Greta Gerwig is one of the contenders for Best Director at the 2018 Oscars in the otherwise all-male nominees for her directorial debut on Lady Bird.
Gerwig is the fifth woman in Oscars history to be nominated for Best Director. It has been eight years since a woman nabbed the most-coveted title after The Hurt Locker director Kathryn Bigelow took home the Best Director Award at the 2010 ceremony.
The 34-year-old filmmaker and actress is also the only female nominee in the all-male line-up. The other contenders for Best Director at the 2018 Oscars are Guillermo del Toro for The Shape of Water, (del Toro won Best Director at the recent Golden Globes), Paul Thomas Anderson for Phantom Thread, Jordan Peele for the dark comedy Get Out, and Christopher Nolan for his work on the World War II film Dunkirk.
Lady Bird is not Gerwig's first foray into directing. She previously co-helmed the 2008 movie Nights and Weekends with Joe Swanberg. However, this is the first time she went solo. To say that the California-native is overwhelmed and overjoyed at her Oscar nomination is putting it mildly. In fact, she is in between emotions. She does not know whether to laugh, cry, or jump for joy.
"I've been in various states of laughing and crying and yelling with joy, and you're the next person I'm doing that to! I apologize if I descend into something that doesn't make any sense because I can't believe it. I can't believe it!" Gerwig said in a phone interview with Entertainment Weekly.
The filmmaker expressed her disbelief at being nominated for Best Director given that she is a woman and the fact that there are other great films this year. Gerwig admitted that she found the courage to go solo from her peers and the other female directors she has worked with. She specifically took inspiration from Rebecca Miller, who directed her in the 2015 film Maggie's Plan.
"It was something about watching her and watching her realize her movie that I thought, 'It's time, it's time. Look at her! You can do this!'" Gerwig recalled.
Aside from Best Director, Gerwig also got picked for Best Original Screenplay. Overall, the drama comedy had five nominations at the 90th Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Supporting Actress for Laurie Metcalf, and Best Lead Actress for Saoirse Ronan — this is her fourth Oscars nomination. The 23-year old actress, who plays the titular character, took home the Best Actress Award at the recent Golden Globes.
