Greta Gerwig's "Roots and Wings" Tribute
Tuesday, January 9, 2018 at 2:30PM by Murtada
Before she was rushed off the stage by the ticking clock, Greta Gerwig still managed to be profound and touching when accepting the award for Best Film Musical or Comedy at the Golden Globes. That she managed to do that with just a few words is even more impressive.
I want to say thank you to my mom and dad and the people of Sacramento who gave me roots and wings and helped me get where I am today.
Early on in Lady Bird there’s a scene where Marion (Laurie Metcalf) drives around Sacramento with a peaceful smile on her face. Later on in the film Lady Bird (Saoirse Ronan) talks about driving for the first time herself, and the connection between the mother and daughter and their love for each other and for the place they live in is revealed to us. I was reminded of that moment and how much it moved me while listening to Gerwig’s speech.
The places we come from give us our stories. Those are more poignant if while young we longed to leave those places, only later to discover how much they meant to us. Sometimes out of nowhere, we remember with a jolt of heartache. For me, it’s sleeping outside under a blanket of stars, in the warm clear nights of my hometown Khartoum. For Marion and Lady Bird it’s driving along the familiar streets of their hometown. We are where we come from, and where we come from is what gives us our unique stories. Gerwig lovingly captured that feeling in her film, and paid tribute to it with her speech. As Sister Sarah (Lois Smith) tells Lady Bird sometimes love is paying attention to the details that make up a story.
Don’t you think maybe they are the same thing? Love and attention?
Reader Comments (5)
Why were you sleeping outside?
Murtada -- now i want to see YOUR coming of age movie set in Khartoum.
Agree with Nathaniel. Thanks for the lovely write-up, Murtada
Nathaniel and catbaskets - thanks for your kindness. I need to start writing that script!
3rtful - that's just what we did, because of the stifling heat. Desert weather is nice and cool but only at night. You either slept out in the courtyard if you had one or on the balcony or rooftop.
Hey, I grew up in the suburbs of Sacramento (Fair Oaks) and I spent every night in the summer sleeping outside too. We had one window air conditioner in the dining room and we either brought our mattresses to that room and slept under it, or went outside and slept on the lawn or eventually in my treefort. :-)
Thanks for triggering a few happy memories from childhood. Go Greta!