Movie Review (& Defense Of): Little Women (2019)

Hello, everyone!

Today Iʼm reviewing for you one of the last movies that I saw in a theater. Back in the old days, remember? I first saw this on January 8th 2020. That sure seems like a long time ago! Since this film is based on a book and there are already several adaptations I would usually compare and contrast all of them. I will do that someday in one massive post, but today Iʼm going for something a little different. I hope you enjoy!

My guarantee: On ALL of my reviews there are NO spoilers unless I give you warning. This is spoiler free in its entirety! Through and through!

Little Women (2019):

Based on: Little Women - by Louisa May Alcott.

Set in the United States during and after the Civil War this film explores the family and relationships of four sisters. Jo is trying to sell stories to send money home to her family and we see how it all lead up to there through a split timeline. Broken hearts, fights, sickness, and more. Before all of this were four girls: Meg took care of people, Jo wrote, Beth played the piano, and Amy painted. The lives of the little women are constantly changing but at the base are they all who they were in the beginning? How do feelings grow and change with the world around them?

“Just because my dreams are different from yours doesnʼt mean theyʼre unimportant.” 

Genres: Romance, Drama, Period Drama,

Length: approx. 135 minutes.

Script: 10, no bad words or swearing! The dialogue is so genuine, too.

ʻ“Iʼm no Shakespeare!”

“Thank goodness, we already had him.”ʼ

Crew: Directed by: Greta Gerwig. Written by: Greta Gerwig from the original story by Louisa May Alcott.

Starring:

Saoirse Ronan as Jo March.

Emma Watson as Meg March.

Florence Pugh as Amy March.

Eliza Scanlen as Beth March.

Laura Dern as Marmee March.

Timothée Chalamet as Laurie.

ʻ“Itʼs Laurie!”

“I know.”ʼ

James Norton as John Brooke.

Louis Garrel as Friedrich Bhaer.

Dash Barber as Fred Vaughn.

Meryl Streep as Aunt March.

Chris Cooper as Mr. Laurence.

Tracy Letts as Mr. Dashwood.

Bob Odenkirk as Father March.

Jayne Houdyshell as Hannah.

Hadley Robinson as Sallie Gardiner Moffat. 

Maryann Plunkett as Mrs. Kirke.

Sasha Frolova as Mrs. Hummel.

Abby Quinn as Annie Moffat.

Lilly Englert as Kate Vaughn.

Costumes: 10, these are gorgeous! The design, colors, everything about them are so lovely and fitting to each of the characters.

Costumes designed by: Jacqueline Durran.

My favorite: Amyʼs blue!

Cinematography: 10. An important part of this adaptation of Little Women and how it stands out from others is the way it was filmed. As I mentioned in the premise, it has a broken timeline. It switches back and forth between the present day and the past. This is a big complaint of this movie as people say theyʼre confused or that you basically need to have the story already memorized to understand what was happening. Iʼll go into this more later, but I want to point out that I LOVE THIS. I thought it really made it unique from any of version. Maybe youʼre worried now because you want to see it but donʼt know the story or it has been awhile. Have no fear, Iʼm here to help! It uses a format that happens so naturally it can be hard to notice, but once you are looking for it you will never be confused about what is happening: THE LIGHTING. Thatʼs right, itʼs as easy as that! Any scene that is happening in the PRESENT has a blue/gray lighting. Any scene that was in the PAST has a soft yellow/golden lighting. I understand if you donʼt like it, my mom stopped watching after half an hour, but I ask that you try this technique. After explaining it to my dad I would then tell him whenever the lighting switched and he didnʼt have any further troubles.

Example 1: PAST AND GOLDEN LIGHTING:

Example 2: PRESENT AND GREY LIGHTING:

Cinematography by: Yorick Le Saux.

Music: 8, itʼs sweet and works well, but not particularly memorable. I wouldnʼt change it, though!

Music by: Alexandre Desplat.

Quotability: 8, not the most quotable of all time but there are good lines.

“Well, I believe we have some power over who we love.”

Oscars won: 1, Best Costume Design. It was nominated for 5 others, though! Including Best Picture, Best Actress (Saoirse Ronan), and Best Supporting Actress (Florence Pugh).

Content: 10, I canʼt think of any content that would be objectionable to anyone. There is some mild drinking, I suppose, once in a pub type establishment (I believe itʼs called a beer hall?), and once at a different party which is immediately reprimanded. Both are very short scenes. Sad things like sickness happen, but not something to shy away from.

Originality: 10, this gets a full score because it took a timeless tale and made it different but in a way that reflects the original work. Okay, I give up, I was trying to be eloquent but why Iʼm really giving it this score is because of the cinematography.

Good For: Period drama lovers, fans of the book (with caution, more on that later), families, sisters.

Age Range: Perfect for any and all ages!

Overall Score: 9.5!

Worth watching?: Gorgeous costumes, stunning cinematography, characters who walked off of the pages, moments that will break your heart and mend you again. Yes, absolutely in every way.

Will I watch again?: Certainly! I last saw it in August but already want to relive it. This will be a yearly occurence for me, if not more.

“Jo stays in the back so we canʼt see her cry.” (Do I feel called out? Yes, yes I do.)

For the blogathon:

Remember that mystery about why I was reviewing it separately from other versions? This is my entry in The Valentineʼs Day Period Drama Blog Party hosted by Heidi at Along the Brandywine (going until Monday the 15th!). Take a look at the other contributions HERE.

I debated for awhile what to write about as there are so many options! One day, I was listening to people (virtually) talk about this film. The consensus was not a positive one. That got me thinking, and the idea for this post came about.

You read my review and now we come to the second part of my blog post title: “& Defense Of”.

