Oscars Countdown #7 ‘Lady Bird’

From one coming of age story to another Lady Bird is a wonderful portrayal of a 17 year old girl as she takes on her senior year of school and all the chaotic heartbreak that that involves.

Saoirse Ronan is fantastic as she acts out as only a teenager can do, arguing with her just about every member of her family, complaining about putting her clothes away and how her eggs are cooked, getting drunk and of course rebelling by renaming herself Lady Bird, she is a typical teenage brat. But the character is just so loveable as we watch her muddle through life and work out her frustrations. So many of us will recognise our teenage selves in this story.

Tens of dozens of teenage coming of age films come out every year but there are so few like this. All the big milestones moments are there losing your virginity, falling out with your best friend, passing your driving test, going to prom and graduating high school. In short all the elements of any American teen movie are here but they’re handled so wonderfully and simply, we don’t dwell on or have a grand build up to these moments rather it is, as it so often is in life, all the little moments in between, the small moments that carry the importance that shape Lady Bird. This isn’t slick or glitzy, in fact it’s full of the fashion of the early noughties and we all know that’s not glamorous, but it is real and it is raw and by god is it funny.

At the heart of the story is the relationship between Lady Bird and her mother, played by the awesome Laurie Metcalf. The way in which the two slip so seamlessly from talking to bickering to confiding in each other is exactly how families are, they argue, they fall out but they love each other fiercely. Who hasnt argues with their mother at one time or another?

Greta Gerwig wrote and directed the film and she is a genius. Partially based on her teenage years spent in Sacramento, California it is so genuine and true and honest, there is not one perfect character here each is flawed and real and human. Rightfully nominated for Best Director Gerwig is a genius, and she is now officially my idol.

This is a wonderfully funny and heart warming film that truly captures what it is like to be a teenager and what it is like to grow up. And Saoirse Ronan I love you!Can we please be best friends?