‘Lady Bird’ named best picture by New York Film Critics
NEW YORK — The New York Film Critics Circle on Thursday named “Lady Bird” best feature film and its star, Saoirse Ronan, best actress, throwing its full support behind Greta Gerwig’s comic drama about growing up in Sacramento, Calif.
The wins for “Lady Bird,” announced on Twitter, add further steam to the film’s growing Oscar chances. “Lady Bird,” Gerwig’s first feature as a solo director, also has the distinction of setting a new record for perfection: It’s the most widely reviewed movie on Rotten Tomatoes to receive 100-per cent positive reviews.
Earlier in the week, “Lady Bird” also scored honours at the Gotham Awards (for Ronan) and from the National Board of Review (for Gerwig and co-star Laurie Metcalf). Ronan, 23, has now won best actress from the New York critics twice, following her 2015 win for “Brooklyn.”
“The Florida Project” — an A24 release like “Lady Bird” — also fared well with the New York critics, winning best director for Sean Baker and best supporting actor for Willem Dafoe. The film depicts the vibrant but hard lives of those living at a low-budget Florida motel in the shadow of Disney World.