Little Women (2019)

Greta Gerwig does something different with her adaptation of Louisa May Alcott’s “Little Women”. With so many adaptations in existence, she needed to do something to stand out. The adaptation works completely.

Amy (Florence Pugh), Beth (Eliza Scanlen), Jo (Saoirse Ronan) and Meg (Emma Watson) are sisters growing up during the Civil War. Amy is the feisty, youngest sister who dreams of being the best artist; Beth is the musically talented sister with the most health issues; Jo is the writer who defies all traditional female roles and Meg wants to live a domestic life. The story begins in the future and is told via flashbacks starting seven years prior.

Apparently some found the use of the flashbacks confusing, but once the film truly gets going it’s easy to differentiate between the time periods. I’ve read the book so I knew what was the past and what was the future. Still, I thought it was easy to differentiate between the time periods regardless. Most of the scenes that take place in the past involve the sisters’ neighbor Laurie (Timothee Chalamet). The cinematography is also bleaker in the future as it matches Beth’s declining health.

Gerwig does a great job of making all the characters sympathetic. She also does a great job of showing that all the sisters’ life decisions are worthy in their own way because they’re living their truths. All the actresses do a great job as well. Ronan has the difficult job of portraying the strong willed sister that has few moments of vulnerability, and those moments she really lets her emotions through. Watson and Scanlen also do great in their roles. The standout for me was Pugh. She portrays Amy as a young girl all the way to being a young woman and she is able to portray that childlike wonder while also showing us her maturity once she’s of age.

The main focus of the film is womanhood. It shows that every woman might desire something different from someone else, and regardless of the decisions made, they’re valid. Some of the sisters also end up doing something vastly different with their lives than they initially imagined. The problems they faced as women growing up in the 1800s are in many ways still relevant today. Gerwig portrays all of these ideas masterfully.

The film has beautiful moments as well as heartbreaking ones. The sisters never feel like caricatures regardless of their life experiences.