I am always on the lookout for films to share with my significant other, despite the fact that the post-viewing conversation becomes unnecessarily heated on the ride home. I enjoy film as a medium and can generally appreciate most narratives and she enjoys a film with a strong female perspective. In turn I enjoy getting to watch them with her. Lady Bird ticked all those boxes and seemed like the perfect date night. It was complete with conversation topics like: “Why was my mom such a bitch?” and “I was clearly an awful child” and “When I’m a parent…”. Loaded, I know. This is either the best “First Date” film or only for veteran relationships. I am willing to bet on the latter. Visually it’s reminiscent of Wes Anderson’s Rushmore, while internally vibrant comedic/dramatic strokes of Amy Heckerling’s Fast Times at Ridgemont High and Tamara Jenkins’ Slums of Beverly Hills, but the soul is very clearly all writer/director Greta Gerwig.

Taking place in 2002, 9/11 fever still at large, the story follows the senior year of Christine “Lady Bird” McPherson (Saoirse Ronan), daughter of an overworked nurse mother, Marion (Laurie Metcalf), an understanding, recently laid off father Larry (Tracy Letts), and her brother Miguel (Jordan Rodrigues) and brother’s live-in girlfriend Shelly (Marielle Scott). Under financial burden and a full house, Marion is often at odds with Lady Bird. Meanwhile, Lady Bird is interned at a private Catholic high school in Sacramento and desires to escape the burden of her perceived mundane existence to an east coast college at any cost. Without a fully formed idea of what is that she wants to do, or where she wants to go, or what to even expect of such a move, she plows through her mother’s passive aggressive attacks while struggling with friends and romance. A fully formed slice of life, Gerwig serves her audience a difficult confection, asking us to sympathize with the plight of restless, directionless, and angst laden teens at the turn of the of the millennium. You can’t help but fall under her spell.

Surprisingly, this film doesn’t have a dull moment. At no point did I feel any uncomfortable drag or lag. I was completely enthralled and under that spell only slice of life films can conjure. The story arch is tight and sends Lady Bird on path that all who trod it know well, because you either are or have had to walk it, no matter where (or when) you are. Its at once Americana and universal. My only criticism is that its time period is somewhat wasted, sent to the background to make up the flavor but not so much of a point. Who or what we were in 2002 isn’t as much an issue as it could have been considering the film makes it a focus point from time to time.

So, with warning, I urge you to take a date to this film. It should raise some eye opening questions and scenarios for you and your significant other to discuss. Now, where you will be after the ends of these conversations, I can’t say. But you can always take a page from Lady Bird, it’s your life and it is what you make of it. Whether you want it that way or not.

~* 9/10 *~