We are entering into the thick of Oscar season and the various studios have started releasing their prestige projects, allowing some indie darlings to gain buzz in limited release. Basically, if you are a film fan and need a palette cleanser between big blockbusters and superhero flicks, this is the best time of the year. While potential contenders Darkest Hour and The Shape of Water are still to come, one indie film is lighting up the specialty box office and generating Oscar buzz along the way. Actor-turned-director Greta Gerwig's Lady Bird is absolutely killing it in limited release.
A24's Lady Bird is dominating in four theaters, bringing in a $375,612 total for a $93,903 per theater average. This surpasses The Big Sick's $84,315 average on five screens and gives it the best opening weekend per theater average of 2017 so far. According to Deadline, Exit polling for the film has also been good independent of age demographic and the film currently boasts a perfect 100% on Rotten Tomatoes from eighty-three reviews. The strong box office debut and good word of mouth should have A24 feeling pretty good about Lady Bird as we enter awards season and the film's wider release.
Lady Bird will expand into major markets next weekend before A24 takes it nationwide over the Thanksgiving weekend. Lady Bird is written and directed by Greta Gerwig and stars Saoirse Ronan, Laurie Metcalf, Tracy Letts and Lucas Hedges. The comedy follows the adventures of Saoirse Ronan's Christine 'Lady Bird' McPherson as she lives in Northern California. Watch the trailer below.
Lady Bird looks like the type of indie flick that breaks through to the mainstream and racks up awards nominations along the way. The trailer is quirky and funny and the film looks to feature a standout deadpan performance from Saoirse Ronan. The solid cast also features Lucas Hedges, who struck a marvelous balance between humor and grief in Manchester By the Sea, so his performance in this film is another one to look out for.
This film marks Greta Gerwig's solo directorial debut and this level of critical and commercial success should hopefully set her up for bigger projects down the road. We hear all the time about the Ben Afflecks, Clint Eastwoods and Mel Gibsons of the world--highly acclaimed actors who step behind the camera and continue to excel. But female directors like Elizabeth Banks, Jodie Foster and Greta Gerwig are also showing that experience in front of the camera can cultivate a unique and worthwhile perspective behind it.
