Little Women Review

Director: Greta Gerwig

Production Company: Columbia Pictures

Streaming Service: N/A (In Theaters)

Release Date: December, 25th 2019

Rating: PG

Description:

If you have never heard of this story, before you keep reading, know that the women are in fact average size. Based upon the book published in 1868, Little Women follows a coming of age story of the four March sisters. The film has been remade seven separate times over the course of the century. Although I haven’t seen any of the other productions, this one was directed by Greta Gerwig and it was fantastic. Starring a very familiar faced cast the four girls were played by: Saoirse Ronan (Jo), Emma Watson (Meg), Florence Pugh (Amy), and Eliza Scanlen (Beth). Others include Meryl Streep, Timothee Chalamet, Laura Dern, and many others. The film was split between two different timelines, of Jo reflecting upon her life.

Present-day, 1861, Jo March is an aspiring author living in New York City. It is very much apparent during the story the struggles at which independent women had during the time of the Civil War. While the more present plot follows the girls in different parts of the world, the past brings them all together to their classic New England home in the quaint town of Concord, Massachusetts. One might find the time jumps to be confusing at first, however, besides the different hairstyles that Jo fashions, the cinematic tones at which the producer has divided them makes a clear distinction as they contrasted each other well. The past is shown in a warmer tone, giving the scenes a much more loving and nostalgic feel to them. Whereas the present is made in a much cooler tone, making the audience feel as if something is lost or missing. One observation I took away from the movie was a lack of importance in Emma Watson’s character. As someone who is a much more well-known actress than Saoirse Ronan, in no way did she steal the show. Overall, it was a fun film to watch as I sat in a full theater with my mother and all people over the age of 70. By the end, I felt as though I really knew all the characters and their very different personalities. 

Reviewer: Lauren Forgione