Wow, A24 continues to pump out some great low-budget films and the trend continues with Lady Bird. This comedy-drama film is written and directed by Greta Gerwig and stars Saoirse Ronan, Laurie Metcalf, Tracy Letts, Lucas Hedges, and Beanie Feldstein. Lady Bird is a coming-of-age story set in Sacramento, California, about high school senior, Christine “Lady Bird” McPherson, and her turbulent relationship with her mother. The cast gives such strong performances and has terrific chemistry. The McPherson family dynamic is both believable and fun to watch. Watching Lady Bird argue with her mother reminded me of squabbles between my own mother and sister. Saoirse Ronan commanded the screen as Lady Bird. She’s the main character and we follow her throughout the entire film. Ronan shows how awkward being a teenager can be and her behavior provides a lot of the film’s comedy even if it isn’t on purpose. She also captures the emotional side of being a teenager. Wanting to be popular, wanting to find love, wanting her parent’s approval, and also wanting to get away and start over in college. Laurie Metcalf also does a good job as Lady Bird’s mother, Marion. She reminded me of Lois (Jane Kaczmarek), from Malcolm in the Middle, because she is a very stern parent yet viewers can tell deep down that she really does care. It is alluded to that Marion is carrying over resentment from the way she was treated by her own mother. Tracy Letts, Lucas Hedges, and Beanie Feldstein also do well as Lady Bird’s father Larry, love interest Danny, and best friend Julie, respectively. Each of them has a scene with Lady Bird that tugs at the emotions and elevates the film. Writer and director, Greta Gerwig, does a fantastic job of capturing teen angst and family drama. We have all done things in the moment that don’t make much sense later and Gerwig truly allows the viewer to relate to each character and understand the thought processes during these moments. Setting the story a year after the 9/11 attacks in a Catholic high school on the west coast was an interesting choice. However, this helped provide more depth to some of the characters’ thoughts and actions towards each other while at the same time not focusing on it too much, as this is a story about Lady Bird’s life. I give Lady Bird a Decent 8.3/10. The film is a clear window into the mind of what it can be like as an awkward rebellious teenage girl.