Lady Bird (2017)
‘A nurse works tirelessly to keep her family afloat after her husband loses his job. She also maintains a turbulent bond with a teenage daughter who is just like her: loving, strong-willed and deeply opinionated.’
Religion, Change, Relationships - Does the film do it well?
Ladybird struggles with the feeling of being trapped by religion. Although the typical ‘religious school is a terrible prison’ trope is used, it doesn’t feel as though ladybird has a negative relationship with her religion; whereas in most coming of age films, religion is seen as something inescapable and entirely negative to the growth of the main character. In ladybird, its seen more as a temporary block in her path that she doesn’t need to ‘escape’, just move past for now. This also links to change within the film; although ladybird feels she needs something more to her life outside her hometown the change overall makes her miss what she left behind -- something entirely unheard of in coming of age films. The idea that you don't need to change your life completely to feel fulfilled is a very refreshing take for a coming of age film. It highlights the idea that you should love what you've got and who you are before unconditionally before its too late. This is seen through ladybirds interactions with her mum; their ‘turbulent’ relationship is a focus throughout the film and even though they both seem endlessly annoyed by each other in the end we know they’re still both there for one another.
A look at the advertisement for Lady Bird - Colour code, font, non-verbal, placement:
Lady Bird (2017)
The choice of font: Very reminiscent of historical religious texts; linking to our main characters relationship with faith ‘hanging over her head’. The fact that it’s her chosen name suggests that religion will always be an integral part of her character even if she chooses to move past the teachings.
Colour: Red is used in both the title and her hair colour- often red (in film) is used to signify intense emotion or emotional trauma. The fact that her hair is red implies this character is often ruled by her emotions and headstrong.
Iconography: The cross - Out of focus in the background compared to our main character in the foreground - expresses her relationship with religion. Being Catholic isn’t at the front of her mind but it still plays a role in her life - again it’s shown to be (quite literally) hanging over her head.
Background: Her school peers are in the background out of focus and positioned low in the frame. They’re framed the the colour contrast of the wall implying a later tension between her and them, which we can assume is important for the growth of the main character.
