My movie-watching spree started the first week of January. I secretly created a Letterboxd account to document my journey (which was apparently considered lame), writing a paragraph’s worth of a movie review or one in under five words.

Rated 4.5 stars out of 5 on two of my closest friends’ Letterboxd accounts, I expected Baby Driver to be a cinematic masterpiece. I, however, was unprepared for the fleeting disappointment I felt after watching the credits screen roll. I wanted to love the movie as much as they did, but there was just something missing. 

I mention this experience because I had placed my friends’ opinions of the movie on a pedestal, consequently expecting too much out of it.

However, rated a 7.4 out of 10 on IMDB and a four and a half out of five on my Letterboxd, Lady Bird, is worth every minute. This film highlights the rawness of teenage life through the eyes of high school senior Christine “Lady Bird” McPherson. Lady Bird finding her voice and forging her own path after facing a tumultuous relationship with her mother who she also terribly loved, left me in tears. 

But watching this movie, watching Lady Bird tear herself apart as she yearns for her mothers validation, forced me to contemplate on whether I too rely excessively on other’s opinions.

“Do you like me?”

“I want you to be the very best version of yourself that you can be.”


“What if this is the best version?
”

Over the past few months, I was faced with what I believe is the most monumental decision a high school senior can make: deciding what college they want to attend *see story.*

Although I believe that we all end up at the same place in the end, no matter what college we may attend, there seems to be this societal pressure to attend a certain school if you are a certain type of student – an element of Lady Bird’s mother’s incessant expectations and demands.

After finally deciding on a university and letting a couple of friends and teachers know, I was more often than not met with a forced smile, a surprised look and subtle head nod, suggesting that my decision was eccentric for the type of student I was. A few students even went as far as verbalizing their opinions, assuming that “you could do better” is a compliment. 

Everyone is entitled to their own opinion. There will be people like Lady Bird’s mother who go through great lengths to prove their opinion should be valued more than yours.

But facing this first hand and feeling like I was losing control of my personal decision due to other people’s ideas of what my life should look like, made me realize that I have every right to stop listening. 

It’s truly as simple as that.

I don’t think I’ll ever reach a perfect world where I don’t care for other people’s opinions, but I do know that it’s OK to become a version of Lady Bird and unapologetically define my own path.

 Follow Sri (@sriachanta_) and @CHSCampusNews on X.