Greta Gerwig’s time has finally come

SHE has one of those faces you recognise. You’re sure you’ve seen one or two of her films. Now, she’s a bona fide star and the most refreshing filmmaker working today.

WITH her infectious smile and goofball energy, Greta Gerwig is one of those actors many people remember but can’t necessarily place.

A favourite of the indie film world for 10 years, the 34-year-old is now someone nearing household name status, thanks to her confident and celebrated solo directorial debut, Lady Bird.

Last month, Gerwig became the fifth woman to ever be nominated for a Best Director Oscar — Kathryn Bigelow (who won for The Hurt Locker) was the last female before her in 2010. Gerwig also picked up a nod for Best Original Screenplay.

Until Lady Bird, a tender and smart coming-of-age tale starring Saoirse Ronan, Gerwig was known primarily for her on-screen work in movies such as To Rome With Love, Maggie’s Plan, Baghead and 20th Century Women. Her most famous role is the lead in Frances Ha, a sweet black-and-white character piece she co-wrote with frequent collaborator and partner Noah Baumbach.

As the carefree Frances with co-star Mickey Sumner in Frances Ha. Picture: Transmission

Gerwig first worked with Baumbach on 2010’s Greenberg, playing Ben Stiller’s assistant. Two weeks into Frances Ha’s production, they became a couple and would go on to make Mistress America, which she also co-wrote.

She was often described as Baumbach’s muse, that his films with her had a charming and life-affirming optimism, rather than his movies with Stiller, which were drier and more caustic. But Gerwig is no one’s muse.

Even before she met Baumbach, Gerwig had been a darling of the film movement somewhat derogatorily known as mumblecore — low-budget, improvisational productions — working alongside prominent figures such as the Duplass brothers and Joe Swanberg. It was on Swanberg’s Nights And Weekends in 2008 that she cut her behind-the-camera teeth as a co-director.

Directing Lady Bird, on her own, was very different.

“I loved directing. I had no idea how much I would love it,” she told news.com.au. “I thought I would love it but it was so thrilling. It’s an amazing combination of it being your vision and your words but then also giving over to the people you’re working with and I loved it. I can’t wait to do it again.

“Filmmaking is such a collaborative art and every person puts so much of themselves into it.”

With cinematographer Sam Levy on the set of Lady Bird. Gerwig had worked with Levy on three previous films. Picture: A24/Merie Wallace

No one has put more into Lady Bird than Gerwig. Like the titular character, Gerwig went to a Catholic girls school in Sacramento and graduated high school in those first years after 9/11. She also went on to a small liberal arts college in New York City (in Gerwig’s case, Barnard) where she was involved with the theatre program.

Lady Bird is not autobiographical, though you can definitely see how Lady Bird could grow up to be Gerwig. For one thing, Gerwig said she didn’t have Lady Bird’s confidence in pursuing boys she liked. But it has her sensibility all over it — the fast-paced way she speaks, that screwball warmth and a generous and open spirit, like the movie could somehow spontaneously throw its arms around you in an embrace.

“There are definitely things [in the film] that are very close to me,” she said. “Even though my mum is different to Marion and I’m different to Lady Bird, that kind of big relationship with so much love but so much conflict felt close to home, especially in that last year of high school when you’re trying to figure out how to separate from each other.”

Gerwig said her mother has seen Lady Bird five times and was with her when the film premiered at the Telluride Film Festival in September. Her mother “loved it”, by the way.

Gerwig has co-written two films with partner Noah Baumbach. Picture: Getty/Sonia Recchia

Gerwig didn’t go to film school — at Barnard, she studied English and philosophy and was rejected from master’s programs in playwriting. Working on the sets of respected directors was her education.

“Noah Baumbach’s sets influenced me tremendously,” she said. “He runs very calm, very clear-headed sets. There’s never any yelling or drama.

“And I got to know Rebecca Miller [on Maggie’s Plan] really well and she is one of my favourite people ever. I always admired that she is such an artist and she really speaks to her own vision and allows herself to trust her gut. It’s important to see someone stick to the things that really matter to them.”

But it was Mike Mills’ ability to be “emotionally present with his actors” on 20th Century Women that informed Gerwig’s approach.

“Being open to my actors and emotionally responding to what they were doing is not a sign of weakness but a sign of strength,” she said.

In various interviews, Lady Bird stars Ronan and Laurie Metcalf (both Oscar-nominated for their performances) have heaped praise on Gerwig for her directing style — for being collaborative, loving and providing a safe space. Metcalf said you’d never know it was her first time in charge of a set.

Laurie Metcalf, Saoirse Ronan and Greta Gerwig at Oscars nominees luncheon. Picture: Getty/Kevork Djansezian

Gerwig seemed genuinely humbled to receive such feedback. “If they felt supported then it means everything to me. To me, when you’re directing a film what you’re really doing is trying to take care of what your artists are giving you.

“Whether it’s actors or production designers or cinematographers, they’re giving so much of their art to you, so as a director you’ve got to make them feel protected so they can make big choices and know the work they do will be well guarded by the film.”

Perhaps it’s exactly that ethos which has allowed Gerwig to bring Lady Bird to life — the alchemic combination of her creative vision and her nurturing commitment to her peers. There’s even something feminine about that.

When you talk to Gerwig, she’s expressive and uses a lot of superlatives like “extraordinary”, “amazing” and “wildest dreams”, even over the phone you can almost feel her beaming. She’s not interested in creating some air of mystery.

She may represent a new breed of Hollywood director — one that eschews the terrorising approach of the likes of Alfred Hitchcock or David O. Russell and subverts the traditional, patriarchal model.

Gerwig is proof that you can be a woman in power, have a decidedly female perspective, tell female stories and still make a damn good movie that people love.

Lady Bird is in cinemas from today.

The 90th Oscars will be broadcast on March 4 at 12pm AEDT.

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