"Lady Bird" is Christine’s given name. "It’s given to me by me," explains the self-assured 17-year-old, played with an understated and delightful precision by Saoirse Ronan, at the center of Greta Gerwig’s solo directorial debut. Self-assured and idiosyncratic she certainly is, but Lady Bird is also insecure and ready to conform. One moment she is sweet and thoughtful, but the next she is vicious and self-absorbed. All the contradictions make her a fully fleshed out personality at once singular and relatable. Inspired by the writer/director’s own experience growing up in Sacramento, Lady Bird is a finely crafted love letter to her past, one filled with imperfections, disappointments, joy, and love.
A Q&A with director Greta Gerwig follows the screening.
Lady Bird. 2017. USA. Directed by Greta Gerwig. 93 min. Courtesy of A24 Films.
