Little Women movie review

RATING: PG

LENGTH: 2 hours, 14 minutes

Movie Review Mom GRADE: A-

IN A NUTSHELL:
As a movie critic, I loved watching this new adaptation because it was so well done and immensely charming. As an author, I loved watching Jo March develop as a writer, and learning a little bit more about Louisa May Alcott. If you’re a writer who would like help launching your book into 5 or 6 figures, check out my author coaching services at www.FromBook2Business.com

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Now, on to the film…Director Greta Gerwig really brings these characters to life and blends the coming-of-age story and the book beautifully. She was six months pregnant by the time filming ended and went into labor 24 hours after turning in her rough edit. She has become an excellent filmmaker. She invited several cast members from her award-winning movie Lady Bird to return to work on this movie, a film sure to be another award winner and instant classic.

TIPS FOR PARENTS:
⦁ Some kids will be bored, especially boys. There is a lot of estrogen in this movie!
⦁ Some people get sick.

Death
Romance, kissing
Discussion of the Civil War, although you don’t see any soldiers or battles; it’s simply the time period.
Some name calling.
Someone falls through the ice on a pond.
Some cleavage.
Talk of a “cathouse.”

THEMES:
⦁ Sisterhood
⦁ Family
⦁ Gender roles, differences, inequality
⦁ Love, marriage
⦁ Friendship
⦁ Money
⦁ Service to others
⦁ “Just because my dreams are different from yours doesn’t mean they’re unimportant.” – Meg March (Emma Watson)
⦁ Jo March states, “Writing doesn’t confirm importance; it just reflects it.”

THINGS I LIKED:
⦁ About ten years ago, I got to see Louisa May Alcott’s home in Concord, Massachusetts, so it was especially fun to see its setting as it would have looked in the 1800’s. What’s particularly impressive about Concord is how many famous people’s homes are still there today. I visited in the fall several years ago and there’s a beautiful scene when Jo March and Laurie climb to the top of the hill to talk and you see the beautiful fall leaves on all of the tress down below. The cinematography in this movie is really beautiful.
⦁ The cast is fantastic and includes Saoirse Ronan, Emma Watson, Florence Pugh, Oscar winners Meryl Streep and Chris Cooper Laura Dern, Tracy Letts, and Eliza Scanlen. As expected, Saoirse Ronan is outstanding. She has already received a Golden Globe nomination for her role as Best Actress and will, undoubtedly, also receive an Oscar nomination within weeks. What’s interesting is that the leading ladies who play the classic American daughters are not actually American at all. Saoirse Ronan is Irish, Emma Watson and Florence Pugh are English, and Eliza Scanlen is Australian. Their American accents were very good!
⦁ I also really enjoyed Laura Dern’s performance as Marmee March. I thought the conversation she had with Jo about feeling vs. expressing anger was especially powerful. I love how she was always aware of the needs of others and how she taught her daughters to serve. She was really great, by the way, in the recent Netflix movie Marriage Story (Original Music from the Netflix Film) where she plays a high-powered, ball-busting divorce attorney.
⦁ I like Oscar winner Chris Cooper, so I was a little worried about him when I saw how he looked in A BEAUTIFUL DAY. He looked much healthier in this role as Mr. Laurence.

* Meryl Streep was outstanding, as expected. She isn’t in very many scenes but steals them when she is. The role reminded me of Violet Crawley, the Dowager Countess played by the hilarious Maggie Smith in Downton Abbey.
⦁ All of the scenes with Saoirse Ronan and Tracy Letts were extremely entertaining.
⦁ I love little details like the black ink on Jo’s fingers. The scenes at night time in the home were very realistic because they were lit with candles everywhere, creating an especially quaint ambiance.
⦁ I grew up in a house with three daughters, so I laughed at the scenes where all of the girls were chatting and reacting to things at the same time. Some may think those scenes are too noisy and chaotic.
⦁ I really liked Florence Pugh in this role. She was excellent in the super creepy movie Midsommar, a film I’m still trying to get out of my head, as well as Fighting With My Family. Wow, what a year she has had!
⦁ As a period piece, the houses, clothing, and environments were perfect.

THINGS I DIDN’T LIKE:
⦁ The scenes bounce back and forth in time a LOT, so some viewers might get confused about the time line. Sometimes you can tell if you’re looking at the past or the “future” because the coloring is different, but not always. For example, the scenes from the past have brighter, happier colors; whereas, the color shades in the “future” are more grey and sad. The hairstyles are often a clue as well, but again, it’s not always reliable.
⦁ The casting seemed a bit off for two of the male characters. Academy Award nominee Timothee Chalamet did a fine job as Laurie, but he looked too young for the role. I was a little bit confused by Louis Garrel’s performance as Friedrich Bhaer. His accent sounded more French and he looked more Italian, but he was supposed to represent a young man from Germany.

FUNNY LINES:

⦁ “I can’t get over my disappointment at being a girl.” – Jo March (Saoirse Ronan)
⦁ “These French women couldn’t lift a hairbrush.” – Aunt March (Meryl Streep)
⦁ “We can’t stop God’s will.” – Beth March (Eliza Scanlen) “God hasn’t met MY will yet!” – Jo March
⦁ “I may not always be right but I’m never wrong.” – Aunt March

INTERESTING LINES:
⦁ The beginning of the movie shows this quote on the screen by Louisa May Alcott, “I’ve had lots of troubles, so I write jolly tales.”
⦁ “Morals don’t sell nowadays.” – Mr. Dashwood (Tracy Letts)
⦁ “I’d be respected if I can’t be loved.” – Amy March (Florence Pugh)
⦁ “I can’t afford to starve on praise.” – Jo March
⦁ “I’m not Shakespeare.” – Jo “Thank goodness. We already have him.” – Mr. Dashwood (Tracy Letts)
⦁ “No one makes their own way in the world, not really.” – Aunt March (Meryl Streep)
⦁ “It’s possible to be right and foolish.” – Aunt March
⦁ “Pretty things should be enjoyed.” – Marmee March (Laura Dern)
⦁ “Talent isn’t genius.” – Amy March (Florence Pugh)
⦁ “Marriage is an economic proposition.” – Amy March

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