This is a beautiful, emotional, and thoughtful film, it perfectly incapsulates the lonely journey of growing up and growing apart from your family. Lady Bird is critically acclaimed and stars Saoirse Roan as Christine ‘Lady Bird’ McPherson. The film is set in Sacramento, California and explores Lady Bird’s strained relationship with her mother Marion (played by Laurie Metcalf), alongside her evolving sense of identity and independence. Overall, the film is praised for its authentic portrayal of family life, the witty and heartfelt dialogue, and nuanced performances, particularly from Ronan and Metcalf. The film was commercial and critical success, earning several Academy Award nominations. This film holds a special place in my heart as it just gave me such a visceral emotion and made me want to go and hug my mum.

Family life is a central theme, and the film presents a nuanced portrayal of typical family dynamics, especially between Christine (Lady Bird) and her mother, Marion. Overall, the relationships within the McPherson family are complex and filled with a mixture of love and tension. Obviously the central relationship in the film is between Lady Bird and her mother, their bond is filled with a mixture of love and conflict making it typical of an ordinary mother-daughter relationship. Marion is practical and has high expectations for Lady Bird, especially regarding her future and academic success. Throughout the film Marion pressures Lady Bird to be more grounded and less rebellious, and their conversations often verge on arguments.

Despite the friction between the characters, it’s clear that Marion cares deeply for Lady Bird. Her own past and sacrifices, mainly in terms of financial struggles and her own dreams, influence how Lady Bird has been raised. The emotional climax of the film occurs when Lady Bird leaves for college, revealing that Marion’s harshness comes from a place of love and concern, even though it is sometimes expressed harshly. Throughout the film Gerwig makes it clear that the McPherson’s face fierce financial difficulties, which only adds to the stress of their family life. Marion works as a nurse, while Larry is unemployed for much of the film. Their constant financial instability is a massive source of tension, especially as Lady Bird aspires to attend college on the East Coast, an aspiration that the family cannot afford. Marion’s practicality clashes with Lady Bird’s dreams, as she becomes frustrated that Lady Bird doesn’t appreciate their economic realities.

The performances in Lady Bird are widely praised for their emotional depth and authenticity. Overall, the film contains standout performances from both lead actors, Saoirse Ronan and Laurie Metcalf, as they anchor the film’s exploration of family dynamics, adolescence, and personal growth. Saoirse Ronan’s portrayal of Lady Bird is widely regarded as one of the best performances of her career, she is able to perfectly capture Lady Bird’s rebellious spirit, yearning for independence, and vulnerability in equal measure. Ronan brings an air of naturalism to the role, imbuing Lady Bird in both defiance and sensitivity. She is able to beautifully navigate the character’s internal conflict, wanting to escape her hometown and her family’s expectations, while also dealing with the guilt she feels for wanting this alongside her love for her family. Overall, Ronan’s performance is filled with subtle moments which help convey the complexity of adolescence, from Lady Bird’s attempts to reinvent herself in high school, to her struggles with fitting in and dealing with rejection. Her chemistry with Laurie Metcalf (her mother) helps further enrich the emotional depths of the film.

Laurie Metcalf delivers an outstanding performance as Lady Bird’s mother, Marion. Her portrayal of an overworked, emotionally complex mother is layered and multifaceted, showing a mixture of moments that are vulnerable, alongside highlighting her tough exterior. Marion is often stern, critical, and practical, especially when it comes to Lady Bird’s future. Overall, Metcalf’s performance is one that highlights the artistic restraints of the actor. Her facial expressions and body language help convey so much about Marion’s internal conflicts, frustrations, and hidden tenderness. The emotional scenes between Marion and Lady Bird, are heart-breaking, and it is a mixture of both Ronan and Metcalf’s skill that helps achieve this and add to the authenticity of the scene.