Ratings:

1 Star: I am in agony! Hellllllp!

2 Stars: Eh, it’s ok.

3 Stars: A good movie you will like.

4 Stars: A winner you shouldn’t miss!

When I watch a movie I don’t like, I am moody, and want to lash out at said movie for wasting my time. However, when I find a movie I love, I jump through the roof shouting. I want everyone to watch this wonderful experience I just saw. I love seeing great movies, and I love talking about them, so it’s with great pleasure that I’m rating Lady Bird, one of the top 5 movies I’ve seen this decade.

Characters

Christine “Ladybird” McPherson is a young teenager having trouble figuring out her life. Her relationship with her mom is tumultuous at times. Her mom does love her, but she is direct with her. Her dad is such a kind soul, her sister-in-law and brother think she is a pain, but that changes over the movie. One of my personal favorite characters is Julie. She is such a cutie with a big heart and personality to match. All of the characters in this movie are spectacular. They’re well developed, relatable and have a depth to them. Every character is relatable on some level, and that makes the joy and sadness all the more painful when we see it.

Story

The story is nothing new. A young girl trying to find her way through life, not knowing how she is gonna make it. What makes the story work is how lovingly it is told. The characters are not mocked, the story does evolve and have surprises. Some decisions that Lady Bird makes has real consequences in the story. The audience gets to experience how the story changes with every decision she makes. She goes for one guy, but then finds out something about him, then she changes who she is to try and fit in with the “cool” kids so she can try to get with the popular guy. The story could’ve fallen into cliches, but it doesn’t. It is a smart story, and I loved every scene, which made me want to savor every moment.

Directing

Remember this name, Greta Gerwig. She is going to be a star director! We have many male directors who are household names. Chris Nolan, James Cameron, Steven Spielberg, and Martin Scorsese to name a few, but we don’t have many females who are, and Greta will become one. She shows the Midwest in loving details, with splashes of green grass and gorgeous skies that sparkle with light and energy. She always keeps the focus on the characters and their point of view. This makes the story easy to follow, and the characters relatable. She got an Oscar nomination for her brilliant work, but if you ask me, she should’ve won. This was a perfectly directed movie. Not one shot didn’t belong, not a bad cut, or unwanted scene. She knows when to stop a scene and how to end it. Sheer perfection. I cannot wait to see what else she will make!

Screenplay

Greta also wrote the superb screenplay which avoids false sentimentality, instead, she gives us real emotions. The happiness and joy are earned by the characters. We don’t feel manipulated into feeling this way at all. The screenplay does a magnificent job of showing good and bad sides of each character. There is not a false note in the screenplay. Some jokes are uncomfortable, but you are supposed to feel that way. You don’t want Lady Bird to say the joke, but she does anyway. Why didn’t Gerwig win the best screenplay? She should’ve won for writing such a perfect screenplay.

Flaws

Not many. Maybe some characters should’ve gotten more screen time, and I do think some of the college scenes happen too quickly. That is all I can find. This is a near perfect movie experience. Anyone who loves good dramas, or coming of age stories need to watch this movie pronto!

Final Thoughts

Lady Bird should’ve won best picture in 2017. This is a one of a kind movie with wonderful characters, gorgeous directing, beautiful cinematography, big laughs, tears, a wonderful story about family and a perfect screenplay that makes everything work. You don’t see many movies like this anymore. Do yourself a favor, go to Amazon Prime Video, (it’s free on there), and go to your local offline or online store and buy it. You need to see this glorious movie at least once. You will thank me later.

Rating: 4 Stars! A grand slam! One of the best movies I’ve ever seen. You will see this on my top 100 movies of all time. Enjoy this marvel of a movie.

Photo Courtesy of: https://www.rollingstone.com/movies/movie-reviews/lady-bird-review-greta-gerwigs-coming-of-age-story-is-simply-irresistible-122310/