Quick Info
Lady Bird follows the turbulent senior year of Christine "Lady Bird" McPherson as she navigates relationships, dreams, and family drama in Sacramento circa 2002. Right from the opening scene—Saoirse Ronan and Laurie Metcalf in a car, arguing as only mothers and daughters can—the movie sets a tone that feels achingly true to real life. It's a coming-of-age film that captures teenage awkwardness, longing, and the bittersweet process of growing up with both honesty and warmth.
What really stuck with me is how slyly hilarious and sharp the script is, and how every character, even the side ones, feels fully lived-in. Saoirse Ronan delivers a fearless, vulnerable performance, but it's Laurie Metcalf as her stressed-out mother who broke my heart—especially in that gut-punch airport scene near the end. The awkward high school moments, like Lady Bird auditioning for the school play or clashing with her best friend, are painfully real but never mean-spirited.
If there's something that didn't quite land, it's that the movie occasionally veers into indie quirkiness that feels put on, like some side plots that go nowhere (the prom dress shoplift, for example). Still, those moments never outshine the emotional core. If you grew up with complicated family dynamics, went to Catholic school, or remember the early 2000s with nostalgia or cringe, Lady Bird will hit home.
