History Film / LadyBird

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''Lady Bird'' is a 2017 [[ComingOfAgeStory coming-of-age]] {{dramedy}} film written and directed by Creator/GretaGerwig as her debut solo directorial effort (she had previously co-directed ''Nights and Weekends'' with Joe Swanberg). The film stars Creator/SaoirseRonan, with Creator/LaurieMetcalf, Creator/TracyLetts, Creator/LucasHedges, Creator/TimotheeChalamet, Creator/BeanieFeldstein, Stephen [=McKinley=] Henderson, and Creator/LoisSmith in supporting roles.

''Lady Bird'' is a 2017 {{Dramedy}} film written and directed by Creator/GretaGerwig as her debut solo directorial effort (she had previously co-directed ''Nights and Weekends'' with Joe Swanberg).

The semi-autobiographical film centers around Christine "Lady Bird" [=McPherson=] (Creator/SaoirseRonan) during the course of her 2002–03 senior year at a Catholic high school in Sacramento, California, including her attempts at finding love and getting into a college far away from her hometown and the conflicts with her strong-willed mother Marion (Creator/LaurieMetcalf). Other cast members include Creator/TracyLetts, Creator/LucasHedges, Creator/TimotheeChalamet, Creator/BeanieFeldstein, Stephen [=McKinley=] Henderson, and Creator/LoisSmith.

The semi-autobiographical film centers around Christine "Lady Bird" [=McPherson=] (Creator/SaoirseRonan) during the course of her 2002–03 senior year at a Catholic high school in Sacramento, California, including her attempts at finding love and getting into a college far away from her hometown and the conflicts with her strong-willed mother Marion (Laurie Metcalf). Other cast members include Tracy Letts, Lucas Hedges, Creator/TimotheeChalamet, Beanie Feldstein, Stephen [=McKinley=] Henderson, and Lois Smith.

* SeniorYearStruggles: Christine "Lady Bird" McPherson is a senior in suburban Sacramento who dreams to go to university on the East Coast, which puts her in conflict with her family. She also starts to fall InWithTheInCrowd, which causes tension with her longtime best friend in their last year of high school.

* HopeSpot: Lady Bird repairs her friendship with Julie, ostensibly dumps her pretentious boyfriend, graduates high school, and all is well in the family. Then the audience gets reminded, for the first time in what seems like a while, that Lady Bird and her father were working behind Marion's back to apply to colleges in the east coast. [[spoiler:This sets off what is arguably Lady Bird's biggest crisis in the movie – dealing with her mother's silent treatment for months until she leaves for college, and ultimately realizing (after a wicked bender, no less) that she wouldn't be where she is if not for her family, particularly her mother, and also her hometown.]]

** During one of her fights with her family, Lady Bird correctly points out to Miguel and Shelly that companies are less willing to hire people with face jewelry. Sure enough, once Miguel removes the jewelry (and tames his grungy hair), [[SheCleansUpNicely He Cleans Up Nicely]] and finds a well-paying desk job.

* JoblessParentDrama: Lady Bird's father is unemployed. This causes tension in the family, because Lady Bird wants to go to an expensive private college in the East, while her mother doesn't want her to and brings up money as a reason why. Lady Bird, who attends a private school and picks up rich friends partway through the movie, also feels insecure about finances as a result and lies to them about her lack of a StatusCellPhone. It's also revealed that her father is on anti-depressants in part due to his unemployment.

** It's also manifested in Marion and Lady Bird's relationship. The two can be arguing and sniping at each other one minute, and then gushing over a dress quite literally a split-second later.

* SheCleansUpNicely: Gender-flipped with Miguel, who has a very grunge-y aesthetic, with lots of facial piercings that Lady Bird points out as probably getting in the way of a job offer. [[spoiler:He inadvertently shows up to the same job interview Larry's going to, cleaned up with no piercings, and looks very handsome. He gets the job.]]

* StargazingScene: The film has a star gazing scene involving Lady Bird and her first love Danny. She asks him to pick a star for them and then they start cuddling. Afterwards, they discuss a name for their star with Danny suggesting "Claude" which Lady Bird finds too pretentious so she suggests "Bruce" instead.

* WhatHappenedToTheMouse: Due to the film's structure as a slice of life from Lady Bird's point of view, we don't get the full details on some plot lines, and some reach no resolution by the film's end. What happens to Kyle's father with cancer or what becomes of Father Leviatch [[spoiler: checking into a mental hospital, apparently for suicidal thoughts]], have no resolution.

* {{Foreshadowing}}: Lady Bird notes how "dexterous" Kyle is in putting on a condom in spite of being a virgin. A few minutes later, [[spoiler:he admits that he's not a virgin]].

* WhatHappenedToTheMouse: Due to the film's structure as a slice of life from Lady Bird's point of view, we don't get the full details on some plot lines, and some reach no resolution by the film's end. What happens to Kyle's father with cancer, what becomes of Father Leviatch [[spoiler: checking into a mental hospital, apparently for suicidal thoughts]], or Lady Bird's struggle to get a job, have no resolution.

''Lady Bird'' is a 2017 {{Dramedy}} film written and directed by Creator/GretaGerwig as her debut solo directorial effort (she had previously co-directed "Nights and Weekends" with Joe Swanberg).

* TwistedEchoCut: When Lady Bird accuses Julie of being a mistake her mother made when she was 19, the scene cuts to a pro-life speaker giving a lecture at the gym.

