior (Ronan) and her turbulent relationship with her mother (Metcalf).

Review

“The Chairman” – The coming of age movie that addresses the most millennial problem ever, the feeling of disengagement while simultaneously being fully engaged. This won’t be a rant about millennials or their place in the world, just a scene-setting device. Saoirse Ronan plays Christine, a relatively average student, who is really sick of her hometown and her relationship with boys, the mother & nerdy best friend Tania. This is all happening in the backdrop of the 9/11 terror attacks & the subsequent wars in the middle east and the overall impact on the American psyche.

I know that is a lot to take in, and so does Lady Bird who is overwhelmed by these happenings. The relationship between her mother and father is rather contradictory. Her mother works at a psychiatric hospital comes off as unhinged and unable to interact normally with humans outside the hospital. Her father is the good “cop” who tries to make everyone happy in the family and is fighting depression.

But, is the movie good? The Answer: it’s a so-so movie that is elevated by the performance of Lady Bird and her mother (Laurie Metcalf). I put the feeling have regarding this movie down to the direction and at times extremely vapid supporting characters. Definitely worth your time, however, you will lose nothing if seen on a small screen. 7.5/10

“Storm” – Based on the trailer and all the Oscar hype, I was quite excited to see Ladybird. The movie is OK. Not terrible, but not life changing either. Its worth a watch simply for the contentious relationship between mother and daughter. The battle of teenage willfulness versus parental wisdom leaves many a bruised ego and even a broken bone.

The tone of this movie oscillates between cringe-worthy and hilarity. If that’s your buzz, then this movie is for you. 6.8/10