Lady Bird (2017)

[baumer]

Discuss

[La Binoche]

I had trouble getting into the first half. I'm not a fan of quippy Junoesque teen girl banter. But the second half is strong and moving, and helped immeasurably by Laurie Metcalfe. 

 

B+ for now but may grow on me. 

[Kvikk Lunsj]

I saw this last Friday. I loved it! The characters felt real and she kept the adolescent life really well. This is one of those movies were really enjoyed watching all of the characters. The cast had great chemistry. The humor worked well in the film. The dramatic moments worked well in this film. You can tell by watching this film that a lot of hart went into making it.

A-

[rockNrollaDIM]

I thought this was really sweet and endearing. It’s another of those “moment in time” kind of films that chronicles a short period of a character’s life with no central conflict or endgame in mind, however unlike a lot of entries in that genre it never feels entirely pointless or boring.

 

I saw it in a full theater last weekend and the audience dug it too, heard a few people crying towards the end - moms and daughters will connect with it for obvious reasons but then so will most people of a certain demographic. 

Edited November 17, 2017 by rockNrollaDIM

[filmlover]

A terrific directorial debut from Greta Gerwig that deserves to join the list of great movies about teenagers. There isn't much of a plot, so to speak, but there are strong hints of autobiography to the material and the characters very much feel like real people. Highlighting the movie is yet another wonderful performance from the lovely Saoirse Ronan, while Laurie Metcalfe also shines as the other half of one of the more realistic parent-child relationships I've ever seen in a movie, while Tracy Letts, Beanie Feldstein (who is one to watch out for IMO), Lucas Hedges, and Timothee Chalamet also give solid support around them. I look forward to whatever Gerwig does next behind the camera. A-

[afalconer7]

A very different and sweet coming of age story, this is one of the best movies of the entire year. A

[The Panda]

A touching and well done coming of age story that focuses a relationship between a mother and daughter, and the feelings a person has about their upbringing.  It does a fantastic job at showing how in youth you yearn to escape from where you're from, the part of your life you don't control, and it's not until you finally move away that you realize how much you appreciate where you come from.  I really liked the quote from the Nun, in which she synonymizes love and attention. 

 

The ensemble of the film is great, especially in the performances given by Ronan and Metcalfe, they work off each other well, and it's a believable familial relationship.  Despite being a movie that's just supposed to encapsulate a moment in somebody's life, it never presents itself as entirely aimless, yet it isn't being driven by a specific plotline either (which is a plus).  Each scene feels natural and placed as if its a natural occurrence, and not necessarily there to continue a set chain of events.  

 

The film is fairly funny, but it's not what I really enjoyed about the movie.  What was done the best was this subtle build toward the end, it never feels like a build, but when the climax of the last few scenes hit, you find yourself taken by emotional wave of it all.  Overall, it's a great movie and I really don't have any issues with it or how it was executed.  There are some great relationships, it does a great job at exploring its themes and a year in Christine's life, and it culminates to a memorable and touching final scene.  A

Edited November 24, 2017 by The Panda

[somebody85]

Loved it. Going to marinate on any further thoughts for a night and come back. There's so much to take in and think it deserves that. Strong visual storytelling.

Right now: A- or A for sure.

[Ethan Hunt]

"Did you get emotional  the first time you drove through Sacramento?" Should be a line that goes down in cinema history

[That One Girl]

<3

[MrPink]

Going in mostly blind, and walking out, I now know why Ethan and the teenagers specifically are nutting over this movie.

Edited November 26, 2017 by MrPink

[That One Girl]

2 minutes ago, MrPink said:

Going in mostly blind, and walking out, I now know why Ethan and the teenagers specifically are nutting over this movie.

 

But it’s really good, right?  

[MrPink]

Just now, That One Guy said:

 

But it’s really good, right?  

 

It's good.

[WrathOfHan]

25 minutes ago, MrPink said:

Going in mostly blind, and walking out, I now know why Ethan and the teenagers specifically are nutting over this movie.

God help you once I see this.

[The Panda]

Another side note I wanted to make about the movie:  I loved the theme of yearning for escape that's present in the film, and how each event in Christine's life almost feels like it's stockpiling, until she finally escapes (or literally 'flies away' in a plane) and realizing how much of the youthful entrapment was built up inside her own mind.  It's one of the more honest coming of age films I've seen, and you can tell a lot of that is Gerwig's heart and memory toward her own youth.  With its setting in 2002-2003, and the fact Gerwig grew up in Sacramento, you can tell it's a fictional telling of her own story (which is what makes it so great). 

