For Laurie Metcalf in 'Lady Bird,' this is the moment for her kind of honesty

There's a scene in "Lady Bird," this fall's remarkable coming-of-age movie by Greta Gerwig, where the title character, a complicated Sacramento 17-year-old encapsulated by Saoirse Ronan, finds herself in the dressing room of an off-price clothing store with her mother, Marion McPherson, who happens to be played by Laurie Metcalf.

Christine "Lady Bird" McPherson comes out with a new dress. She just wants to be told by her mom that she looks nice. She understands that her mom loves her and wants the best for her, but she