Have you ever wanted to exit a conversation so badly that you have considered exiting a moving vehicle at 40 miles an hour? Lady Bird is a teenager who is just angsty enough to actually follow through with that fantasy to the shock and anguish of her mother. This opening scene perfectly sets the tone for what the audience can expect while watching a movie following the life of a high school senior girl: the unexpected and the dramatic.
The most relatable coming of age story of the year, Lady Bird is reminiscent of all of the awkward, exhilarating, and turbulent aspects of trying to find your place in the world at 17. The characters in Lady Bird touch on a myriad of topics and nothing is off limits: bad boyfriends, stress over college decisions, deception, abortion assemblies, quest for popularity, mental health, Catholic school dress code, and much much more.
But perhaps the most relatable and realistic aspect of this raw film is the portrayal of the complex relationship between a strong-willed mother and an equally stubborn daughter. Their relationship consists of constant bickering to silent treatments with intermittent sweet moments before a full out screaming match erupts. The mother daughter duo may love each other, but perhaps they do not like each other quite yet as their roles in each other’s lives develop further.
Lady Bird also has nostalgic moments for just about everyone who still remembers what it was like to be 17 and unsure of everything. From fights with best friends, to joining a theater group, to skirt checks by nuns, these little moments make audience members laugh and revisit those days when high school felt like the most important time of one’s life.
Edgy, raw, dramatic, hilarious, relevant, and genuine, Lady Bird is a must-see movie that will not disappoint!