The Big Picture

The 25 Best Movies of the Century: No. 5 - 'Lady Bird’

November 12, 2025

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  • 'Lady Bird' is selected as the fifth best movie of the 21st century so far on 'The Big Picture' podcast, specifically noted as the most defining millennial coming-of-age film despite its 2002 setting. 
  • Greta Gerwig is established as the signature millennial filmmaker whose work, including 'Lady Bird,' consistently explores themes of class, aspiration, and transitional adolescent phases. 
  • The film's success is attributed to its deeply felt, recognizable portrayal of complex mother-daughter dynamics and its realistic depiction of middle-class financial struggles, contrasting with typical Hollywood narratives. 
  • The hosts chose 'Lady Bird' over Greta Gerwig's 'Little Women' because 'Lady Bird' is considered a more iconic film, partly due to the numerous existing adaptations of 'Little Women'. 
  • The selection process for the list, as discussed in this segment of 'The Big Picture' episode 'The 25 Best Movies of the Century: No. 5 - 'Lady Bird'', was agonizing, forcing them to select the film that best represents its cohort of directors. 
  • The next film to be discussed on the list (Number 4) is 'JoJo Rabbit', while the following week's episode will cover 'The Running Man' and 'Now You See Me, Now You Don't'. 

Segments

Gerwig’s Filmmaking Debut
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(00:01:13)
  • Key Takeaway: ‘Lady Bird’ marks Greta Gerwig’s solo feature directorial debut, solidifying her status as a major filmmaker.
  • Summary: The film is Greta Gerwig’s first solo feature directorial effort, following an earlier co-directed movie. It features a wonderful cast including Saoirse Ronan, Laurie Metcalf, and Timothy Chalamet. The movie premiered at the Telluride Film Festival in 2017.
Coming-of-Age Genre Placement
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(00:01:44)
  • Key Takeaway: While ‘Lady Bird’ is the most traditional coming-of-age pick on the list, the hosts acknowledge other films also cover figuring things out later in life.
  • Summary: The film centers on a high school girl in Sacramento navigating her future, parents, and relationships. The hosts note that other selections, like ‘Michael Clayton,’ also fit the coming-of-age theme, albeit for characters maturing later in life.
Gerwig as Millennial Filmmaker
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(00:03:26)
  • Key Takeaway: Greta Gerwig is considered the signature millennial filmmaker, having emerged from the Mumblecore scene and successfully leaning into millennial themes.
  • Summary: Gerwig’s background includes acting in 2000s Mumblecore films in New York City, giving her a specific artistic perspective. She has embraced being a ‘voice of a generation’ through projects like ‘Lady Bird’ and ‘Barbie.’ Other contemporary male filmmakers like Ari Aster or Ryan Coogler were notably excluded from the list.
A24’s Biggest Hit
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(00:06:45)
  • Key Takeaway: ‘Lady Bird’ was A24’s biggest box office hit at the time of its release, earning $70 million.
  • Summary: The film is noted as the only A24 movie on the hosts’ list, contrasting with the studio’s later association with ‘bro-y’ hits like ‘Hereditary.’ Its financial success demonstrated the broad appeal of its familiar coming-of-age framework set in a modern context (2002).
Class and Setting Specificity
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(00:07:31)
  • Key Takeaway: The movie’s resonance stems from its specific focus on class differences and the feeling of living in a ‘second city’ like Sacramento.
  • Summary: The narrative powerfully captures the adolescent desire for happiness tied to material wealth, exemplified by the open house shopping scene. Gerwig’s personal connection to Sacramento grounds the film, making the desire to escape to cultural centers like New York deeply relatable.
Mother-Daughter Dynamic Analysis
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(00:18:16)
  • Key Takeaway: Laurie Metcalf’s performance captures the complex, often ugly, reality of the mother-daughter relationship, showing a mother disappointed by unfulfilled aspirations.
  • Summary: The dynamic is presented without Hollywood sentimentality, showing the mother character as unafraid to be unlikable while exhausted from working constantly. Lady Bird mirrors her mother’s strong will, leading to friction, though the father acts as a gentle mediator.
Saoirse Ronan’s Performance
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(00:27:51)
