There is much to be said of a film that scores upwards of 90 per cent with critics and 7.7/10 with audiences….like “Why would you not want to watch it, and laugh out loud, and maybe reminisce a little, and smile and cringe?”
This is a film Ken Eisner of the Georgia Straight rated in the top 10 of movies from 2017, and this movie will be coming to the Gem Theatre in Grand Forks next week.
On Tuesday, Jan. 30 at 7:30 p.m. Spotlight Films will be presenting the film Lady Bird, a comedy/drama written and directed by Greta Gerwig. This movie is the coming-of-age story of Christine “Lady Bird” (self-monikered) McPherson (Saoirse Ronan, Brooklyn, Atonement), a high school senior from “the wrong side of the tracks”… literally.
Christine longs for adventure, sophistication, and opportunity, but finds none of that in her Sacramento Catholic high school. The story follows the blur of her senior year, including her first romance, her participation in the school play, and most importantly, the process of applying for college.
Gerwig harvests well the humour and pathos in this flick, especially those in the turbulent dynamic between Lady Bird and her mother, Marion (the brilliant Laurie Metcalfe, Roseanne, Uncle Buck, Big Bang Theory), a nurse working tirelessly to keep their family afloat after Christine’s father, Larry (Tracy Letts, The Big Short), loses his job. The conflict between mother and daughter is accentuated by their similarities: their wildly loving nature, deeply held opinions and strong wills.
In a small way, this is a film about us.
I watched the hilarious “car” scene trailer and laughed out loud and so hard the tears were starting to flow. The interaction between Ronan and Metcalfe, especially in that scene, is absolutely exquisite.
Lady Bird is the winner of a staggering 69 awards, including two Golden Globes for Best Motion Picture Musical or Comedy as well as Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture Musical or Comedy for Ronan. It was also nominated for another staggering 138 awards including Golden Globes for Gerwig and Metcalfe and AACTA International Awards for Best Film, Best Direction, Best Screenplay, Best Lead and Best Supporting (Metcalfe).
Thanks to Maureen and Marius Paquet of the Gem Theatre, IMDb, Rotten Tomatoes, Metacritic, Ken Eisner, and our sponsors and patrons.