Greta Gerwig’s directorial debut, which she also wrote, is the award-winning A24 film Lady Bird. Saoirse Ronan is Christine MacPherson, who much prefers the title Lady Bird, is determined to make the most of her senior year at her Catholic high school in Sacramento. She joins the school theatre program with her best friend Julie (Beanie Feldstein), where she meets Danny O’Neill (Lucas Hedges). They enter into a romantic relationship until the girls spot him kissing another boy.
Meanwhile, Lady Bird dreams of attending a prestigious college far from home, despite her mother Marion’s (Laurie Metcalf) insistence that they can’t afford those schools. This becomes the central conflict that drives Lady Bird’s decisions for the entire film. At Marion’s orders, Lady Bird starts a job at a local café where she meets Kyle (Timothée Chalamet). She abandons Julie to spend time with Kyle and popular girl Jenna (Odeya Rush), even though she clearly doesn’t fit in.
The film uses its shadowy cinematography to tell this coming-of-age story in a clever and nuanced way while still highlighting the bright flame of Lady Bird’s youth and impetuous character. Here are fifteen vivid stills from the film.
