Existentialists and Mystics

In the 2017 film Lady Bird, Greta Gerwig offers a heartfelt portrait of a young woman. A coming-of-age semi-autobiographical tale set in Sacramento. The film has been celebrated for its authenticity, humor, and emotional depth. But beneath its carefully observed story of teenage rebellion and maternal aggravations lies a profound meditation on a theme central to the works of philosophers Simone Weil and Iris Murdoch: the inseparable link between love and attention.