Louisa May Alcott’s “Little Women” has been through its fair share of film adaptations. Whether
a purist of the 1994 version starring Winona Ryder or of the BBC miniseries persuasion, fans
across the board are thrilled with Greta Gerwig’s adaptation of this beloved story. Critics also
agree; with a 95% Rotten Tomatoes score, it deserves every bit of its Oscar nomination for Best
Film.
The presentation of this classic story in a non-chronological order was a bold choice but one
that definitely paid off. Gerwig’s timeline jumping is effective and artful with lighting choices and
hairstyle changes.
It also allowed for the juxtaposition of individual events that were then drawn together to make
their emotional impact and message hit much deeper. Having the two scenes where Jo comes
down the stairs after Beth has been sick appear back to back leaves the viewer breathless and
emotionally destroyed. By following this up with Jo’s monologue on loneliness and her line
spoken to Amy — “Life is too short to be angry with one’s sisters” — it seems like you are never
able to catch your breath. The tears continue to flow.
A complaint with many iterations of “Little Women” is that while Jo takes centerstage, the other
sisters seem ignored. Jo is still very much at the center of this story, but the spotlight is shared
very equally between the four sisters in Gerwig’s version.
Meg, who is usually a sort of flat character, is developed into one that is full of life and meaning.
Amy is also finally given justice in this version; she is no longer the bratty younger sister who
burned Jo’s book and serves as second place when Jo turns Laurie down. Somehow, Gerwig
manages to convince viewers that Amy can grow out of her immaturity, and also that she and
Laurie might in fact belong together, which is no small feat for many fans.
Beth is given her chance too. At every turn, Gerwig uses Beth’s quirkiness to endear her to
viewers all the more, making the saddest moments of this tale hit right in the gut.
The final element that makes this film stand out in a year of fantastic nominations is its elements
of female empowerment. Somehow, Alcott managed to write a story about growing up as a
woman in the nineteenth century that is relatable to most women 150 years later. Whether it is
Meg’s line about her marriage, (“Just because my dreams are different than yours, it doesn’t
mean they’re unimportant”), or Amy’s refusal to let others make her feel bad for doing what she
has to do to survive, or Jo’s struggles with how women are viewed and her loneliness, there is
something in this story that rings true with women in 2020 America.
While many people will continue to complain about the chronology of the story or the portrayal
of Professor Bhaer (he is much too suave, I will admit), overall, this version of “Little Women” is
a fresh retelling. It makes one care deeply about all the sisters in a way no other version has yet, making it the best by a mile.
Madi Bobb is an English major. She loves reading, theatre and music. Ask her about any of these; she has a lot of opinions.
