Little Women is a book I have not read. As such, besides that Friends episode where Rachel spoils the story for Joey, I didn’t really know much beforehand.
Based on Louisa May Alcott’s famous novel about four sisters coming-of-age in America in the aftermath of the Civil War, there are three things that stood out most and in a good way while watching director Greta Gerwig’s remake.
Firstly, the beauty that is the gift of sisterhood. Beauty that’s there when you’re happy with your sister, when you’re mad at your sister and when times aren’t so great. I like how accurately and honestly Gerwig captured the magic of these moments. Second, I’ve always been partial to stories of girls and women who are determined enough to decide on the life they want and go after it; regardless of other’s expectations. An even more impressive move during far less liberated periods in women’s history.
Lastly, unrequited love. The presence of this theme in Little Women resulted in my favourite scene and some of the most moving moments in the whole film. Particularly the one that takes place in a field with Timothée Chalamet and Saoirse Ronan’s characters.
In terms of how I feel about Gerwig’s movie overall, it’s very well acted by all involved. I especially enjoyed Chalamet, Ronan and Florence Pugh’s performances. Beyond that and the standout moments I’ve referenced, I can’t say that I love Gerwig’s movie. This is in part because I’m not quite a fan of the editing. The way it jumped back and forth to different time lines proved more annoying than fully necessary. Perhaps the story was too big to tell in the allotted time. Furthermore, I found that Little Women really became most interesting from Meg’s wedding onwards. The unfortunate thing about that is Meg’s wedding doesn’t take place until approximately two thirds into the film.
Big fans of the book will probably like this film far more than I did. For everyone else, I still say, follow your curiosities, whether or not it was ignited by an episode of Friends.
Happy Film Loving,
G
