There’s no other movie as agile as this film. It navigates these incredibly complex relationships of love between characters with a swiftness and grace. Gerwig takes us from heart wrenching family arguments to moments of sincere thoughtfulness, and makes you laugh the whole time. The term rollercoaster might be overused but I think it applies here.

The dialogue is the star of the show here, it feels very real and natural in the way that it navigates familial conflict. Gerwig masterfully spans a range of conflict and affection, all of it firmly underscored by an enduring love.

The film as a whole is such a beautiful insight into different forms of love. We see love for people, love for places, tough love, patient love, friendship, romantic love, and self-love throughout. The film’s unofficial thesis of “love = attention” is one that is really powerful and sticks with me. I find that to be incredibly wise, and a brilliant way of distilling something so complex.

Everything about the movie feels very authentic to that awkward period of life at the end of high school. The push and pull of maturing, trying new experiences, and finally gaining more appreciation for your family, parents, and hometown once you’ve moved away from it all.

This is such a complete movie: it makes me laugh, it tackles meaningful themes, it is shot beautifully, the soundtrack is great, it’s brilliantly written, and it’s all very concise with a ~90 minute run time.