Indie darling Greta Gerwig made her solo directorial debut at the Telluride Film Festival over the weekend with Lady Bird, which premiered to critical acclaim. Despite what the title might suggest, the film, which Gerwig also wrote, has nothing to do with the First Lady who was married to Lyndon Baines Johnson. Instead, it stars Saoirse Ronan as Christine “Lady Bird” McPherson, a rebellious, pink-haired Catholic high schooler who dreams of fleeing her hometown of Sacramento and heading to the east coast. Laurie Metcalf costars as her “scary and warm” mother, while Tracy Letts, Lucas Hedges, Timothée Chalamet, and Beanie Feldstein round out the cast.
Though Gerwig, who is best known for performances in movies like Francis Ha and 20th Century Women, does not actually appear in front of the camera for Lady Bird, the film is loosely based on her own experiences; like her protagonist, she attended a Catholic high school in Sacramento before leaving for New York City. Early reviews have singled out Ronan’s performance in the film, and the two-time Oscar nominee is already generating buzz for nomination No. 3.
Lady Bird, which is being distributed by A24, will hit theaters Nov. 10.
