"If you had boobs I wouldn't touch them either"

This was the best way to start my week. Above anything else, Lady Bird is something that always inspires me to be a filmmaker. I think it boils down to its screenplay, which is nothing short of miraculous. On paper, this movie sounds un-special, especially considering the innovations in the coming-of-age genre. What makes this stand out though is that Gerwig has the incredible talent of making her characters feel truly real. She creates spaces that feel already lived in and chooses so carefully what to show the audience that we almost feel obtrusive. That works so brilliantly for this story in particular, because we aren't necessarily being served a chronicle with a clear three-act structure and a protagonist/antagonist dynamic. Instead we are merely viewing a snapshot of a year in Christine's life. 

What makes this film brilliant is that through her carefully directed lens, Gerwig delivers statement after statement on things that really matter. Class divide, religion, family structure, femininity, sexuality, emotional abuse, race, and much more are all explored with such honesty and tenderness that they work in the background to form a patchwork quilt of sorts. To call this film a quilt wouldn't be far off the mark, because the reason I am drawn back to it every few months is its incredible warmth: the score, the cinematography, the nostalgia and honesty in every performance and every frame. This is a mind-blowing directorial debut. I truly believe Greta Gerwig will be remembered as one of the best filmmakers of her generation, and I cannot wait to see (and love) whatever she makes next.