One of the greatest shortages that Hollywood has is female directors. Thankfully, 2017 has seen many successful movies produced under the direction of powerful and talented women. One such movie is Ladybird. Directed by Greta Gerwig, this film is not simply a coming-of-age story but a fresh look at the rollercoaster that is adolescence. The film centers on the life of a high school senior (played by Saoirse Ronan) who lives in a sleepy San Francisco suburb. She has made it her mission to attend college in New York and put as much distance between herself and her life in California.

Her first move is to change her name to “Ladybird”. However, with her low grades and not-so-clean record at her school, Ladybird’s mother constantly ridicules her plan and suggests she attend a public university. The sparring between these two strong women—Ladybird and her mother—plays a central role to the plot, and most importantly, is completely relatable to anyone who is either going through this critical period in life or has already suffered. This movie is not only for the young, ambitious teenage girls or only for the frustrated mothers, it is for fathers, siblings, cousins, friends and family who love strong characters, laughter and sincerity all bundled into one unique film. This is certainly a movie that will impact all who see it!