Today is Miss Greta Gerwig's 35th Birthday! To celebrate the special occasion, we had to make a post including some of our favourite highlights of Greta Gerwig's career so far. So, if you're looking for a way to celebrate the big day or just a great way to spend a Saturday you can enjoy some of her greatest movies!
#1 Frances Ha
written by Greta Gerwig & Noah Baumbach
directed by Noah Baumbach
In this beautiful love letter to female friendship and dreaming in the city of New York we explore the life of Frances Halladay who's fumbling around in post college life, trying to figure out what's next for her. She's got a dream of being a modern dancer but at the age of 27 that dream is slowly dwindling. The beauty of Frances Ha is in the simplicity and the detail. I think we can all remember a time we have been Frances. Not to mention the fact it has one of my all time favourite lines in the history of cinema "Excuse me, what time did Puss in Boots start?"
#2 Lady Bird
written & directed by Greta Gerwig
I couldn't make this post without featuring her directorial debut, Lady Bird. This film earned the director her first two Oscar nominations and her first Golden Globe win. Lady Bird tells us the story of Christine McPherson's final year of high school. She has big dreams of being in one of "those East Coast liberal art schools" and going somewhere "where culture is like New York, or at least Connecticut or New Hampshire, where writers live in the woods" we watch her fall in and out of love, pursue a career in musical theatre, change and grow as a person and learn that adults exist in a world outside of her own. It's a beautiful piece of film with stellar performances aided by a perfect script and delicate direction. An honest look at the life of becoming an adult and a love letter to the director's home town of Sacramento.
#3 20th Century Women
written & directed by Mike Mills
We find ourselves in Santa Barbara in 1979 for Mike Mills' visual feast, 20th Century Women. This film has a powerhouse of female actors but Greta Gerwig plays the role of Abbie, a girl in her 20s who is recovering from cervical cancer. She's living with Annette Bening who has enlisted her help, alongside Elle Fanning, to guide her son while he explores the world as a young adult. It's got a killer soundtrack and the story is told so perfectly. Beautiful line after beautiful line and stunning visual after stunning visual. Perfect feel-good movie that reflects the way the past influences the future.
#4 Mistress America
written by Greta Gerwig & Noah Baumbach
directed by Noah Baumbach
Modern day screwball comedy at its finest. Greta plays Brooke, a go getter who is making things happen for herself in the big old city of New York. She meets her soon to be step-sister, Tracy, who is in awe of her and ends up writing a fictionalised piece about Brooke as a pledge to be part of her college's elite writing club. The two go through some crazy moments with each other and there are multiple lines that will have you cracking up.
#5 Damsels in Distress
written & directed by Whit Stillman
I just love Whit Stillman's kooky off-beat musical comedy, Damsels in Distress. Greta Gerwig plays Violet, a girl just trying to do good in the strangest ways. Her and her friends enlist new girl, Lily, to help them on their mission to change the male domination of their college. They're also out to help people feel better about life by giving them tap dance lessons in a bid to build community and positivity. There are some cracking lines in here and it's classic Greta Gerwig.
#6 Maggie's Plan
written & directed by Rebecca Miller
Greta Gerwig meets Ethan Hawke in this beautifully endearing comedy. From director, Rebecca Miller, comes the story of Maggie, a woman who wants a baby but doesn't have a partner. At the same time she plans to inseminate herself, a man walks into her life but there's one problem... he's married. The two strike up an affair but when the relationship takes a turn, Maggie has to devise a plan. Multiple love stories thread through this movie and it's a sweet look at women taking control of their own destinies. A great cast and fantastic direction.
#7 Arthur
written by Peter Baynham & Steve Gordon
directed by Jason Winer
This film may not be high on many critic's radar but I love the amount of fun this movie is. Arthur is a man with more money than sense and his mother is about to cut him off if he doesn't marry a woman who is going to make the family company look good. His marriage is all set to be arranged when Greta Gerwig stumbles in as Naomi, a girl giving New York walking tours. The two strike up an unlikely romance but his mother does not approve. He's given the condition of marrying for love or money and we get to follow along while he figures it out.
#8 Greenberg
written by Jennifer Jason Leigh & Noah Baumbach
directed by Noah Baumbach
This movie just had to be in the mix as it was a turning point in Gerwig's career. It's her first movie with writer/director Noah Baumbach, her now writing and life partner. Greta plays Florence who's house sitting for Ben Stiller's (Roger Greenberg) brother. Greenberg is lost after returning to live in LA after many years in New York and coming from a stay in an asylum. He stays in his brother's home upon his return and needs Florence's help in taking care of the house and the family dog. The story follows their relationship and Roger attempting to get back on his feet after a rough period in his life.
This woman has a multitude of beautiful work under her name but I'd be here all day listing everything she'd ever been in/a part of if I didn't stop at 8! If you're looking for some other suggestions try Weiner-Dog, Lola Versus, The Last Act, Nights & Weekends or No Strings Attached! All great movies that I wish I could write more about. Hey, maybe in a future post!
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We hope Greta Gerwig has a brilliant birthday and we look forward to her all-star adaptation of Little Women coming 25th December 2019, featuring Meryl Streep, Saoirse Ronan, Timothée Chalamet, Emma Watson and many more!
Until next time
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