Lady Bird: Greta Gerwig’s coming-of-age dramedy may not be wholly original, but it is such an earnest and sweet love letter to one’s origin (hometown, family, oldest friends) that it does not feel stale. Helping matters immensely is that the title character is such an interesting creation: self-deprecating (and also, somewhat unfairly, deprecated by her surroundings) but talented and smart, needy but sweet; in other words, a realistic bag of human contradictions. It’s a beautiful piece of acting put together by Saoirse Ronan, that manages all that convincingly, and makes the character very sympathetic. Acting in general is very well-modulated; Laurie Metcalf, in particular, is very good and touching. The film has a very subdued, simple look; nevertheless, it matches the story and recreates the time period well. Nick Houy’s editing is tight in its light comic touch.