By Lisa Perini ‘26 (Reporter)
Books being adapted into movies is quite common, but few have as many adaptations as
Luisa May Alcott’s 1868 novel, Little Women. The heartwarming and heartbreaking coming-of-age story of four sisters had its first and latest adaptations released over 100 years apart – it truly stands the test of time. Adapting a story like this one is quite the undertaking, and Greta Gerwig’s 2019 adaptation gracefully bears that responsibility while also reinventing the story.
Little Women tells the story of four sisters, Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy March, growing up in 1860s Massachusetts. The plot focuses on Jo and is a tale of individuality and aspiration. Jo has a moment where she says, “I'd rather be a spinster and paddle my own canoe,” and I feel that deeply resonates with the essence of this movie. It’s about “paddling your own canoe” and being yourself. It’s about following your dreams regardless of societal expectations, such as those prescribed to women in the story’s time period. These moments of individuality also come with many moments of unity. They’re sisters and can be at each other's throats, but they have each other’s backs at the end of the day. They all have a different focus, but opposites can attract. It’s sisterhood but also friendship.
The storytelling alternates between the past and present with all events feeding into each other. We first are shown each of the sisters in the present. With Jo (Saoirse Ronan) working and living in a big city as a free spirit, Meg (Emma Watson) becoming a mother, Amy (Florence Pugh) traveling Europe, and Beth (Eliza Scanlen) playing the piano. It took my most recent rewatch of this movie to realize these opening scenes aren’t just to introduce everyone, but they’re meant to show us each of the sisters’ essences – who they are and what everything in the past has led up to – without having to be defined by the outside world. Cut to seven years ago. It’s wintertime and the two oldest March sisters, Meg and Jo, are getting ready to go to a holiday party. It’s pretty chaotic, with Meg who’s in a fuss to make sure she looks nice, Amy complaining about not being able to attend, and Jo eventually burning off a piece of Meg’s hair while trying to curl it with a pair of metal tongs. Everyone’s screaming. It’s messy. But it’s girlhood. It’s the March sisters. I can’t help but smile when I watch these flashback scenes. They fill me with joy.
Featuring a star-studded cast with names including Meryl Streep, Timothée Chalamet, and Florence Pugh, shining moments are everywhere. I will admit that when I see a movie with too many big names, I get skeptical. In the past, it’s felt like when filmmakers put all these celebrities together, it’s to make up for a completely average storyline or just to get people to see it. However, this movie is infinitely more than just the silver-screen stars in it. Each actor’s performance blends so beautifully that everyone has a shining moment without the spotlight being taken off the story itself. There’s an incredible on-screen chemistry between the four sisters.
Along with a wonderful cast and a great storyline, this movie is also packed with stunning visuals. Now, there’s a chance I may be biased, but I think Greta Gerwig is a genius and the perfect director for this adaptation. Gerwig has previously expressed her love for this story on countless occasions. And when someone brings that kind of thought into a project, it elevates the experience for us as viewers. Knowing someone put their heart and soul into a production makes it even better. It adds a whole new layer of meaning to everything. She also incorporates the Massachusetts landscapes into the movie in a way that doesn’t feel “zoomed out,” but rather is a way for us to take everything in. This is a movie we can enjoy in every aspect. It’s evident that this movie was a labor of love.
Please, do yourself a favor, and watch Little Women. You won’t regret it. Make sure you have tissues – as jovial as this movie can be, it will also tear your heart out. But you should absolutely watch it.
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