lady bird

In 2002, an artistically inclined 17-year-old girl comes of age in Sacramento, California.

Christine "Lady Bird" McPherson (Saoirse Ronan) is a high-school senior from the "wrong side of the tracks". She longs for adventure, sophistication, and opportunity, but finds little of that in her Sacramento Catholic high school. Her senior year improves: she finds her first romance, participates in the school play, and--most importantly--applies for college.—Dehlia

Christine McPherson's (Saoirse Ronan's) senior year of high school in 2002/03 is presented. The younger of Larry and Marion McPherson's (Tracy Letts, Laurie Metcalf) two children, Christine outwardly hates most of the aspects of her life: She hates that they have long endured an existence of barely scraping by, and their situation is even worse now in the poor economy that has led to Larry being laid off and Marion needing to work double shifts as a counselor at a psychiatric hospital just to keep their heads above water, and Christine's big brother Miguel (Jordan Rodrigues) and his girlfriend Shelly Yuhan (Marielle Scott) moving back into the McPhersons' small, already-overcrowded house with one bathroom now for five people. She hates that what her parents have decided to spend on her within their already tight budget is an expensive Catholic private-school education at Immaculate Heart, solely because Miguel witnessed long ago some violence outside Sacramento High School, where she would have gone otherwise. At Immaculate Heart, her only friend is the equally-poor Julie Steffans (Beanie Feldstein). Lady Bird hates living in Sacramento and is determined to attend an Eastern liberal-arts college, preferably one in New York City, using financial aid, rather than attending a California college like nearby UC Davis, for which she would be eligible for an in-state tuition reduction. Getting into any college is questionable because she puts little effort into her schoolwork despite being bright, except perhaps in math. But what she hates the most is her strained relationship with her mother Marion, who is always bad cop to Larry's good cop. Marion and Christine's strained relationship is exacerbated by both being strong-willed people. Christine believes that her mother might love her because she has to, but doesn't actually like her. Christine has decided to rename herself "Lady Bird", something she wants everyone to call her from now on. As Lady Bird goes through some major events her senior year--from discovering a new extracurricular activity which includes boys from neighboring St. Francis Xavier; to testing the waters of dating, possible first love, and the prospect of sex; to wanting to be part of the in-crowd; to truly putting some effort into her short-term post-secondary dreams--she and Marion might only have a short time to express their true love for each other, family or not, before it's too late.—Huggo

Going by the name of "Lady Bird", outspoken Catholic high-school senior student Christine McPherson (Saoirse Ronan) is dreaming big of finally leaving her hometown of Sacramento, California, practically on pins and needles to attend a sophisticated New York City college. However, with her average grades and her family struggling to keep afloat, attending a public university closer to home would be a lot cheaper and safer, especially after last year's devastating 9/11 attack. In the end, amid grades, numerous college applications, blooming teenage sexuality, and a strong-willed mother who is a real mother-hen, Lady Bird must find a way to make her dreams happen. Can she survive life's bumps and cracks?—Nick Riganas

Sacramento, California, 2002. Christine "Lady Bird" McPherson (Saoirse Ronan) is in her final year of high school. She longs to leave Sacramento and go to college on the East Coast. However, her protective, obsessive mother, pessimistic at her chances, is determined to keep her in California, ideally near home. Lady Bird's final year of school will be one of discovery, new experiences, and finding herself.—grantss

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