This past weekend I decided to go see Ladybird with my dad and his girlfriend. I hadn’t heard anything about it beforehand, so I did not know what to expect. Little did I know that it would become one of my new favorite movies.

The movie tells the story of Christine McPherson a.k.a. Ladybird, as she finishes up her senior year of high school and eagerly awaits to move to New York City for college. Taking place in her hometown of Sacramento, California, Ladybird for the most part lives a pretty nice life. She attends a Catholic high school, plays a lead role in the school play, is close with her family, and has a boyfriend.

Although she is close with her family, it’s a love-hate relationship. She and her mom are very close, but at the same time Ladybird feels like her mom doesn’t fully understand her. Ladybird is constantly reminded by her mother of how she doesnt appreciate what she has, and how she isn’t smart enough for college. On the other hand, her relationship with her dad couldn’t be any stronger. He is the lenient parent who wants to see Christine succeed no matter what it takes. Christine even convinces him to apply for college financial aid without her mom’s knowledge.

Ladybird’s sassy, and reckless personality adds some excitement to the film. Although she has a good heart, she struggles to get along with her peers and tends to act impulsively. The day she turned 18, she went to the gas station and bought a pack of cigarettes, and a copy of Playboy. She loves to assert her individuality, and doesn’t care what others think of her quirky personality.

The thing that I especially liked was how relatable it was. As a high school senior attending a catholic school, Christine and I live very similar lives. It was cool to see how much of myself I saw in her. “Ladybird” is definitely one that you won’t want to miss if you’re looking for a good laugh.