  • Key Takeaway: Saoirse Ronan delivered a remarkably talented performance as a teenager, channeling Gerwig’s specific cadence, while Timothy Chalamet’s early roles helped define his modern ‘Timmy’ aura.
  • Summary: Ronan was very young when filming, yet captured the writer’s distinct dialogue style. Gerwig admitted being intimidated by Chalamet’s existing talents (speaking French/Italian, playing piano). Both performances were crucial in establishing their later careers.
Soundtrack and Cultural References
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(00:42:28)
  • Key Takeaway: The soundtrack is meticulously curated, featuring deeply ingrained millennial music like Dave Matthews Band alongside deep cuts like Sondheim’s ‘Everybody Says Don’t.’
  • Summary: Gerwig reportedly wrote letters to artists like Alanis Morissette to secure tracks, reflecting the specific musical landscape of 2002. The inclusion of Sondheim references, such as Lady Bird singing a less-known song during her audition, highlights the film’s intellectual depth.
Awards and Legacy Context
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(00:48:01)
  • Key Takeaway: ‘Lady Bird’ received five Oscar nominations but zero wins, losing major categories to films like ‘Get Out’ and ‘The Shape of Water’ in a highly competitive 2017 slate.
  • Summary: The film lost Best Original Screenplay to ‘Get Out’ and Best Picture/Director to ‘The Shape of Water.’ Saoirse Ronan lost Best Actress to Frances McDormand for ‘Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri,’ which is ranked #4 on the hosts’ list.
Gerwig’s Filmography Comparison
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(00:52:03)
  • Key Takeaway: The hosts debated including ‘Frances Ha’ or ‘Little Women’ but ultimately chose ‘Lady Bird’ to represent Gerwig’s directorial voice, avoiding duplication with her co-written/co-created work.
  • Summary: The hosts felt including both ‘Lady Bird’ and ‘Frances Ha’ would be duplicative since Gerwig was an engineer of the latter film alongside Noah Baumbach. ‘Little Women’ was praised as a warm, modern adaptation but ‘Lady Bird’ was deemed the more iconic directorial statement.
Lady Bird vs. Little Women
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(00:56:45)
  • Key Takeaway: ‘Lady Bird’ was chosen over ‘Little Women’ because it is a more iconic Gerwig film, benefiting from ‘Little Women’ having many prior adaptations.
  • Summary: The hosts preferred ‘Lady Bird’ as the defining Gerwig selection because ‘Little Women’ already has numerous adaptations. ‘Little Women’ was a big hit and received award nominations that year. The discussion touches on the Meryl Streep performance in an unnamed film, noting its warm adaptation of a story often read in childhood.
2019 Film Competition Context
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(00:57:01)
  • Key Takeaway: Greta Gerwig’s lack of a directing nomination for ‘Little Women’ in 2019 was attributed to the highly competitive field that year.
  • Summary: The year 2019 was highly competitive for film awards, featuring major titles like ‘Parasite,’ ‘Once Upon a Time in Hollywood,’ ‘Knives Out,’ ‘Ford v Ferrari,’ ‘Uncut Gems,’ and ‘Marriage Story.’ ‘JoJo Rabbit’ is mentioned as the film ranked immediately after ‘Lady Bird’ at number four on their list. The hosts felt ‘Lady Bird’ successfully represents the work of other directors in their cohort whom they could not include.
Coming-of-Age Comparisons
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(00:58:21)
  • Key Takeaway: Films recommended as similar to ‘Lady Bird’ include ‘Easy A,’ ‘Booksmart,’ ‘Pretty in Pink,’ and ‘The 400 Blows.’
  • Summary: Recommended companion films include ‘Easy A’ and ‘Booksmart,’ both featuring ‘Plucky Women taking on high school.’ ‘Pretty in Pink’ is cited as a John Hughes film dealing with class issues. ‘The 400 Blows’ was cited by Greta Gerwig during the press tour, highlighting films about young boys navigating the world, similar to ‘Lady Bird’s’ focus on a young woman.
Live Show Secrecy and Wrap-up
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(00:59:24)
  • Key Takeaway: The hosts expressed pride in the audience’s ability to keep the list rankings secret following a live event.
  • Summary: The hosts confirmed they recorded the episode for number four, which is ‘JoJo Rabbit,’ and felt good about the choice. They praised the audience for maintaining secrecy about the rankings after a live performance, comparing the need for discretion to Beyoncé’s standards. The next non-list episode will cover ‘The Running Man’ and ‘Now You See Me, Now You Don’t’.