We didn’t learn much about Lady Bird before seeing it. Yeah, I know- we must live under a rock, but it was true. We went into this movie blind, with the exception of the knowledge that we had to write a review from the perspective of a mother and daughter. I’m Delaney, a sophomore in high school stressed about cliché teenager problems and my mom is an English teacher at Saxton Middle School and a mother of three girls. So, here is what we got out of the movie.

Geraldine Reh, The Mom’s (and English teacher’s) Review:

Lady Bird, a very typical coming of age story. Nothing new there. Teenagers trying to find their place in the world, and parents hoping and trying to help their children reach their full potential. However, what makes Lady Bird shine is the honest portrayal of the main character, Christine “Lady Bird” McPherson, played by the very talented Saoirse Ronan, trying her best to transition to young adulthood. The story is a mix of smart, funny, genuine, honest, and sometimes tragic moments. First time director Greta Gerwig tackles some very serious issues that all teenagers face such as relationships and how they shape us, sexuality, and friendship in a touching and honest way.

Christine “Lady Bird” McPherson lives in Sacramento, California, in 2002 in a middle to upper middle-class community where she attends Catholic school on a scholarship. She is, like many seniors, trying to figure out the next phase of her life by shedding the constraints imposed upon her by her overbearing, yet loving mother and the rules of the Catholic school she attends. Lady Bird is, by most standards, a very good kid. She is trying her hardest to figure out who she is and chart her own path, thus her given name “Lady Bird,” as in “she gave it to herself.” This is yet another bone of contention she has with her mother who calls her by her actual name, which is Christine. As with many high school seniors, applying to college is both a liberating and terrifying process. Lady Bird, of course, wants to exercise her freedom by moving as far away from her family as she can. Too far away as far as her mother is concerned, not to mention too expensive. At times, as I watched the ups and downs of their mother/daughter relationship I could relate. For instance, when Lady Bird’s mother, Marion, played astutely by Laurie Metcaff, says “I just want you to be the best version of you,” I thought to myself “Isn’t that what we all want and strive to find in our kids?” On the other hand, sometimes I found her character hard to watch because although it is clear that she loves her daughter, I found their relationship to be an unfortunate one at times. In the long run,Marion might fall short at parenting at times, but her intentions are always in the right place which is why Lady Bird finds her way afterall.

All in all, Lady Bird is a go-see movie. It’s a smart, funny, and a very honest look at the transition from childhood to young adulthood that most people can relate to.

Delaney Reh, The Daughter’s (and a PMHS Sophomore) review:

Ladybird is a coming of age movie that explores a mother-daughter relationship in somewhat modern times or close to it, they did have flip phones in this movie. It follows a free-spirited quirky girl named Christine, otherwise known by her peers as “Ladybird” and her hardworking mother on her senior year of high school after her father loses his job. The movie follows a teen trying to figure out what she wants in the future and navigating through a lot of “firsts” in life. They cover topics like virginity, first loves, colleges, and financial issues. Even though, all these are sensitive topics the director Greta Gerbig approaches them with humor and heart to ease the mood of the film. Ladybird did not rewrite the way to make coming of age films, they just did it right. Unlike most movies, the protagonist was a female who wasn’t afraid to make mistakes and has far from a perfect life. But what really what makes this movie so captivating was the relationship between mother and daughter, which was endearing and unexpected.

I thought they were going to be close as can be and a pleasant surprise was that fact they had a hard time understanding each other. The movie clearly shows how much the two love each other but they are complete opposites; both too stubborn to find a compromise for their relationship. This led to constant fighting and anger when the daughter doesn’t do what the mother Marion thinks is best for her. Ladybird attempts to follow her dreams and instincts for colleges and boys; she is not encouraged by her mother, rather it’s as if she is almost punished. Personally, my mom and I don’t act that way. We have more differences than similarities with our personalities but at the end of the day we find a way understand why we do the things we do. So, it did leave me confused and angry at some points. Overall, without a doubt, I would recommend this movie due to the honest plot, humor, and beautiful visuals.