Truffaut’s 1959 film The 400 Blows and Gerwig’s 2017 film Ladybird are distinctive coming of age films, with both narratives centring around a singular protagonist as they navigate growing up and authentically “come of age”.  Despite sharing similarities within the narrative storyline, such as rebellious teens longing to break free from the confinements and rules of society, the context of production, and evolution in the genre cycle, creates an interesting element of difference. The 400 Blows takes place during post WW2 era of Paris, depicting the realistic story of a troubled teen, Antoine Doinel, who’s unhappy at home and resistant to the rules of society, evident through his acts of rebellion leading to his incarceration before ultimately escaping during the movies closing sequence. Gerwig’s solo, 2017, directorial debut Ladybird, however, is set in Sacramento, California in the early 2000’s, following a teenage girl Christine or Ladybird, navigating her senior year of high school with the clear goal of going to out-of-state colleges into cities with “culture”. However, Ladybirds dilemmas are clearly portrayed through her disillusionment with California, struggle with her social class and relationship with her mother.