Greta Gerwig’s Lady Bird is a triumphant exploration of young womanhood, complex family dynamics, and social standing. It’s also set in her home of Sacramento in the early 00s. The filmmaker and actor has said that the story basically “wrote itself” and that it’s semi-autobigraphical – no wonder then that her own local high school is planning a Lady Bird-themed party pre-Oscars.

St. Francis High, Sacramento have planned a party for staff and students – 350 guests overall – to celebrate their 2002 graduating alumni. As told to Vanity Fair, there will be a Greta cardboard cutout and video in tribute to her time at the school.

Maryanne Kelly, the director of advancement at the school, told Vanity Fair: “It’s going to be uniquely St. Francis, uniquely Sacramento. The atmosphere will be spectacular.”

Lady Bird treats the Catholic girls school experience with a tender eye. As a senior at Immaculate Heart – or Immaculate Fart – Lady Bird (Saoirse Ronan) spends time daydreaming at school mass, eating communion wafers and chatting about masturbating, and vandalizing a nun’s car with ‘Just Married to Jesus’ signs and decorations. She meets boyfriends and love interests, navigates steadfast and fickle friendships and looks to an uncertain future. It’s Sister Sarah Joan too that suggests to Lady Bird that she genuinely has a love for Sacramento. 

“There’s plenty of stuff to make a joke out of (in Catholic schools), but what if you didn’t?” Gerwig told America magazine. “What if you took it seriously and showed all the things that were beautiful about it?”

In her own time spent at St Francis, the Frances Ha actress performed in school productions of The Apple Tree and the Wonderful Wizard of Oz. Other locals have been similarly inspired by Gerwig – a Lady Bird walking tour exists, where visitors can see the dreamy blue house Lady Bird longed to live in, the dive bar, and the rose garden where Danny declined to touch Lady Bird’s boobs. Local company Marquee Media also put up 11 billboards congratulating Gerwig.

As Indiewire reports, she intends to make three more films about Sacramento after Lady Bird, taking inspiration from author Elena Ferrante’s Neapolitan quartet.

Gerwig is the fifth woman ever nominated for Best Director at the Oscars, and god knows her school is proud.