From Lady Birds to Moody Boys

Over the past year I've become really interested in what I don't know what else to call but "biographical" films. These films are not really biopics, or documentaries, but they're the kind of films that give a super zoom of a character's life in a way that feels authentic. These are coming of age films like Lady Bird and Boyhood.

Lady Bird (2017) directed by Greta Gerwig

Lady Bird is a coming of age story that follows the rebellious Ladybird, played by Saoirse Ronan, in her last year of High School and early college. The film is notable for its seemingly unfiltered exploration of a character and their development, with its strengths in the dialogue and acting. 

Boyhood (2014) directed by Richard Linklater

Boyhood is another coming of age film. This one follows a boy from the age of six to eighteen, and it does not shy away from conveying the hardships, uncertainty, and confusion of growing up. Yet, it also includes the mundane parts of the protagonists life. In boyhood, it is the little moments that make the difference and convey an incredibly sincere story.

That said, though I admire both films for their artistry, I found myself feeling removed from the narrative simply because I couldn’t relate to a lot of their experiences. The films made me feel like I understood the characters well, but I was never really invested in the film.

After watching Ladybird, I talked to my friend Alexa, who had a totally different experience from mine. 

I went to her because I knew she loved the film, and I wanted to get a better sense as to why she had such a connection with the film. Mind you this was over text so I don't know the best way to convey this. 

I told her that I liked the film for what it successfully aimed to be: a sincere and genuine coming of age story; However, when I said I didn't connect with the film, she immediately said that "part of the reason I loved it so much was bc I saw a LOT of myself in Ladybird, and her relationship w her mom."

I immediately realized that the reason I didn't fall in love with the film was that "it just wasn't written for me," I said, " it was a lovely little 'biopic' it just wasn't my story  so I didn't relate to it."
That doesn't mean it wasn't a lovely piece, I mean, when Alexa talked about how much she loved this film's representation of a girl's coming of age story in particular, it all clicked (this is also why we need more women writers and directors in Hollywood, men are dumb).

This is a snippet from our conversation, so it is informal, but I REFUSE TO EDIT ITS CONTENT FOR THE SAKE OF JOURNALISM:

Alexa: Well what I liked most actually, was how it is indeed a coming of age story, and it is presented in many ways coming of age stories have been before, but a problem w a lot of coming of age films w a female protagonist is that they are always pretty unsure of themselves and have no confidence. 

They find themselves through a romantic relationship and they're like "oh this is it he changed me" or whatever. And in some ways lady bird does this, however, throughout the film lady bird is SO CONFIDENT.

She knows who she is (for the most part) and what she wants. she literally initiated all her relationships and she ends up SINGLE! and what's the romance that needs to be rekindled? it's her friendship and her relationship with her mom! not some [greasy*] boy.

Me, hyping Alexa up: YES

Alexa: She finds herself by herself, and that made me so happy bc I grew up for so many years thinking I had to be moody and not confident to attract boys, but that's not true!! u can be a lady bird. 

This was another moment that solidified what I really wanted to do with my short film. Which was to create a sincere and genuine film that, like the directors mentioned above, used personal experiences as source material in hopes to give the viewer the feeling that they understand the protagonist. Ideally, this would aim to give insight into what it means to be a first generation immigrant, gay* latino in the US (casting might complicate this). I'll discuss which tropes I'm going to be challenging- because I refuse to embrace any- in terms of representation in a different post, for now this is a happy post : )

Now, I'm sure you think I'm crazy thinking I can do what the films above did in 2 hours given that I only have 5 minutes, but perhaps I need to find a nonlinear way to solve this issue ;)

I'll be discussing my plot, scenes, and narrative structure in a later post.

Until then,
See ya :)

*Greasy: refers to a boy who looks like he hasn't showered and/or slept in weeks; see Timothee Chalamet's character in Ladybird. 
*Gay here is used as an umbrella term for all that is LGBT+

Linklater, Richard, et al. Boyhood. IFC Films, 2014.
Gerwig, Greta, director. Ladybird. A24, 2017.