Lady Bird

Set in the early 2000s Sacramento, the film follows Christine McPherson, a stubborn, opinionated teen with big dreams and a sharp sense of humor. She rechristens herself Lady Bird and tests the limits of her comfort zone, chasing a sense of belonging in a city that feels small and confining. As she rails against her conservative upbringing and seeks the romance and prestige of college life, her relationship with her mother becomes the crucible where ambition and love collide. Through friends, crushes, and missteps, she learns to shape her own path while facing the costs of growing up. Her choices land her in awkward compromises with friends and family, testing loyalties she never realized would matter so much.

Released in 2017, the film marks Greta Gerwig's feature debut as director and screenwriter. It presents an original coming of age tale centered on a spirited high school senior, with intimate focus on character rather than spectacle from female perspective.

The film earned multiple Academy Award nominations including Best Picture and Best Director for Greta Gerwig, with Saoirse Ronan nominated for Best Actress and Laurie Metcalf for Best Supporting Actress, alongside a nod for Best Original Screenplay. The breadth of nominations fueled discussions about storytelling and female voices in cinema.

Lady Bird became a touchstone for many viewers who saw themselves in its imperfect heroine and the mother-daughter dynamic. Its frank humor and warm honesty helped reshape expectations for indie dramas about adolescence and earned it a place in conversations about modern female coming of age for many viewers.

Critics celebrated its crisp dialogue, natural performances, and a tone that blends whimsy with real ache. The film centers on identity, belonging, and the push pull between family ties and personal ambition, presenting a nuanced portrait of a young woman testing limits while dreaming big.