Little Women
From the pages to the screen.
Louisa May Alcott's most famous work was first published in two volumes, in 1868 and 1869. Having been appreciated so much, additional titles followed later on like Good Wives, Little Men, and Jo's Boys, as a continuation of the first work, since readers were eager to know more about the characters and their evolution. Little Women and Good Wives were eventually issued as a single novel with the title that is now widely known.
Over time, especially during the 20th century, there have been several screen adaptations of Little Women. The first one was released in 1917, and more followed in 1918, 1933 and 1939. The most recent ones were released in 1994, under the direction of Gillian Armstrong and in 2019, under Greta Gerwig's.
Although I've watched both, I've chosen to focus on the 1994 version, since it's extremely faithful to the book, and the cast contributed wonderfully in making the movie as excellent as it is!
In this adaptation, in which Robin Swicord handled the screenplay, we see Winona Ryder as Jo, Trini Alvarado as Meg, Kirsten Dunst as young Amy, Samantha Mathis as older Amy, Claire Danes as Beth, Christian Bale as Laurie, and Susan Sarandon as Mrs. March.
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The story revolves around the March family, Mr. and Mrs. March, alongside their four daughters Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy, who have recently moved to a new neighborhood somewhere in Massachusetts, after having fallen into financial distress.
We join the family in winter, during the Christmas season, whilst Mr. March is away serving in the American Civil War. Trying to adapt both emotionally and financially to this new situation, each women, regardless of their age, contributes in a way: Meg, being the eldest, works as a governess, Jo assists her wealthy aunt and Beth helps with the housework, since she feels too timid to go to school, in contrast to Amy. Eventually they get to meet their neighbor Laurie, who lives at the other side of their house, and while they spend a lot of time together, they end up forming a long-lasting friendship with him.
Throughout the story, we witness the girls' coming of age. Inspired by their kind mother, a fine example of a person with strong values, they learn about love, sacrifice and compassion, while trying at the same time to overcome their personal challenges, especially when being ruled by pride, hot temper, or greed. We follow the girl's development, according to their natural drive: Meg is more traditional and dreams of a domestic life, Jo longs to become a writer, Beth loves music and plays the piano, while Amy craves to be an artist and enter the high society. While each one takes her own path, different events unfold around them, shaping them and marking them forever.
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The movie was nominated for several categories, and won Best Movie for Families, Best Actress (Winona Ryder), Most Promising Actress (Kirsten Dunst), Best Supporting Actress (Kirsten Dunst) and a Film Music Award.
Honestly, it gave me goose bumps more than once, as it perfectly captures the atmosphere of the book, and follows accurately the characters' depictions. I consider this version to be the best one, wanting actually to go back to it, as I'm writing about it!
Watch the official trailer here.
Note: No AI was used to write this post. Only my partner's valuable help to spot little mistakes.