Lady Bird is an excellent coming of age story following Christine “Lady Bird” McPherson, played by Saoirse Ronan. We see the relationship with her parents, especially her mother, and how she tries to figure out the person she is and where she wants to be after high school.

Laurie Metcalf, who plays Lady Bird’s mother, does an excellent job of playing a strong-willed, sometimes erratic, character. The character’s relationship with her daughter is strained, but sometimes, as if with the flip of a coin, we also see them in harmony. Lady Bird’s own hard headedness contributes to the tumultuous relationship and it will require both characters to take a step back if they have any hope of reconciling and moving forward.

Tracy Letts, playing Lady Bird’s father, is forced to find a balance between mother and daughter and act as a mediator in many situations. He takes a more gentle, understanding and supportive role and wants to see his daughter succeed despite the obstacles she faces.

Throughout the film, Lady Bird is navigating her own romantic relationships, her involvement in school and working to escape Sacramento for college.

This film is superb. It shows the raw, unfiltered emotions of family relationships and conflict, growing up and trying to find one’s place in a busy world. Lady Bird deserves your time, attention and thought.

This review was crossposted with The Moderate Voice