ReelBob: ‘Little Women’ ★★★★
By Bob Bloom
The magic of Greta Gerwig’s adaptation of Louisa May Alcott’s “Little Women” rests upon the method Gerwig — who also wrote the script — uses to construct the movie.
Rather than linear storytelling, Gerwig begins with the March girls as young ladies and uses flashbacks to show the challenges, triumphs and heartbreaks they faced as they matured from girls to women.
Gerwig’s film feels fresh and modern despite being set during the Civil War. That is because, throughout, she weaves in the social and cultural limitations, restrictions and expectations faced by women during the 1860s.
She definitely gives the movie a subtle feminist slant, without distracting from the overall presentation.
And while some purists may object to Gerwig’s approach overall, she stays true to the spirit of Alcott’s beloved work.
The center of the story is Jo (Saorise Ronan), the oldest March sister. She is a writer, believing her work is good enough to be published. But, as she discovers, publishers — all men — determine what stories women may write and to which specific guidelines they need to conform to be profitable.
Jo’s sister, Amy (Florence Pugh), is in Europe studying to be a painter. She, too, faces biases about the subjects women can put on canvas.
The majority of the film’s 134-minute running time focuses on the journeys of Jo and Amy. The other sisters, Meg (Emma Watson) and Beth (Eliza Scanlen), get a fair amount of screen time, but their stories basically are peripheral to those of their elder sisters.
“Little Women” is such a familiar story; not so much from the book but because it has been adapted for motion pictures and television at least a half-dozen times since 1918.
One of the major strengths of Gerwig’s feature is its accessibility. Most men, including myself, have not read the book and only know the story through the movies. But her themes are so universal that everyone can relate to the story.
The foundation of the movie rests on the stellar cast Gerwig has assembled. It’s with no sense of irony that you later realize that this most American of stories is headed by an international cast of actors — Ronan, who was born in the Bronx but moved back to Ireland with her family when she was 3; Pugh, who was born in England; Watson, who was born in Paris to English parents; and Scanlen, who was born in Australia.
Their strong performances capture your heart and emotionally invest you in their lives.
The young cast, which also includes Timothée Chalamet as Laurie and Louis Garrel as Friedrich Bhaer, is abetted by a group of veteran actors, including Laura Dern as the matriarchal Marmee, Meryl Streep as Aunt March, Chris Cooper as Mr. Laurence, Bob Odenkirk as Father March and Tracy Letts as Mr. Dashwood, the skeptical publisher.
Together they bring Alcott’s book to life in an energized and self-assured manner. If there is justice in the cinematic world, then Gerwig should receive an Academy Award nomination.
With her earlier “Lady Bird,” and now “Little Women,” she exhibits a poised and fearless creativity, making whatever subject she tackles a singular event that should be viewed and applauded.
I am a founding member of the Indiana Film Journalists Association. My reviews appear at ReelBob (reelbob.com) and Rottentomatoes (www.rottentomatoes.com). I also review Blu-rays and DVDs. I can be reached by email at bobbloomjc@gmail.com or on Twitter @ReelBobBloom. Links to my reviews can be found on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.
LITTLE WOMEN
4 stars out of 4
(PG), thematic elements, smoking