 

It's interesting to look at the parallels between Gerwig's story in Lady Bird and Nanjiani's story in the Big Sick (or even Ansari's Master of None).  Some of the best stories told this year aren't really all that fanciful, they're more quiet, truthful ones.

[MrPink]

8 minutes ago, WrathOfHan said:

God help you once I see this.

 

I'm just gonna wrap myself in a human sized condom to protect myself from collateral damage.

[somebody85]

As someone who was a junior in high school in 2002 this film got a lot right. We weren't as effected by the recession as much here but I understood that view point. All of the acting was on point and every character felt real for that time period. I'll never not see Saoirse Roman as Hanna but she really is fantastic here. The character did remind me of Nadine from Edge Of Seventeen at times but felt more restrained and authentic. 

I could see a lot of my mom and sisters (who was also in high school at the same time as Christine) relationship watching her play off Laurie Metcalf. The scene where they are fighting but stop to admire a dress was so real. 

For people who have seen this....was the priest who originally ran the play a pedophile (or having those thoughts)? We get one scene where he goes to see her mom (who works in a psychiatry center) and says "Please don't tell your daughter" but I don't think there was anything else. I couldn't figure out what else it could be besides maybe losing a wife or someone close to him? It seemed like he was struggling with something serious and that's why he dropped out and allowed the coach to replace him.

The father having depression was also very real for that time (and I guess now). I love how the movie didn't stop to make that a big deal and immediately went on to the next thing.

If I had to change anything about it...it would probably be the ending. I don't think we needed to see Christine get to NY (although I did like to see Christine appreciate her upbringing in the church and the driving monologue). I think the film could have gotten the same message across with the letters by having Christine discover them while sitting on the plane. The last scene we would see her glancing out the window, then discovering the letters, leaning back and fade to black. Or maybe have her getting off the plane and then making the phone call and ending it there as she looks for her ride/cab. I think all the lines about driving could have worked just as well because it's realistic to think she would have reflected on her life in Sacramento on the plane. 

I didn't think the drinking scene was needed.

Even with the call, everything was still left up the air as far as Christine's fate or path in life. I get what they were going for but I think most audiences would get that Christine's mom did like her just by the reveal of the letters and that she would understand how important her upbringing was to her future once she got in the city (without needing to actually to see it - I think that was better left up to the imagination). The cut to black just felt abrupt like it did in Personal Shopper and A Ghost Story....but I get it, that technique usually leaves audiences with a lot to think about after finishing the film.

Anyway, yeah this is a great coming of age story that I can't wait to see again. I'm sure I'll catch even more of the visual storytelling with another watch and appreciate it even more. The pacing was close to perfect and I kind of wanted it to keep going because I was so invested in the characters. Easily one of the best of the year.

A-

Edited November 28, 2017 by somebody85

[filmlover]

On ‎11‎/‎25‎/‎2017 at 9:46 PM, WrathOfHan said:

God help you once I see this.

We've got the bunker ready to survive the fallout.

[somebody85]

On 11/25/2017 at 9:20 PM, MrPink said:

Going in mostly blind, and walking out, I now know why Ethan and the teenagers specifically are nutting over this movie.

Yeah, I also went into this pretty blind. Only read a brief two sentence summary. I guess it could apply to teenagers today as well as it did for people who grew up during that time period.

I remember watching some of the attacks in Iraq in one of my Spanish classes. I guess it was CNN. It was a big deal at the time. I'm glad they included that but never really stopped and made it a focus. It was just there.....as was the recession.
 

I wonder if this film will allow more teens to discover The Dave Matthews Band! Crash really was huge on the radio at the time.

Edited November 28, 2017 by somebody85

[WrathOfHan]

It's very good, but the lack of a plot threw me off somewhat. That isn't a bad thing; it just took some getting used to. The film is extremely relatable (especially after telling my mom about the movie  ) with nothing feeling unnatural. The ensemble is strong all around, but Saoirse Ronan is fucking amazing here! This might top Brooklyn as her best role yet. I brought this up in the CCT, but the movie really should have been longer just because it's such an alluring movie. I'm sure this rating will go up on rewatches, but it's a 9/10 | A- for now