‘Catherine, Called Birdy’ Is as Insipid as it Is Inspired | Review

Lena Dunham wants you to think Catherine, Called Birdy is her big comeback after the internet (rightfully) railed against her for her creepy admissions about her sister, but this disappointing adaptation of Karen Cushman’s quintessential children’s book, is another swing-and-miss for Dunham on the heels of the atrocious festival dud that was Sharp Stick. Its haphazard script trades a plucky adolescent coming-of-age romp for a lackluster revelation of youth, salvaged only by the incomparable and titular Catherine (Bella Ramsey). Ramsey, who was a breakout performer in Game of Thrones, once again astounds with her keen ability to balance the rambunctiousness of youth with the reality of being a woman in a man’s world. 

Cushman’s Catherine, Called Birdy hit bookshelves back in 1994, yet it somehow managed to miss the boat when similar lighthearted historical fare like Ella Enchanted or Ever After were being greenlit by studios. Rather than embracing the historical pageantry of Cushman’s novel, Dunham opts for making a farce out of Catherine’s plight—which sees her father Lord Rollo (Andrew Scott) attempt to marry her off to whoever will take her—into a disappointing satire. While anachronistic history like the previously mentioned films and even, more recently, The Great, can be great fun, Dunham fails at creating something that doesn’t feel like it’s making fun of the very source of its own existence. It’s a frustrating quagmire, when the film has a golden goose of a cast and a book that should have been easy to adapt with more grace. 

When we first meet Catherine, she’s living the high life, getting into trouble with her best friend Aelis (Isis Hainsworth), goofing off, and mostly existing without a care in the world. But her days of grandeur are brought to a swift end when it becomes apparent that her father, Lord Rollo, has been living far and above their means. Much to the chagrin of his beloved wife Lady Aislinn (Billie Piper), Rollo sets out to find Catherine a perfect match for a husband. As their only daughter, Catherine’s sole purpose becomes behaving well enough to entice a high-bidding husband to sweep her off her feet and line her father’s pockets with the coin he needs to keep their family afloat. But even with her family’s well-being at stake, Catherine instead makes it her purpose to run away from every single suitor until only one remains that she can’t shake. 

Image via Prime Video

Dunham, who seems intent on creating wholly unappetizing dynamics in her films, pointedly shirks the book’s dynamic between Catherine and her beloved uncle George (Joe Alwyn) for one that seems a little more in line with the House of the Dragon. It’s not even subtle that Dunham deigns to have Catherine pine after her uncle, it’s blatant in the use of The Angels' catchy tune "My Boyfriend's Back,” which plays over one of their scenes, as well as the way she actively gets upset when Aelis flirts with George or when George eventually marries someone who isn’t her. It’s an odd choice in a series of odd choices that make me question Dunham’s artistic insight. Nevertheless, Alwyn makes for a swoon-worthy white knight or prince charming archetype, though Dunham, yet again, is a little heavy-handed with her blatant Taylor Swift allusions. Yes, we’re all very aware that Alwyn is “gorgeous.” 

Catherine, Called Birdy was never going to tackle the political dynamics of being a young, unmarried woman in medieval Britain, so that was never something that needed to be factored into the film’s script. Yet, even setting aside expectations, the screenplay does a disservice to its cast of characters who are left empty-handed and lacking any real, notable character growth or development. Even Catherine, try as Ramsey may, is left coasting along on the good graces of the audience, trading fart jokes for something reminiscent of plot advancement. The final act propels characters—most notably Lord Rollo—in a direction that feels at odds with everything shown to be true throughout the film. Things are undone in such rapid succession that their quick-fire introductions are barely relevant. 

Final Verdict: C-

Catherine, Called Birdy is streaming now on Prime Video.