Lady Bird

Girls at 16 are pretty much walking, talking balls of hormones; likewise, boys of the same age.  Here we have Christine “Lady Bird” McPherson who attends a Catholic girls school, says she’s from the wrong side of the tracks, and is aching to break free from Sacramento as soon and as far away as possible.  Been there (Seattle), done that (moved to San Diego), except for the Catholic school up-bringing.  Unfortunately, Lady Bird is not rich, a genius, nor are her parents, which limits her options for getting out of Dodge and attending an Ivy League school.  She’s sort of stumbling through her senior year.  New relationships in her life are teetering on experimental as she plots her way to something that will fulfill her magazine fantasies.  Lady Bird’s mother is stuck between a rock and hard place with how to deal with her which is sort of surprising because the apple really hasn’t fallen far from the tree.  I’m not a mother, but I am a daughter, and have first-hand knowledge of how this works.  First, you put your fingers in your ears, close your eyes, and make mistake after mistake blaming it on your circumstances and your lack of participation, rather than your choices which, if you listened to your mother, might have worked out differently because your mother, like it or not, has probably experienced exactly what you’re dealing with emotionally many, many years before you were even an idea.  Funny how that works.  Anyway, this is Greta Gerwig’s directorial debut and it’s a doozy.  Saoirse Ronan and Laura Metcalf are stellar as daughter and mother, with a supporting cast that compliments their emotional tug o’war to a tee.  Rating:  (4 hail Mary's) a container of non-consecrated wafers, a pack of clove cigarettes, best prom ever, and a trip or two to the thrift store .