Kicking and Screaming: Catherine Called Birdy

I dragged myself through the first third of Lena Dunham’s Independent Spirit Award nominated Screenplay Catherine Called Birdy. I loved Girls up until the last season and have either loved or hated Dunham’s antics over the years. Odd upbringings make for creative geniuses (Safdies, Robert Downey Jr) and Dunham (psychiatrist and artists as parents) is a perfect example.
What I hated about the first third of the film is the cliche, rebellious coming of age girl and the hard to understand 78 rpm British dialect.
What I appreciated about the screenplay was the original conceit (girl from the medieval age tries to maintain her freedom) and Dunham’s signature quirky, clever dark humor.
Performances that stood out were: Bella Ramsey as the lead, whip smart and unafraid to be a geek (a Lena Dunham lookalike, too), Billie Piper as her mother, and OMG, how did I not know who he was last night?…Andrew Scott, the love of my life-minister from Fleabag!!!- wonderful here as Catherine’s father.
The arc of the story is quite satisfying as well as the fun modern soundtrack. However, up against the other Independent Spirit Award contenders, I’d vote for After Yang or Tar for best screenplay due to their more complex concepts.