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| Scene from Lady Bird |
Released: December 1, 2017
Release Number: 58
Directed By: Greta Gerwig
Starring: Saoirse Ronan, Laurie Metcalf, Tracy Letts
Plot: In 2002, an artistically inclined seventeen-year-old girl comes of age in Sacramento, California.
Notable Awards:
Oscars
Nominations:
-Best Picture
-Best Director
-Best Actress (Saoirse Ronan)
-Best Supporting Actress (Laurie Metcalf)
-Best Original Screenplay
Golden Globes:
Wins:
-Best Picture (Musical or Comedy)
-Best Actress (Musical or Comedy) - Saoirse Ronan
Nominations:
-Best Screenplay
-Best Supporting Actress
BAFTA
Nominations:
-Best Original Screenplay
-Best Actress (Saoirse Ronan)
-Best Supporting Actress (Laurie Metcalf)
Screen Actors Guild
Nominations:
-Outstanding Cast
-Outstanding Supporting Actress (Laurie Metcalf)
-Outstanding Actress (Saoirse Ronan)
To call director Greta Gerwig's Lady Bird one of A24's most anticipated movies of 2017 would be an understatement. For starters, Gerwig as a writer and actress had been a dominant force in indie cinema for years, working with director Noah Baumbach on such hits as Frances Ha and Mistress America. The chance to branch out as a solo director proved to be promising, especially with her wit being reflected in screenplays that she had written over the years. What wasn't expected was that the film would end up becoming one of their most successful films, period. While the film failed to win any Oscars, it still managed to capture the zeitgeist in a way that few A24 films up to that point had. It was a cultural and critical success, and created one of the best coming of age stories of recent years.
There is no distinct starting point for Lady Bird's inception, which Gerwig had written over the course of years. What is known is that an early draft of the screenplay wound up being close to 350 pages which, at a page equal to a minute, was almost six hours. Gerwig's collaborative partner Baumbach offered to direct the film, which was at the time called Mothers and Daughter, but Gerwig rejected the offer. Baumbach had directed Gerwig's screenplays in the past, so this was seen as odd. Her attachment to the project grew as she pulled memories from her own life, though claims was not autobiographical. She sees herself as the complete opposite of protagonist Lady Bird, whose birth name Christine is the same as Gerwig's mother (the mother character's profession of nurse was also pulled from her life). As for the nickname Lady Bird that defines the film, Gerwig claims that it was unintentional and used more as inspiration. While many could see it as a connection to former First Lady Lady Bird Johnson, she claims that it was likely pulled from a Mother Goose nursery rhyme. The tag line for the film "Fly away home" also comes from the same source.
Despite having little figured out in the way of casting, Gerwig had strong intentions of working with Saoirse Ronan. The actress had seen the screenplay and became excited about working on it. When the two were at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) to promote films in 2015 (Ronan with Brooklyn, Gerwig with Maggie's Plan), they spent hours in Gerwig's hotel room discussing the script and finding ways to improve it. Following 11 hours of negotiation with producer Scott Rudin, the film gained finance and soon was able to continue production. Lucas Hedges was given the chance to pick whatever part he wanted. Before filming, Ronan had done theater work that required heavy make-up. However, the one side effect of the experience was that it irritated her skin, causing acne to grow. Ronan decided to make the character keep it visible, as it would reflect a more realistic depiction of teenagers. She also would dye her hair to get into character.
The film was supposed to be a snapshot of a memory. Gerwig intentionally refused to set it in the contemporary setting, as she felt it would cause too much reliance on cell phones. By setting it in 2002 and 2003, she got around this issue and encouraged her actors to not use phones during production. In the film's memorable opening scene when Ronan jumps out of a moving car, it was shot using a small ramp that she fell onto. It was so convincing that Laurie Metcalf claims to have been concerned for her co-star. The film would also feature several references to Stephen Sondheim shows, including a production of Merrily We Roll Along that references the show's initial critical evisceration. When looking for music to use, Gerwig claims to have written Justin Timberlake to let the film use "Cry Me a River," claiming that it was an important part of her childhood. Gerwig was so invested in the film that she even dressed up in a prom dress while filming the prom scene.
The film would premiere at TIFF almost two years after Gerwig and Ronan's meeting. The film received rapturous applause and came to be considered one of A24's big Fall season releases. With buzz building and memes forming around lines like "Don't be a Republican" and "What if this is the best version?" Interest was building and it lead to a solid box office debut in limited release. On opening weekend, it grossed $364,437 in four theaters, making it the second best per screen average of 2017, and the highest ever for a female director. By the end of it srun, the film would earn $78.6 internationally, making it A24's highest grossing film to date. As of the end of 2018, only Hereditary has out-grossed it. The film also began to receive critical acclaim and won awards. When Gerwig won the Golden Globe for Best Picture (Comedy or Musical), Sacramento, CA, where the film was shot, posted a billboard of the film that said "Sacramento Strong."
