Greta Gerwig’s ‘Little Women’ exceeds all expectations

Saleha Irfan, Senior Sub-Editor/Reporter

Runtime: 2h 15m

Genre: Drama/Romance

“Little Women” by Louisa May Alcott was mandatory grade five reading for me, of which, the cover alone terrified me to no end. The small print, the prose and the old(ish) style of writing was enough to put any middle-schooler to sleep.

So, I can honestly say that I have never enjoyed any of the “Little Women” movies either until this Greta Gerwig version. This movie, this beautifully moulded perfect specimen of a book-to-movie adaptation, which in itself is as rare as a blue moon, made me go on a roller-coaster of emotions. I never thought a movie would make me feel so much in a span of two hours but “Little Women” hit all the right chords.

Whether it was love, happiness, sadness, helplessness, freedom, rejection, I felt it all. This is a movie about women empowerment in a time when that wasn’t all the rage. There are the four March sisters, Meg, Jo, Amy, Beth and their mother who they refer to as Marmee, living together while their father (Bob Odinkirk) is off fighting for the Union in the Civil War.

Each sister has a dream and a passion. Meg represents the ideal woman of the time; even though she dreams of being on stage, she still likes the idea of finding someone to love and marry, settling down and having a family.

Jo is fiercely stubborn and the breadwinner of the family. Rumour has it that the novel was loosely based on the author’s life herself and Jo is the character that closely resembles Alcott. Jo loves to write and sells her stories to help earn money.

Amy is an artist who is as determined and equally ambitious as Jo. These two go up against one another often and are the only ones who have any sibling rivalry between them. Beth, the youngest, loves music and plays the piano to perfection. She is quiet, shy and fairly reserved.

Saoirse Ronan (left) and Timothee Chalamet in "Little Women." TNS

The casting of “Little Women” is brilliant — Saoirse Ronan as the strong-willed Jo, Florence Pugh as fiery Amy, Emma Watson as motherly Meg, Eliza Scanlen as the innocent Beth and Laura Dern, who sparkles as the helpful and patient matriarch of the March family.

And let’s not forget the sisters’ snobbish, cranky Aunt March, portrayed by the ever-phenomenal Meryl Streep, who keeps reminding them that their ultimate goal in life is to marry rich so they can care for their family.

The addition of Theodore “Laurie” Laurence in their lives as the sweet helpful neighbour, played by the charming Timothee Chalamet, along with his wealthy grandfather, Mr Laurence (Chris Cooper) and tutor John Brooke (James Norton), marks a turning point in the March family’s lives.

The movie does get off to a rocky start because of the confusing back-and-forth switch between the present and seven years earlier, but once the film finds its rhythm it draws you in completely.

The movie shows what the sisters are up to now with Jo in Manhattan working with a publisher; Amy in Paris, with Aunt March, taking painting lessons and courting boring, rich men; Meg, married with twins, and living a not-so-luxurious life; and Beth, still at home tending to her fragile health.

We are then taken on the journey to see the circumstances the sisters encountered to reach these points in their lives. This is a film that makes you root for each character’s passion. And the way the sisters spent their childhood, so lively, playful and loving, actually makes you want to live in that house with them.

In an era of sequels, remakes and superhero movies, “Little Women” is a film of substance and definitely one for the ages. And even though it won only one Academy Award out of the six it was nominated for, it is still the best movie of the year as far as I’m concerned.

4.5 stars