LADY BIRD  3.5***

    An indie comedy-drama about a high school senior who is trying to deal with teenage life, while living with her overbearing mother in early 2000s in Sacramento. The film was written and directed by first time feature filmmaker Greta Gerwig

The film is about Christine McPherson (Saoirse Ronan) who has given herself the name "Lady Bird". She is a high school senior in a Catholic school who struggles through what a typical girl of that age goes through. She faces the trials and tribulations of dating boys, losing her virginity, trying to be popular, feuding with her mother, and ultimately trying to figure out what to do with her life. Things are tough for her and she examines her relationships with friends and family to ultimately come to the best decision for herself.

The film sounds like a typical film plot. In many ways it is. Yet everything about the film is done so well in the expert hands of novice filmmaker Gerwig. The dialogue is sharp, hilarious, and witty. The character development, interaction, and acting are all strong. Saoirse Ronan has, I believe, at the very least earned an Oscar nomination for best actress and might even go on to win it. It seemed like such an effortless performance for a girl who completely disappears into the character of Lady Bird.

 The film feels so real and identifiable. It’s exactly what you want and is a very impressive debut from Gerwig. The film has a nice touch at the end and does what it needs to do to remain funny and touching. I expect this to be an award contender for Ronan's performance and Gerwig’s writing and directing. It’s truly a wonderful coming of age film that hits all the check marks and does so very effectively.

Rated R for language, sexual content, brief nudity and teen partying ( But I’d call it a soft “R”)