Greta Gerwig’s Lady Bird Packed Tower Theatre in Sacramento

Greta Gerwig’s Lady Bird is now playing at the Tower Theatre in Sacramento’s Land Park.

Looks like yesterday the Tower Theatre showed Greta Gerwig’s Lady Bird on two screens and about every 45 minutes. This was not the debut showing that happened a while back. However, it meant a lot of people who apparently do not regularly go to the Tower Theatre in Land Park showed up to see this movie, if for no other reason than to hoot and howl when a landmark in Sacramento showed up. Greta Gerwig, a native of Sacramento, filmed here. Oh, and a row behind us decided to chit-chat through the movie, too. Much different crowd than the regulars.

My husband and I arrived for the 12:10 show, the second showing of the day. The early show gets the bargain matinee price. I figure I’m getting enough of a bargain by paying for a senior ticket. We initially sat down in front of these people who would not shut up. Yak, yak, yak. I envisioned myself forced to stand up in front of the entire theatre begging audience members to shut the F up while people threw popcorn at me. I would do that, you know, because I’m old enough and cranky enough to do it.

Instead, we moved up further before somebody else snatched those seats.

When the Tower Theatre itself was shown on the screen, that drew the loudest applause and noise from the audience. Although, most of the audience did applaud at the end. Most cinematic challenges, if executed really well, garner applause from movie goers at the Tower Theatre. Lady Bird? No exception. One woman grumbled when the clapping stopped that she would not recommend this to movie to anybody, but she probably could not keep her mouth shut during the movie. Everyone should carry duct tape to the movies.

I give the film 5 stars.

The movie is about a senior girl who attends a Catholic school and yearns for college far, far away. There are friends, boyfriends, first disappointing sexual experience in a long line of others on the horizon like any teenager, social status digs, and a lot of mother / daughter conflict. Starring role of the somewhat autobiographical screenplay is played by Saoirse Ronan, whom I first saw in Brooklyn and immediately adored. Her mother is Laurie Metcalf. Excellent casting for that role. In fact, if Metcalf hadn’t been cast in the role of Lady Bird’s mother, I don’t know who else would come close to fitting that bill.

We last saw Laurie Metcalf in Getting On, the hilarious HBO show. Perfect deadpan comedic timing. Yup, the only person who can spit out sentences that are both loving and completely nasty in the same breath. Just like my mother, come to think of it.

Arguably my favorite part of the movie is when Lady Bird and her mother decide to engage in their favorite Sunday activity. What could that be? A cute set up made me imagine perhaps a visit to Gunther’s Ice Cream in Curtis Park, featured in a brief frame. But no. You see, as a Sacramento Realtor, I am fully aware of a person’s favorite Sunday afternoon activity in Sacramento, but I was so engrossed in Greta Gerwig’s Lady Bird that it slipped my mind.

Ha! They visited Sunday Open Houses. My only regret was Greta filmed competitor’s for sale signs, LOL.

Go see it. Bet you will love it! Especially if you live in Sacramento.