Nominated for five Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Lady Bird is one of the past year’s most acclaimed films. Indie darling Greta Gerwig reveals herself to be a bold new cinematic voice with her directorial debut, excavating both the humor and pathos in the turbulent bond between a mother and her teenage daughter. Christine “Lady Bird” McPherson (Saoirse Ronan) fights against but is exactly like her wildly loving, deeply opinionated and strong-willed mom (Laurie Metcalf – just the best ever), a nurse working tirelessly to keep her family afloat after Lady Bird’s father (Tracy Letts) loses his job. Set in Sacramento, California in 2002, amidst a rapidly shifting American economic landscape, the film is an affecting look at the relationships that shape us, the beliefs that define us, and the unmatched beauty of a place called home.
For those curious readers who have not seen the film (SPOILER ALERT FORTHCOMING – AVERT YOUR EYES), Lady Bird also features a pivotal gay subplot. After diving into her school’s theater scene, Lady Bird falls for Danny (Lucas Hedges) an adorable, lanky young fellow performer. Though they date for a good portion of the movie, sharing some deeply important coming-of-age moments, it’s later revealed that Danny is gay. Lady Bird catches him making out with another boy in a bathroom stall. This culminates in a deeply emotional scene where Danny comes clean to his pseudo-girlfriend, apologizing for leading her astray and begging her to keep his secret. The like goes: “I’m so ashamed of all of it. It’s going to be bad and I just need a little bit of time to figure out how I’m going to tell my mom and dad.”