'Lady Bird' lovefest continues as Sacramento library receives an autographed memento

Nearly six months after the wide release of "Lady Bird," both the film and its director, Greta Gerwig, are still racking up recognition and accolades for a movie that brought the pop-culture spotlight onto Sacramento, Gerwig's hometown.

Her latest contribution to the city was a copy of the film's script, signed by Gerwig and Saoirse Ronan (who plays the title character, Christine "Lady Bird" McPherson), and donated to the Sacramento Public Library system by a local resident, according to a library Facebook post.

That script will go on display Sunday during a celebration of the City Library's centennial anniversary. The free event will also include a look inside a vault containing "rare Sacramento documents" and a look at a time capsule from 1872. The event runs 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m., with Mayor Darrell Steinberg in attendance for opening remarks.

"Lady Bird," Gerwig's semi-autobiographical story of a high school girl eager to flee Sacramento for a college on the East Coast, was a huge critical success, winning Golden Globe awards for best musical or comedy movie and best actress in a musical or comedy movie for Ronan's performance. It was nominated for five Academy Awards, but came up empty on Oscar night.

Most recently, Gerwig was named one of Time magazine's 100 Most Influential People of 2018. Sacramento State alumnus Ryan Coogler, director of the massive box office smash hit "Black Panther," also made the list.

Local hype and support surrounding "Lady Bird" has persisted, perhaps hitting its peak around awards season. Sacramento bars held Oscar watch parties to root on a rare Sacramento-set film, a mural of the title character went up in midtown and Gerwig kept the hype train rolling with shout-outs to her hometown in interviews and acceptance speeches.

The signed script was donated by an insurance agent who said she hopes it will "inspire another local writer," according to the library's Facebook page.

Sacramento Public Library's City Library (also called the Central Library) is located at 828 I St. in Sacramento. It's the biggest of the city's 28 public libraries.

This story was originally published April 21, 2018 at 5:00 PM with the headline "'Lady Bird' lovefest continues as Sacramento library receives an autographed memento."