At the centre of the narrative of this critically acclaimed, award-winning film is an examination of the relationship between a mother and daughter. This is the main element that makes Lady Bird stand out – because the Hollywood ‘norm’ is to anchor cinematic tales around father-son dynamics. The perspective of Lady Bird, by contrast, is entirely feminine. This is 100% female gaze cinema – not least because it is the solo directorial debut of Greta Gerwig, who also wrote the script. That this film made Gerwig the fifth woman to have received a Best Director Academy Award nomination in 89 years speaks volumes as to both the significance of her artistic achievement with this film, and the male-dominated culture in which it has arisen.

Saoirse Ronan plays the titular character &ndash...

Please subscribe to keep reading.