Like many families who exist in novels, the sisters are very different from one another in personality and passions. It’s these differences that create the most interesting conflicts within the story, but also brings them together in the end.
These small plot points come at you fast and furious, but overall tells a story addressing class, the role of 19th-century women, and controlling one’s destiny. The Marches are a tight-knit family coping with the tragedy of war and the ever-strengthening the bonds of sisterhood. Its feminist story is subversive yet powerful.
It would be unfair to say that Gerwig’s version of Little Women is a reaction to this current climate (which is becoming a knee-jerk reaction to everything). In ten years, this current climate will change, but films will not, and thankfully Gerwig’s Little Women will stand the test of time. For an adaptation of a novel, Little Women feels complete, rarely rushed, and flows wonderfully from start to finish. I have not read Alcott’s work, so I can’t attest to missing scenes, undeveloped characters, or its actual timeline, but it’s a cohesive story.
“…feels complete, rarely rushed, and flows wonderfully from start to finish.”
It also helps that the entire cast is brilliant from top to bottom. Saoirse Ronan is the star here, and her portrayal of the driven Jo is strong, bold, and incredibly complex as she ultimately second-guesses her real dreams in life. As the March matriarch, Laura Dern is the moral center for the sisters. She admirably takes the mantle as the family leader and becomes an example of strength and compassion for her children. Also standing out is Florence Pugh’s Amy. I’m told in other adaptations Amy is sort of a…but the way Gerwig structures the film with its jumps in time, Amy shows the most growth and maturity in her character as she is tested with climbing the social ladder.
What I love most about Little Women is how Gerwig’s script refuses to turn each character into a stereotype of their time. There is a complexity to each character and a real arc for each. Jo is more than a feminist spinster or Meg as the poor unhappy wife. This complexity is where Timothée Chalamet as Laurie also shines, especially in the Jo/Amy triangle, as his behavior stems from his circumstances and experiences.
Greta Gerwig has assembled a fantastic cast of brilliant actors pulling out the nuisances of Alcott’s original story. Throwing around the word “feminist” here feels cliched, but this story is uplifting and never hits you over the head in getting its point across. Little Women is my favorite adaptation this year (yes, even over JoJo Rabbit). The film’s ambiguous ending is just icing on this magnificent cake.
"…refuses to turn each character into a stereotype of its time."
