Little Women - A Movie Review

Life is like a book. The pencil writes your story. Your story is up to you.

Little Women is a 2019 adaptation of Louisa May Alcott’s famous novel of the same name. Growing up, the four March sisters are trying to understand their place in life as women. Enjoying the eventful days and celebrating their own achievements, the darkness lingers in the future slowly separating the family apart.

Once I saw the trailer for this movie I was captivated in an instant. Little Women graces audiences with an endearing tale about four sisters challenging their society about views of women. Not only does Little Women distribute the acting abilities of several talented actresses, it is an inspirational movie for women audiences.

Little Women has tremendous performances delivered by a strong ensemble of women. Saoirse Ronan, Emma Watson, Florence Pugh, and Eliza Scanlon were terrific as the four sisters. The interactions between the March sisters is one of the best parts, especially when they are arguing with one another.

Saoirse Ronan once again embodies her role, completely losing herself and delivering a strong performance as Jo March. Instead of going along with society, Jo would rather be her own person instead of marrying. That is a very big decision for a woman living in the 1800s. Her determination and energy to write were inspiring. I believe that Ronan deserves a nomination for her empowering role.

No matter what movie Laura Dern is in she always delivers a genuinely positive attitude as a character who is willing to do everything in her willpower to help someone. I adored her performance as Marmee March. No other actress could have played the role as she did.

Little Women includes the talented Timothée Chalameta as the charming Laurie Lawrence who flirts with each of the March sisters, but mostly Jo. I enjoyed performances by Tracy Letts, Bob Odenkirk, James Norton, Jane Houdyshell, and a humorous performance by Myrle Streep as the blunt Aunt March.

Greta Gerwig’s direction was the embodiment of the film. Gerwig has become one of my favorite directors since I saw Lady Bird. Her incredible attention to characterization, coming of age, and the moral of the story made Little Women a strong adaptation of a popular story about not only four women growing up, but women escaping from the ropes of their society to be their own beings.

The cinematography was stunning. The shots of grassy parks, colorful trees, or landscape were beautiful. The film captured a genuine 1800s setting along with beautiful dresses. One of my favorite settings was the March house. I actually felt like a was a guest witnessing the girls banter. Little Women has a welcoming vibe that you’re pulled into immediately.

One criticism that I have involves the editing of the story. The film tends to skip around in the timeline showing scenes in the past until going back to the present abruptly. At times, It was hard for me to tell which time period we were in because of the abrupt changes.

For the most part, I could tell when scenes transitioned because of the different hairstyles and clothing. The idea to skip around in the timeline worked, but it could have had a better angle in which the story needed a smoother transition.

Little Women is a heartwarming story. I had this smile on my face throughout the whole movie. The moral of the film is not to be forgotten. I recommend that you go see this film in theaters. It is not to be missed. Make your life what you want it to be.