Lady Bird, an independent film directed by Greta Gerwig, has been one of the most well received films this awards season. Nominated for 5 Oscar Awards, Lady Bird has been a hit with critics and audiences. What Gerwig describes as a “semi-autobiographical” story has been praised for how real and emotional it is.
It features lead character Christine “Lady Bird” McPherson, played by Saoirse Ronan, as a high school senior struggling to find her way. Though she has a few friends, the main focus of the movie is the relationship between her and her mother. The two butt heads throughout Christine’s last year at home, fighting about money and college at every turn.
Written under the working title “Mothers and Daughters,” the clash between Christine and her mother is the central focus of the film. While Christine feels that she is nothing like her mom, their fights prove that they are more similar than either of them know. At home, she struggles to understand why her mom is so hard on her, yet to her friends, she calls her mom a caring person. She tells her friends her mother is harsh with her because she loves her so much.
Aside from the extremely realistic portrayal of a mother-daughter relationship, Lady Bird is also an incredibly relatable account of a high school experience. Christine is a student who struggles to live up to her own potential, leaving her college prospects unsatisfactory. She desperately wants to leave her hometown of Sacramento to go to school on the East Coast. Her counselor laughs at the idea that she would be applying to Ivy-League schools. She has the test scores, but she simply does not have the other qualities a college desires.
Whether you’re a fan of the comedy-drama genre or not, this film has something that everyone can relate too. So do yourself a favor, and see Lady Bird before it sweeps the 2018 awards season. If you aren’t sold yet, check out the trailer for the movie here.