New Sincerity is an aesthetic and emotional reaction based on the tension between irony and sincerity, which are defined as two opposite poles. New Sincerity movement, which was born as a reaction to postmodern irony, cynicism and detachment and with the motivation to transcend these, is frequently encountered in discussions of cinema, literature, poetry, visual arts and popular music. In response to the brutally ironic approach of postmodernism, which ignores basic human feelings; metamodernism highlighted sincerity and sentimentality as prominent features. Although the skeptical approach created by postmodernist irony and cynicism works as a defense mechanism, its failure to offer concrete solutions and ignoring hope altogether can eventually lead to nihilism. Metamodernism, also known as post-postmodernism, claims the possibility of surpassing the irony and nihilism of postmodernism and being able to reconnect with people and deliver meaningful artistic values. New Sincerity corresponds to the new sensibility that metamodernism called for, which integrates “modernist naiveté and postmodernist sarcasm” (Yousef, 2018). Metamodernism ontologically oscillates between modernism and postmodernism. What is meant by oscillation is a state of ebb and flow between two extremes; there is no fixation in the middle and the accounts of both are valid. Metamodern aesthetics are not something that can be revealed with the intention of the creator. They could be observed in works of art as in postmodern and modernist aesthetics.

In this context, Lady Bird (Greta Gerwig, 2017), which is a coming-of-age story displaying the New Sincerity aesthetics and metamodern sensibility, has been examined in the study. New Sincerity aesthetics in the context of metamodernism are located in a gray area; by internalizing and transforming postmodern irony without leaving it out, the aesthetics enable emotional engagement with the film. In the field of cinema, the films by directors such as Wes Anderson, Charlie Kaufman, Spike Jonze and Noah Baumbach are usually associated with New Sincerity. Certain films that exhibit common characteristics in the coming-of-age genre in recent years can be included in this movement. In this respect, Lady Bird is a part of the same sensibility along with the films like Frances Ha (2012), Booksmart (2019), Eighth Grade (2018) and Plan B (2021). New Sincerity attitude in Lady Bird is especially evident in the presentation of both naïve and ironic perspective on life and realistic depictions of relationships between characters. An idealized imagination of nostalgia or a ‘cool’ youth rebellion, which are frequent themes in coming-of-age films, have left their place to the emphases on the importance of human warmth and a hopeful search for meaning. Complexity, sensitivity, and honesty stand out in the character representations. Even the peripheral characters were represented with some level of depth and detail. The tropes like homosexuality and sex were treated as mid-level functioning plot points instead of important climaxes in the plot. The film has a ‘quirky tone’ which can be explained as balancing “ironic detachment with sincere engagement” (MacDowell, 2012). More particularly, the quirkiness of the protagonist Lady Bird stems from her balanced synthesis of irony and sincerity. Her mood oscillates between jittery and self-doubt on the one hand and kindness and compassion on the other. It is possible to feel both embarrassment and sympathy for the characters. The film depicts a complex ‘love and hate’ relationship between the mother and the daughter. Gerwig puts aside a narrative that can lead to agitation and offers a compassionate approach for both of the characters.

The film exemplifies the New Sincerity aesthetics through embracing sincerity and benignity instead of and alongside cynicism. The story has a combination of optimism and cynicism where hope is accompanied by melancholy. This feature provides the film a tangible nature. By oscillating between the poles of optimism and cynicism, irony and sincerity, Lady Bird constitutes an example in the art of cinema of the metamodernist discourse, which is claimed to represent the zeitgeist as a cultural phenomenon. The film has a hopeful ending, rather than solely championing teenage angst.