* BrokenAce: Father Leviatch, who's the school's funny, charming drama teacher, [[spoiler:still grieves over his son's death, and soon checks into the same mental hospital Marion works at.]]

* FreezeFrameBonus: Close-ups on Marion's handwritten letters reveal some interesting tidbits, such as the fact that Christine was a happy accident. (The exact wording implies fertility problems, which also neatly explains the presence of the clearly-adopted Miguel.)

* InformedAttribute: InvokedTrope. Apart from [[spoiler:his pills]], we never see [[spoiler:Larry's struggle with depression - because he's actively hiding it from Lady Bird, and keeps doing so even after Marion admits it to her]].

* {{Jerkass}}: How Marion is initially presented. Also, Jenna, who is even flippant about suicide. Also [[spoiler: Kyle]].

* RhetoricalQuestionBlunder: Exasperated at her mother giving her grief for not properly hanging up her school uniform to help keep it wrinkle-free and keep up family appearances for her schoolmates and their parents, Ladybird questions whether her mother wasn't ever cut some slack by her mother. Her mom's response? [[BrutalHonesty "My mother was an abusive alcoholic."]]
* SceneryPorn: Sacramento is a dead-end boresville with such notable landmarks as a skyline featuring Tower Bridge and The Ziggurat, also the film has the [=McKinley=] Rose Garden, the Tower Theatre[[note]]though the real reason it’s featured is to slip in a shot of what used to be the original Tower Records, a requisite reference to any local's appreciation of Sacramento[[/note]], and near countless Fabulous Forties houses. [[spoiler:New York briefly gets similar treatment when Lady Bird arrives there at the end of the film.]]

* TheirFirstTime: Lady Bird and Kyle have theirs [[spoiler:though it's revealed Kyle was not only lying about being a virgin in the heat of the moment, but he's also lost count of the people he's slept with, much to Lady Bird's displeasure.]] Lady Bird is in a state of bliss until the truth is revealed, at which point she reveals she didn't actually have that great of a time.
* TwistedEchoCut: When Lady Bird accuses Julie to be a mistake her mother made when she was 19, the scene cuts to a pro-life speaker giving a lecture at the gym.

* DidNotGetTheGuy: [[spoiler: Lady Bird doesn't end up with either one of her love interests. By the end, she doesn't seem all too bothered.]]

* TwentyMinutesIntoThePast: As it stated numerous times the movie is set in 2002/2003.

* ParentsAsPeople: Neither of Lady Bird's parents are perfect, particularly Marion, who nitpicks the family and doesn't say yes when Lady Bird asks if she likes her. However, both care about their children very much and work hard to support them.

* StargazingScene: The film has a star gazing scene involving Lady Bird and her first love Danny. She asks him to pick a star for them and then they start cuddling. Afterwards they discuss a name for their star with Danny suggesting "Claude" which Lady Bird finds too pretentious so she suggests "Bruce" instead.

* TwistedEchoCut: When Lady Bird accuses Julie to be a mistake her mother made when she was 19, the scene cuts to a talk of a pro-life speaker.

* WhatHappenedToTheMouse: Due to the film's structure as a slice of life from Lady Bird's point of view, we don't get the full details on some plot lines, and some reach no resolution by the film's end. What happens to Kyle's father with cancer, what becomes of Father Leviatch [[spoiler: checking into a mental hospital, apparently for suicidal thoughts]], or Lady Bird's struggle to get a job have no resolution.

* SpeedSex: Lady Bird's first time. She's downright disappointed when Kyle is already done.

* TwentyMinutesIntoThePast[=/=]TurnOfTheMillennium: As it stated numerous times the movie is set in 2002/2003.

** Marion may be blunt with Lady Bird, and her attitude toward her daughter attending an East Coast school borders on cruel. But it ''would'' be a huge financial burden for a family that's living on a single income, especially after Larry loses his job, to say nothing of the cost of things like cell phones and plane tickets.]]

* 20MinutesIntoThePast[=/=]TurnOfTheMillenium: As it stated numerous times the movie is set in 2002/2003.

''Lady Bird'' is a 2017 {{Dramedy}} film written and directed by Creator/GretaGerwig as her debut solo directorial effort (she had previously codirected "Nights and Weekends" with Joe Swanberg).

* ArmorPiercingQuestion: When Lady Bird opines she wishes her mother liked her, Marion replies that of course she loves Lady Bird. Lady Bird then replies, "But do you ''like'' me?" and Marion is left unable to answer.

* TwistedEchoCut: When Lady Bird accuses Julie to be a mistake her mother made when she was 19, the scene cuts to a talk of an anti-abortion speaker.

* BreakTheMotivationalSpeaker: Lady Bird and her classmates are required to attend a talk by an anti-abortion speaker (it's a Catholic high school) who tells them an "uplifting" story about how her own mother decided not to have an abortion as a pregnant teenager. Lady Bird does not find this convincing and picks a fight with the speaker, resulting in her suspension.

* CoolLoser: Lady Bird is an attractive and strong-willed schoolgirl who nonetheless begins the film on the outside of the popular social scene. Over the course of her senior year, she starts dating people in cooler cliques.

* DaddysGirl: Lady Bird is on much better terms with her father. Her mother complains that his passive and nonconfrontional parenting style keeps him as "the nice one," forcing her mother to be the disciplinarian.