Topic > Film Review: Lady Bird

IndexSubject and symbolic messages of the film "Lady Bird"The film is full of insights about much more than moneyWorks CitedIn “Lady Bird” Greta Gerwig tells a coming-of-age story centered around a Catholic high school to Sacramento's senior year, set during the 2002-2003 school year. But what is most significant about “Lady Bird” is the detail with which the story was created. Not a single line or action in this film seemed to be improvised and everything was thought out. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay The title of the film is a story in itself because when people ask Christine what her name is, she says "Lady Bird" and explains that she gave it to herself, as if she was trying to create a new identity for herself itself. The mother of "Lady Bird" is a stern mother who doesn't sugarcoat anything, especially when it comes to putting her daughter under scrutiny for the difficulties their family faces, but this bluntness causes ripples in their relationship and puts her in a tough spot conflict with his daughter. . “Lady Bird” wants more than anything to leave Sacramento to go to college somewhere on the East Coast, preferably in New York. This is ironic because most coming-of-age movies like this are about people wanting to go to Golden State California. Her mother reminds her that their family can barely afford her to attend a private Catholic school, which prompts "Lady Bird" to ask her accommodating father to fill out financial aid forms, without her mother's knowledge. Once "Lady Bird"'s mother finds out, it creates a massive separation between the two, which creates more tension and ultimately causes a regrettable decision on her mother's part. Subject and symbolic messages of the film "Lady Bird" This film takes "Lady Bird" Bird” through adolescent narcissism and evolves it into gratitude and recognition. She faces the dangers of friendship overshadowed by the need to be accepted by those she deems popular and forces her to face honest mistakes of romance and the festering tensions of her family life (mainly her mother and brother). These struggles lead her to a touching reconciliation with her family, her hometown Sacramento, and herself. Lady Bird's fine-grained perceptions come with a delicate yardstick of social distinctions and, with it, a desire for pleasure, a sense of freedom, the fact that money can buy, money that her parents don't have. All relationships in the film are tempered and conditioned by money. There's Lady Bird's friendship with Julie (Beanie Feldstein), who lives in a modest apartment with her single mother, and her sweet romance with Danny (Lucas Hedges), whose grandmother lives in her "house of dreams" and who invites her to his family's Thanksgiving. party. There's Lady Bird's next romance, featuring rocker Kyle, who claims to "hate money" but lives a comfortable life on his family's money while attending an expensive private school. And there's Lady Bird's attempt to befriend the school's rich queen bee, Jenna, by pretending to be a rich kid herself, throwing out seemingly oblivious comments with knowing self-control. Gerwig does not romanticize the McPhersons' genteel frustrations; shows that they also wear them on Lady Bird. When Marion berates Lady Bird for being demanding after Larry loses his job, Lady Bird responds with an intelligent but immature tantrum, insisting that Marion give her "a number": tell her how much it costs to raise her: "I'm going to get old, I'll make a lot of money, write you a check, and never speak to you again." (Marion's reply is at once admirably calm anddecidedly cutting: "I doubt you'll get a job that good.") Later, discussing Larry's depression (and trying to dissociate it from his job insecurity), Marion tells Lady Bird, "Money is not the report card of life. Having success does not mean being happy.” Lady Bird replies: “But she's not happy.” It's a brilliant exchange: just as money is not a guarantee of happiness, neither is it an obstacle. Instead, Lady Bird has a vision of herself – of style and freedom of action – which will require money to cultivate and sustain. In his acerbic answers, there is a ring of truth. The film is full of insights into much more than money. For example, in a series of riffs played primarily for comedy but obscured out of terror, a young and vivacious math teacher flirts with Julie, never openly stepping out of bounds but clearly cultivating a curiosity, even a desire, that hints at grave possibilities. Lady Bird's character is impulsive, ardent, spontaneous . He interrupts and mocks a school assembly about abortion; he makes a reckless prank on the school principal, a nun (Lois Smith); he declares with a dry and determined frankness when he doesn't want to have sex and when he does Lady Bird's mercurial temperament emerges more in the writing and drama than in the performance; Ronan doesn't quite display the sudden, mercurial energy of the text. Metcalf, playing a character with tense, measured precision, steals the film with his precise inflections and focused gazes. Overall, Gerwig prefers precision in “Lady Bird.” If the films in which she appeared flaunt the ambiguity and impenetrable, opaque idiosyncrasies of people (which is why John Cassavetes is a hero for this generation of filmmakers), here she concentrates her emotions within narrow limits, better for them to resonate and harmonize with a penetrating and touching clarity. Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay This air of restraint is evident throughout the film, and the price of that clarity is freedom: Gerwig's as well as the actors'. “Lady Bird” is bold, distinctive and personal in lyrics and theme, and is recognizably conventional in structure and style. Most of the film is, in fact, images of actors acting - acting with skill and care, imagination and vigor, but with no more originality of tone or temperament than Gerwig brings to the film's direction - at least for most movie. the direction of the film. His attention to the nuanced looks of the characters adds further psychological and comedic dimensions to the dialogue and action. But for a film as deeply devoted as “Lady Bird” is to a sense of place, to a tribute to that place, it seems to inhabit that place ever so subtly, offering snippets of important sites without much proximity to them. The film is almost devoid of panoramas, there are moments between scenes in which nothing but vision and movement happens, even walks and conversations in the places frequented by the characters are missing. (The trend is clear from the start, when a scene of Lady Bird and Julie visiting their dream homes seems almost detached from the streets around them.) It's also devoid of narrative perspective: its scenes are tightly cut to fit and leave the characters, and the actors, little in the way of comings and goings, of space to breathe, to look, to be. (As I watched the film, I wanted to see what was happening between the characters right after each scene, between each transition. Works Cited Gerwig, G. (2018). Lady Bird (Motion picture). United States: A24. Gleiberman, O (2017, September 3). Telluride Film Review: “Lady Bird” by Greta Gerwig, M. (2017, November 2)...