Not only was Lady Bird the most financially successful film for A24 at the time, but it was the most critically acclaimed. For the first approximate 196 reviews, the film maintained a 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, beating previous record holder Toy Story 2 as the best reviewed film on the website. The film currently sits at 99% on the website, which is still the highest rated for any A24 film to date. Louisa Moore of Screen Zealots captured the enthusiasm when saying "There are plenty of moments in a teenage girl's life where the trivial becomes momentous, and they are presented here with a poignant and compassionate vibrancy." Matt Ward of Cinematic Considerations also praised the film when suggesting "You'd be hard-pressed to find more vivid, authentic female characters than in Lady Bird... Be sure not to miss out on one of the decade's ten best movies." There are currently 343 positive reviews and only four negative. Of those who disagreed, Alachia Queen got to the heart of it when saying "Just like its title character, Lady Bird is quirky and sentimental but despite best attempts, never really defines itself into anything meaningful." The film would dominate other awards brackets and wound up on several critics' Top 10 of the year lists, including Katey Rich of Vanity Fair.
The film's success was able to ride its way to The Academy Awards. Following an incredible season of nominations and wins, the film received five nominations, including Best Picture. Gerwig became only the fifth woman to be nominated for Best Director. Lady Bird's nominations also featured an interesting trend when every category nominated featured a woman in some capacity. With the acclaim around the film, its only unfortunate issue was strong competition. Even then, it was enough to call the film a complete success. It may have lost, but the many defense pieces about what made Gerwig a great director helped to spawn conversations about women on screen and what made quirky characters cinematic. With acclaim that far exceeded her previous success, Gerwig has since claimed that she wants to make a quartet of movies about Sacramento, though they will be spiritual sequels at best. She hasn't shared too many plans beyond that.
In the echelon of A24 movies, Lady Bird is one of the towering giants and among the best that the studio has ever released. It is a creative and financial success, and helped to make Gerwig one of the most promising directors of the modern era. Considering that Ronan is up for contention with Mary Queen of Scots in 2018, there's a good chance that she'll win that make-up Oscar at some point. For now, it's time to look at the next film that A24 had, and the other major awards contender from Fall 2017. It was another film directed and written by an actor (this time someone deeply indebted to A24), though this time was presented with a series of obstacles that may have hurt its overall awards chances. The Disaster Artist was a film about the making of the worst movie ever, and the story of its awards chances are just as interesting as anything seen on screen.
Up Next: The Disaster Artist (2017)
Notable Awards:
Oscars
Nominations:
-Best Picture
-Best Director
-Best Actress (Saoirse Ronan)
-Best Supporting Actress (Laurie Metcalf)
-Best Original Screenplay
Golden Globes:
Wins:
-Best Picture (Musical or Comedy)
-Best Actress (Musical or Comedy) - Saoirse Ronan
Nominations:
-Best Screenplay
-Best Supporting Actress
BAFTA
Nominations:
-Best Original Screenplay
-Best Actress (Saoirse Ronan)
-Best Supporting Actress (Laurie Metcalf)
Screen Actors Guild
Nominations:
-Outstanding Cast
-Outstanding Supporting Actress (Laurie Metcalf)
-Outstanding Actress (Saoirse Ronan)
To call director Greta Gerwig's Lady Bird one of A24's most anticipated movies of 2017 would be an understatement. For starters, Gerwig as a writer and actress had been a dominant force in indie cinema for years, working with director Noah Baumbach on such hits as Frances Ha and Mistress America. The chance to branch out as a solo director proved to be promising, especially with her wit being reflected in screenplays that she had written over the years. What wasn't expected was that the film would end up becoming one of their most successful films, period. While the film failed to win any Oscars, it still managed to capture the zeitgeist in a way that few A24 films up to that point had. It was a cultural and critical success, and created one of the best coming of age stories of recent years.
There is no distinct starting point for Lady Bird's inception, which Gerwig had written over the course of years. What is known is that an early draft of the screenplay wound up being close to 350 pages which, at a page equal to a minute, was almost six hours. Gerwig's collaborative partner Baumbach offered to direct the film, which was at the time called Mothers and Daughter, but Gerwig rejected the offer. Baumbach had directed Gerwig's screenplays in the past, so this was seen as odd. Her attachment to the project grew as she pulled memories from her own life, though claims was not autobiographical. She sees herself as the complete opposite of protagonist Lady Bird, whose birth name Christine is the same as Gerwig's mother (the mother character's profession of nurse was also pulled from her life). As for the nickname Lady Bird that defines the film, Gerwig claims that it was unintentional and used more as inspiration. While many could see it as a connection to former First Lady Lady Bird Johnson, she claims that it was likely pulled from a Mother Goose nursery rhyme. The tag line for the film "Fly away home" also comes from the same source.