Quite frankly, I adore this film and it gets on my nerves how many times people talk about what a waste it is.

Note, if you donʼt like this movie then thatʼs totally fine! Iʼm glad that we have different opinions as it opens up a chance for discussion! Iʼm just asking that you hear me out and donʼt down this film in every aspect.

I tend to have controversial favorites (The Last Jedi, anyone?) and should be used to people disliking the things that I enjoy. It just gets so depressing, you know? Having people tell you that your favorite things are “bad” or “disappointing” or “worthless”. Iʼm starting to get too deep, but sometimes it feels like that that reflects on you. I know that there are tons of movies that I probably donʼt like that you do! I understand! In fact, there is a different version of Little Women that I don't like that much which you might! This is all okay. We're just here to talk about different and equally awesome and respectful opinions. Weʼre all going to be civil here as I just try to show you my world by telling you why I love this movie so much.

There are many different complaints for this movie, and Iʼll try to cover as many as possible, but I might not get to all of them. The most common one that Iʼve heard is this: the cinematography and filming style.

We already covered this but Iʼm going to recap. The filmmakers made a conscious decision to split the storyline that I approve of. Weʼve covered the technical aspect which I helped to explain, but there is something else that people usually comment on.

It gives away the parts of the story because we see it in the middle instead of the beginning.

True, I canʼt deny that so I wonʼt. As a tried and true fan of the story of Little Women (having read the book and seen two other versions) I know the story inside and out. For a fan like me it was nothing less than a treat to see the story told in a different perspective. Of course, for people who donʼt know what is happening, right from the start in this version you already know things that take time to work up to in the book. This is a valid argument, so if you have no idea about the story you might want to read the book or try another version first. I think it could be a fun way to experience it for the first time, but thatʼs up to you.

I canʼt recommend it to all fans of Little Women, because while I want to, I donʼt know how youʼll react. Both my sisters think that itʼs “okay” but like the 1994 version much better. That being said, I am the only one of us who has read the book, so when they say that they are confused over the timeline it makes sense.

What about me? Is this my favorite version? I canʼt rightly say. I was practically raised on the 1994 version so that will always have a special place in my heart (and the best Laurie!) but this one charms me. Everything about the set and costumes is glorious, itʼs unique, and the actors embody the characters fully. Speaking of, letʼs dive into them a little. (This is still spoiler free!)

Meg: Sometimes in film adaptations with such short time frames Little Women can feel like itʼs Joʼs story. I love how we got so much time with the other girls here. I feel that Meg especially gets neglected as being the older “boring” one. Here they gave her such clear wants and really made her feel whole. Her story has always struck to me in certain ways so I appreciated seeing that and Emma Watson really brought her to life. Her part is the most affected and “spoiled the ending” by starting in the middle. I really love the anticipation of whatʼs going to happen, so if this was your first encounter with the story that would be my sole warning of why you would want to start with a different version.

Jo: Saoirse Ronan IS my Jo. She is EXACTLY how I pictured her in the book. She is full of energy and life and is so relatable on so many levels. So much emotion goes into her (which can be a lot because Joʼs temper and feelings swing wildly) and nothing ever feels faked! Her performance is powerful and moving and one of the reasons I love this film so much.

Beth: You canʼt go wrong with Beth, can you? I thought that Eliza Scanlen played her to perfection.

Amy: Some people generally dislike Amy because she is so different from Jo, but Iʼve never had that problem. We get to another concern: having one actress play her. As I said, my sisters and I are used to the 1994 version, so we are used to two actress play her as she grows up. This can seem strange to you that this doesnʼt happen to any of the others. The thing with Amy is that she has a big age jump. In the beginning she is supposed to be 13, and by the end she is supposed to be 20. All of the other girls are older to begin with, so there is some wiggle room, per say. For Amy there is so much growing that happens in this range that it can be hard to pull off. My sisters say that it wasnʼt the best decision. I admit, Florence Pugh never quite looked 13, maybe 15 at the youngest. Others are irritated by the way she acts when she is playing the younger version. I understand that! Sometimes it seems a little over the top, but overall Iʼm so impressed with her performance. Costumes really helped as well and I just think that she did a miraculous job!

I will one day go into a mountain of details with the characters when I compare them all, but I want to admit one thing. The first time I didnʼt like Timothée Chalametʼs role as Laurie. There, I said it. I thought that he was nowhere as good as Christian Bale (but really, who is?). The second time...I did a 180. He really fits in well with this group of actors! I now approve.

Additional shout outs to Laura Dern, Meryl Streep, and James Norton!

Before I go, I should address one last thing. Some people wonder how much of a “feminist agenda” this has, with the concern that they shouldnʼt tamper with a classic story to add modern themes. Honestly, I donʼt see that as a valid concern. I donʼt think there is “too much” nor is there "too little". It has a balance and addresses issues relevant to both today and back then. I agree that part of the ending does seem tacked on, but anyone who has read the book knows that itʼs more of that. (No one ever does a certain character to justice, but in here it was close. One day I will see someone I am content with).

Now, is this film perfect? Probably not. I just think that it deserves more credit than people are giving it.

How to wrap up such sprawling thoughts? I love this adaptation and always will. It is lovely in every way. I hope that I have convinced you of itʼs value and that you now want to watch it in this form: A story about sisters growing up.

That got long quickly. If you made it this far, thank you so much! Thanks to Heidi for hosting this event, and I urge you guys to check out the rest of the posts HERE.

Time to talk! Anyone have the same opinion as me? Anyone have an opposite one? Either way I would love to discuss the different attributes! What is your favorite version of Little Women? What is the most unique cinematography that youʼve seen?

MovieCritic