On of them is Lady Bird, which we took in at the late Saturday morning showing. For the first time in our lives we were the only two people in this viewing room of at least 150 seats. What does it say that no one was there to watch a critically acclaimed film? Christmas shopping beckoned, I suppose.
The central figure, played by the wonderful Saoirse Ronan, is a teenager in Sacramento, California during the early years of the 21st century. Her name is Christine but she insists on being called Lady Bird with anyone who will listen. She has lofty, romanticized aspirations for life which include heading across the continent for college. Much of the film involves the relentless low-grade (mostly) conflict between Lady Bird and her mother, whose goal seems to be to deflate Christine's airs.
Lady Bird balks at the strictures of the Roman Catholic high school she attends, reluctantly. The nuns have their rules, including skirt length and "room for the Holy Spirit" between boys and girls at the school dance. There are many other RC references which are evidence that the screenplay writer knows about Catholic schools. At the same time there is a caring nun who has a sense of humour and a kind priest who nurtures students to excellence in the school musical.
Hmm. What can I say that won't spoil your viewing experience? We laughed out loud a number of times, which is a bit weird in a nearly empty theatre. It was also very thought-provoking about what religion offers us.
Enough to say that Lady Bird eventually makes room for the mystery of what has seemed like a deadening religious upbringing. This is what we hope for all of us, isn't it? Rather than a rote recitation of "Father, Son, and Holy Spirit" we desire a sense of the holy, the numinous experience of God which may come out of our shop-worn traditions. In Advent and Christmas we await the living Christ who comes to us in the familiar carols and the manger scene.
I thought this film was absolutely brilliant: funny, poignant, dramatic, and a little bit sexy to boot. The script was intelligent and extremely humorous, with some pathos thrown in too.
ReplyDeleteAs you probably already know it's a coming-of-age movie about a soon-to-be 18 year-old young woman and her relationships, primarily with her mother. There are a few scenes that are hands-down hilarious, and a few where we are brought back to earth with a bump of sincerity. It runs the gamut of teenage girl experiences and is wonderfully acted by Saoirse Ronan. Coincidentally, in one scene she has a nose-bleed while sharing an intimate moment with Timothée Chalomet's character; in Call Me By Your Name Chalomet's character also suffers nosebleeds. I thought that was interesting.
fandango
m4ufree