Despite having little figured out in the way of casting, Gerwig had strong intentions of working with Saoirse Ronan. The actress had seen the screenplay and became excited about working on it. When the two were at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) to promote films in 2015 (Ronan with Brooklyn, Gerwig with Maggie's Plan), they spent hours in Gerwig's hotel room discussing the script and finding ways to improve it. Following 11 hours of negotiation with producer Scott Rudin, the film gained finance and soon was able to continue production. Lucas Hedges was given the chance to pick whatever part he wanted. Before filming, Ronan had done theater work that required heavy make-up. However, the one side effect of the experience was that it irritated her skin, causing acne to grow. Ronan decided to make the character keep it visible, as it would reflect a more realistic depiction of teenagers. She also would dye her hair to get into character.
The film was supposed to be a snapshot of a memory. Gerwig intentionally refused to set it in the contemporary setting, as she felt it would cause too much reliance on cell phones. By setting it in 2002 and 2003, she got around this issue and encouraged her actors to not use phones during production. In the film's memorable opening scene when Ronan jumps out of a moving car, it was shot using a small ramp that she fell onto. It was so convincing that Laurie Metcalf claims to have been concerned for her co-star. The film would also feature several references to Stephen Sondheim shows, including a production of Merrily We Roll Along that references the show's initial critical evisceration. When looking for music to use, Gerwig claims to have written Justin Timberlake to let the film use "Cry Me a River," claiming that it was an important part of her childhood. Gerwig was so invested in the film that she even dressed up in a prom dress while filming the prom scene.
The film would premiere at TIFF almost two years after Gerwig and Ronan's meeting. The film received rapturous applause and came to be considered one of A24's big Fall season releases. With buzz building and memes forming around lines like "Don't be a Republican" and "What if this is the best version?" Interest was building and it lead to a solid box office debut in limited release. On opening weekend, it grossed $364,437 in four theaters, making it the second best per screen average of 2017, and the highest ever for a female director. By the end of it srun, the film would earn $78.6 internationally, making it A24's highest grossing film to date. As of the end of 2018, only Hereditary has out-grossed it. The film also began to receive critical acclaim and won awards. When Gerwig won the Golden Globe for Best Picture (Comedy or Musical), Sacramento, CA, where the film was shot, posted a billboard of the film that said "Sacramento Strong."
Not only was Lady Bird the most financially successful film for A24 at the time, but it was the most critically acclaimed. For the first approximate 196 reviews, the film maintained a 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, beating previous record holder Toy Story 2 as the best reviewed film on the website. The film currently sits at 99% on the website, which is still the highest rated for any A24 film to date. Louisa Moore of Screen Zealots captured the enthusiasm when saying "There are plenty of moments in a teenage girl's life where the trivial becomes momentous, and they are presented here with a poignant and compassionate vibrancy." Matt Ward of Cinematic Considerations also praised the film when suggesting "You'd be hard-pressed to find more vivid, authentic female characters than in Lady Bird... Be sure not to miss out on one of the decade's ten best movies." There are currently 343 positive reviews and only four negative. Of those who disagreed, Alachia Queen got to the heart of it when saying "Just like its title character, Lady Bird is quirky and sentimental but despite best attempts, never really defines itself into anything meaningful." The film would dominate other awards brackets and wound up on several critics' Top 10 of the year lists, including Katey Rich of Vanity Fair.
The film's success was able to ride its way to The Academy Awards. Following an incredible season of nominations and wins, the film received five nominations, including Best Picture. Gerwig became only the fifth woman to be nominated for Best Director. Lady Bird's nominations also featured an interesting trend when every category nominated featured a woman in some capacity. With the acclaim around the film, its only unfortunate issue was strong competition. Even then, it was enough to call the film a complete success. It may have lost, but the many defense pieces about what made Gerwig a great director helped to spawn conversations about women on screen and what made quirky characters cinematic. With acclaim that far exceeded her previous success, Gerwig has since claimed that she wants to make a quartet of movies about Sacramento, though they will be spiritual sequels at best. She hasn't shared too many plans beyond that.
In the echelon of A24 movies, Lady Bird is one of the towering giants and among the best that the studio has ever released. It is a creative and financial success, and helped to make Gerwig one of the most promising directors of the modern era. Considering that Ronan is up for contention with Mary Queen of Scots in 2018, there's a good chance that she'll win that make-up Oscar at some point. For now, it's time to look at the next film that A24 had, and the other major awards contender from Fall 2017. It was another film directed and written by an actor (this time someone deeply indebted to A24), though this time was presented with a series of obstacles that may have hurt its overall awards chances. The Disaster Artist was a film about the making of the worst movie ever, and the story of its awards chances are just as interesting as anything seen on screen.
Up Next: The Disaster Artist (2017)
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