On Wednesday, Nov. 29, pop culture headlines were buzzing—the recently released “Ladybird” was officially record-breaking: the first film to ever achieve a 100 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes. This was director Greta Gerwig’s debut, and it has skyrocketed her to the spotlight. She was even declared best director by the National Board of Review. 
Coming-of-age films are a dime a dozen. As a time period consisting of equal parts embarrassment and delight, it has long been a popular focus of filmmakers. The available story material is endless. However, a distinct gap exists between the total number of bildungsroman movies released each year and the number of those that are actually worth watching. As someone who has never been a frequent movie-goer, I would consider myself to be pretty frugal when it comes to box office spending. I can say with utmost certainty that by the time the credits rolled, there was not a shred of buyer’s regret for that $13 ticket within me.
Gerwig is one of the first directors in a while to have truly captured the emotional complexity of growing up. “Ladybird” is an original confection of humor, sarcasm, and wit centering around a young woman’s tumultuous relationship with her tough-love mother. Set in 2002, in a country still shaken by the events of 9/11, protagonist Christine “Ladybird” McPherson (Saoirse Ronan) is a senior at a private, all girls Catholic school in Sacramento. Faced with attending a state university due to financial hardships, Ladybird sets off in pursuit of going to an east coast college, determined to rid herself of California and go somewhere “cultured.” From joining the drama club and falling in love for the first time to being heartbroken by and estranged from her mother, her story is heartwarming and easily relatable. After all, who doesn’t recall fighting with their mom, searching for that perfect prom dress, or having their parent drop them off a block over from school to avoid any potential embarrassment? 
The New York Film Critics Circle (NYFCC) has dubbed “Ladybird” Best Film, with Ronan landing Best Actress for her starring role. Having just expanded into widespread release, ratings and reviews are only expected to get better. 
“This is completely amazing and so incredibly appreciated by the entire team that made ‘Ladybird.’ We put our heart and souls into this movie, and the last step of this deeply collaborative art form of film-making is giving the film to the audience and the film critics. That there has been such as a warm reception is a dream come true. Thank you to everyone who has seen the film and has written about it so thoughtfully. We are all on cloud nine and using our tomato emoji more than we ever thought possible,” Gerwig stated in response to replacing “Toy Story 2” as the Rotten Tomatoes record holder. 
Scenes throughout the film were met with laughter, second-hand embarrassment, and delight as viewers cheered Ronan on as she navigated the difficulties of high school, friendship, and family. It was honestly one of the best films I’ve ever seen in a theater—a worthy investment even for a budgeting college student. I would strongly recommend stopping by the nearest movie theater to catch a showing of “Ladybird.”