jack’s review published on Letterboxd:
89
My mother pretty much hates every mainstream movie that comes out --she hated Birdman because she "didn't get it," thought Boyhood was overrated, believes Manchester by the Sea to be one of the most disappointing theater experiences she's ever had and most recently, she thought Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri was one of the dumbest things she'd ever seen-- and it's rare for her to actually love a movie that's modern and it's even more rare for her to connect with a movie and call it one of her favorites. With Lady Bird, something happened within her that left her in shock; she turned to me after the credits rolled, wiping tears from her eyes, and just said something that's stuck with me since she said that:
"That was very painful and truthful."
Lady Bird's perfection resides in the subtly of its craft; Gerwig's direction isn't flashy or exuberant, but simplistic and genuine and heartfelt. The performances by Saoirse Ronan and Laurie Metcalf, among others, are perfect because they're so simple. Lady Bird and Mrs. Mcpherson aren't characters that stand out because they're playing such extravagant characters. They're characters that stand out to us because we're easily to connect with them; with their performances and Gerwig's perfect screenplay, we're able to associate certain moments with people in our lives, maybe even within ourselves and that's why Lady Bird is so beloved. Lady Bird isn't just a movie about the clash of mothers and their daughters or a coming-of-age story about growing up; Lady Bird is a film about you, me, your girlfriend, your boyfriend, your mom, your dad, your brothers, your sisters, your grandparents, and your friends. It's a film that manages to embody moments of our lives and allows us to relate to these moments in the film because somewhere down the line, we know a Lady Bird or we have a mom who we think is completely crazy, but in reality, she does everything she can for us. Maybe we know a dad who's depressed or ex-partners who's struggling to find themselves or one who's a complete pompous asshole. Lady Bird is the film for us all and we have only one person to thank for this special, subtle, and little achievement: Greta Gerwig.