Critics Are Absolutely Dazzled by Lady Bird

Greta Gerwig's solo directorial debut is getting near unanimous raves
By Arden Dier,  Newser Staff
Posted Nov 3, 2017 11:27 AM CDT

Actress Greta Gerwig makes her solo directorial debut in Lady Bird, a film she wrote based on her experience growing up in Sacramento. But don't expect it to feel like a first attempt. The film following a year in the life of a teenage girl played by Saoirse Ronan, whom you may remember from The Lovely Bones and Hanna, with Laurie Metcalf as her mother, had a 100% rating from 65 critics on Rotten Tomatoes. Here's what they're saying:

  • With this collection of "tiny and painfully honest details" of teenage life, "Gerwig has arrived and solidified her place as one of the most invigorating, observant and authentic voices in movies today with a director's acumen to match," writes Lindsey Bahr at the AP. "Bursting with wit, humanity, joy and truth," Lady Bird is "an undeniable pleasure to live in for a too-brief 93 minutes," she writes. Ronan is "supurb," while Metcalf is "at the top of her game."
  • "Lady Bird is the rare movie that manages to be affectionate, entertaining, hilarious, witty, and confident; it's one of the best films of 2017, and certainly my favorite," writes Alissa Wilkinson at Vox. Achieving such "a remarkable amount of depth" in "such a purely enjoyable movie is a small miracle," she adds. But then, "Gerwig is by far one of the most talented filmmakers working today."

  • There's "hardly a false step" in Lady Bird, "one of the more accomplished female-led coming-of-age tales since the Golden Age of John Hughes," writes Susan Wloszczyna at RogerEbert.com. She credits the "energy" of Metcalf and "MVP" Ronan but also "a special authenticity" provided by Gerwig, who delivers "one of the better solo directing debuts by an actor in recent memory." Lady Bird is the rare bird that feels "like an indie dramedy but powers along like a mainstream film."
  • "It's the kind of modest, miraculous low-budget gem that takes on a life of its own," but "the real surprise is just how honest and personal this film proves to be," writes Peter Debruge at Variety. Ronan is terrific, but not all of his praise is reserved for her. "Metcalf has never had a big-screen role as rich as this, and she makes the most of it."
(More movie review stories.)

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