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Parents' Guide to

Lady Bird

By Jeffrey Anderson, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 16+

Touching, funny, personal, and mature coming-of-age comedy.

Movie R 2017 93 minutes
Lady Bird Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Community Reviews

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age 14+

Based on 25 parent reviews

besmith91
besmith91 Adult
January 26, 2022
age 18+

Disrespectful and Abusive Behavior

The mother and daughter have a horrid relationship and do nothing but swear and emotionally abuse each other. Rude and selfish characters with nothing to endear them to the audience. When the daughter comes of age she buys a pack of cigarettes, a lottery ticket, and a Playgirl magazine, because these type of things are what makes someone an adult apparently? This was really unpleasant to watch.

This title has:

Too much swearing
Too much consumerism
Too much drinking/drugs/smoking
2 people found this helpful.
doctora
doctora Parent of 5-year-old
May 30, 2022
age 16+

A few really great moments...

The accolades and fascination with this film is a reflective testament of the value system surrounding this film. I found the film to be well acted and it "felt real". At the same time I did not find any character endearing, nor did it engross me like a car crash. What is wondrous is how a few key moments were well staged and meticulously done so that the humanity of the moment reverberated to the viewer. And it is always a pleasure to see Metcalf chew the scenery.
1 person found this helpful.
See all 25 parent reviews

What's the Story?

In LADY BIRD, Christine McPherson (Saoirse Ronan), who's nicknamed herself "Lady Bird," is finishing her senior year at a faith-affiliated private high school in Sacramento, Calif., and preparing to head to college. Her father (Tracy Letts) is unemployed, and the family doesn't have money to send her anywhere fancy. Meanwhile, Lady Bird and her mom (Laurie Metcalf) are fighting regularly -- about money and nearly everything else. At school, Lady Bird joins the theater club to meet a boy (Lucas Hedges) she likes, but it doesn't work out. Then she becomes attracted to a musician and his cool friends and is tempted to leave behind her nerdy best friend, Julie (Beanie Feldstein). All the while, Lady Bird -- who can't wait to get out of her hometown -- can't seem to stop getting into trouble. As she cooks up a drastic plan to get to New York, she starts to realize that home is where the heart is.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (25 ):
Kids say (80 ):

A striking directorial debut by Greta Gerwig, this tender, semi-autobiographical love letter to Gerwig's hometown explores the gulf between childhood and adulthood with touching, witty humor. Gerwig first gained acclaim for writing and acting in "mumblecore" indies; she seemed to find her own voice and persona in films like Damsels in Distress and Frances Ha. Now she brings that persona, fully formed, to the nuanced, wonderful Lady Bird. (It resembles Frances Ha, which she co-wrote, in many good ways.) And, standing in for the director on-screen, Oscar nominee Ronan perfectly adopts Gerwig's trademark sweet/scatterbrain delivery, sprinkling it with soul and humanity.

The movie is more about a time, a state of mind, and an emotional place than it is a story, and Gerwig allows scenes to wander off track in a delightful way. Even if they have nothing to do with Lady Bird, scenes sometimes follow secondary characters for no other reason than Gerwig likely found them interesting, sad, or funny. Not everything is explained. Special care is given to Lady Bird's mother, Marion, who's no-nonsense and borderline mean, but also truly loving. Metcalf gives a fine performance in the role. The overall use of music, cityscape images, and feisty rhythms round out a wonderfully personal, open-hearted movie.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about how Lady Bird depicts teen drinking and drug use. Are they glamorized? What are the consequences? Why does that matter?

  • How does the movie show and talk about teen sex? How does it affect the characters? Parents, talk to your teens about your own values regarding sex and relationships.

  • How personal/autobiographical does this movie seem? Do any of Gerwig's experiences resonate personally with you? If so, how?

  • How does the film portray the character who's gay and dealing with coming out? Does the film judge him? Is he stereotyped?

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