Greta Gerwig and Laurie Metcalf talk mothers, daughters and movies

LOS ANGELES -- There was plenty of Oscar love to go around for the team who worked on "Lady Bird" on nomination morning in January.

Writer-director Greta Gerwig is nominated in both those categories, and Saoirse Ronan is up for the best actress prize.

Laurie Metcalf, who plays her mom, is up in the supporting actress category, and the first-time nominee thinks there's something special about the film's mother-daughter dynamic.

"Mothers go with daughters to see the movie and see each other differently after some of the exchanges in the film," said Metcalf. "I think that's incredible that art can do that, and Greta not only wrote that but directed it."

Gerwig is the sole female in the directing category, and the first female nominee in almost a decade, when Kathryn Bigelow was nominated for "The Hurt Locker" in 2009.

She said being honored by her peers has been overwhelming.

"Oh my god. I mean, this whole thing is so amazing and so surreal," she said. "To be recognized by these people I've looked up to my whole life and then to be brought into this incredible group of directors -- it's just everything about it is amazing and it makes me-- it made me teary while it was happening."

Metcalf's early career was mainly in theater, but she did hit the big screen in the 1985 film, "Desperately Seeking Susan." She says the role wasn't quite in her comfort zone, but it worked for her director.

"You know what's so funny, "Desperately Seeking Susan" is a big flash point movie for me," said Gerwig. "I love that movie, and it makes so much sense that Laurie was in it and then we found each other. It all comes full circle."