Film Opening Research #2 - Lady Bird

        Lady Bird Opening Scene

Analysis
        Lady Bird is a coming-of-age drama. At the beginning of the opening sequence, there is a single title; it is a quote from Joan Didion that says "Anybody who talks about California hedonism has never spent a Christmas in Sacramento." This, followed by Lady Bird's first dialogue asking her mother "Do you think I look like I'm from Sacramento?" introduces the main conflict of the film. The opening image is of Lady Bird and her mother, Marion, sleeping next to each other. We spend the entire opening scene with Lady Bird and Marion, as they drive back from a college trip after finishing a "The Grapes of Wrath" audiobook.
        Lady Bird and her mother are constantly shown standing at opposite sides of the screen. This highlights their contrast of ideals, which becomes the main conflict of the movie. Even though the scene takes place during the day, it does not use high-key lighting. Instead, it stays neutral. This represents the dullness that Lady Bird feels in her life. The friction between the two characters in this scene comes from a conversation about college. Lady Bird doesn't want to stay in Sacramento, and instead, study where "culture is". This could resonate with the artistic youth which is the target audience for this film. The cassette tapes and old car model help establish the setting of this film in the early 2000s.

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