Little Women Movie Review

Little Women

Movie Review

4.899 out of 5 Stars

Before the actual review... a confession. I've never read the book.

I know, I know, I'm the worst. I am currently in the middle of it and really enjoying it, but it was just something that I never had to read for school and never caught my attention on its own. But that being said, this review is based solely on the movie in and of itself as a work of art, not so much as an adaptation of a literary work. Also, I'm not sure where to mark where spoilers start, so if you haven't seen the movie or read the book, you may just want to hold off on reading this until you do.

I really loved movie. I really really did. It was so sweet, and so warm, and so homely, that I am seriously considering going back to the theaters so I can watch it again. I saw it with my sister, my mom, and my aunt (the boys in my family didn't want to see it-- harumph), which I think just made the viewing experience all the more special because I was with family. It's too bad though that not everyone wanted to go see it because I think everyone would have really enjoyed it. Yes, it is a movie about sisters. Yes, it is a bit romantic. Yes, it is a period piece. BUT, it really is mostly about family and friendship, and it's done in a way that I think is very accessible to any audience type.


On a technical level, everything about it seemed really well done as well. I don't have any sort of theater or film studies background, but there were still some things that I really appreciated. For example, the whole film, while being set in the Civil War era, felt so incredibly modern, and that could not have been easy to accomplish, either in writing or directing. I don't believe this movie has any SAG Award nominations (sad), but Saoirse Ronan is up for a Golden Globe for playing Jo and Alexandre Desplat is up for a Golden Globe for original score. Nominations for the Oscars won't be announced for another couple of weeks, but I'm curious to see if they get any nominations there.

The acting really was great though. Saoirse was phenomenal and I'm not at all surprised to see that she got a nomination and I won't be surprised if she gets any other nominations for her work in the future. I also think Florence Pugh did a really amazing job, as well as Timothee Chalamet. The whole cast seemed to work together really well, and this might go toward the directing a bit, but I loved how they all just chattered around each other. It reminded me so much of my own family with all of my aunts, uncles, cousins, siblings, etc. just talking over each other all at one with a thousand conversations all tangled into one giant lump.


One of the small details that I really appreciated was the shift in lighting throughout the whole film. I don't know what exactly that's called, but I'm pretty sure that whenever the girls were in their childhood-happy-fun-innocent periods, the lighting was all golden and warm. But then in their adult periods, it was cooler and more blue. There was such a lovely connection then at the end when at the very end of it all, they're all adults with children at the school, but the lighting isn't blue like the other times that they are adults, but golden like when they were kids.

Favorite scenes...
Oh my God the attic scene where Jo has her monologue about being lonely was one of the best things I think I've seen in a movie in a loooooooong time. Everything from the words she was saying, to how she was slightly shaking, to how she punched emotion into certain words made the whole scene so potent and ripe with longing that Jo had pent up inside herself. I think that may be one of the scene that will be shown around in promos and stuff, but this one piece within the whole puzzle is 10x more powerful than it is alone.


I also really loved the scene in France where Amy tells Laurie that she refused the other guy's hand in marriage, but is like, "We don't need to say anything else about it," and he just kisses her. Ah!! Swoon!!!! But also, I really loved them together as a couple. There was a part of me that was disappointed for a bit that Jo and Laurie wouldn't be together, but Jo was right and it makes so much sense for them to only be friends. And then when she writes the letter to Laurie telling him she changed her mind, I was so mad because she didn't actually love him the way that he needed to be loved for a marriage, not like how Amy loved him. Jo wanted to not be along-- a very valid want-- but it would have been a cheap way to get it, and at the expense of both of their happiness. No, Amy and Laurie make so much more sense together and that scene in Paris was the proof of it. Laurie has finally realized that he loves Amy and knowing how she feels about him, acts perfectly on it. She doesn't initiate it, only coolly lets him know where things are at, and that is that. So perfect. I loved it.

Okay, also... Beth's death?!?!! I don't know if I can say it was a "favorite" scene, but it was a strong one. Absolutely. Heartbreaking. Like I said, I hadn't read the books before I watched this, and unlike my sister, I didn't remember that nugget of information from Friends. (Where Joey and Rachel switch books and he hides Little Women in the freezer. Remember? It's a good one.) I was a complete mess when she died, like, big, fat, tears rolling down my cheeks in the theater because I was so upset. I was completely unprepared for that AND I was sick so my nose was running as well and in the span of like 5 minutes I had turned into a complete emotional wreck. That scene was so tastefully done though. I loved how, so soon prior to the actual death, they have the scene of when Beth is sick as a kid and Jo runs down to see her sitting and eating with their mom. The contrast of having Jo run down to have her mother turn around and there is no one else there, for her mom to just start crying, was so so so upsetting. It was like I was being nailed in the heart.


Lastly, I have to give a shout-out to the literature element threaded throughout the entire story. No, duh, it's an adaptation of a literary classic, but I didn't realize how much more than that it was. Jo as a writer was a sight to behold. And the end bits where she labors over her book for Beth for hours on hours without end made the end production of the paper cutting and leather binding all the more satisfying. My mom actually pointed out this next part to me. They all have their children in the last scene. Meg has her kiddos, Amy has her baby, and Jo has her book. It's all so well-rounded with a perfect little ending. And oh my God, the part about an artists owning their work. LOVE THAT. I love that she asks the questions about what the copyright means and what it could be worth in the future, and then she bargains for it, taking a lower advance in the moment. I absolutely love that and I hope that other people on some level will recognize the importance of that as well.

Thanks for reading!