Lady Bird
Tuesday, December 12, 2017 4:38:21 PM | (Age Not Specified)
Do you like me?
Of course, I love you.
But do you like me?
The quote above from Greta Gerwig's directorial debut could have easily been taken from a conversation I've had with my own mother. That was among the many scenes of the film that felt personal, that made me realize that this isn't just a movie, that I was (or maybe still am) Lady Bird. I wish this had come out when I was still in high school. It hits all the relatable notes of self-discovery, realization, and the struggles that teens go through. It portrays perfectly the determination to change who you are, for yourself or to fit in with the "cool kids," experiencing intimacy with another person for the first time and the regret that follows because, naively, you expected it to be perfect like the romances you've seen on the screen, the realization that you don't need to go to prom with a guy to have the best night of your life, the disappointment that you didn't get accepted into the college you wanted, and the feeling of uncertainty that follows when planning your future. Gerwig captures all of this exceptionally as elements of her coming of age story. At the heart of Lady Bird, however, is the relationship between mother and daughter. We've all taken our mothers for granted. We've all been selfish, created a big deal out of nothing, rebelled, or forgot to thank her when we should have. My favourite scene is when Lady Bird's mother goes into her room to hang up her new dress while she's asleep. I didn't realize how such a small scene could impact me until I came home and found my leggings laying on my bed after having told my mom this morning that I couldn't find them. Not only is Gerwig portraying things that we know and have seen our mothers do for us, but she's also showing us the little things that we miss. The little things we take for granted. Lady Bird deserves to be celebrated. Not only because it's a meaningful story that'
