If there was a word, to sum up, Greta Gerwig's 2019 take on Little Women, it would be beautiful. The performances were beautiful, the dialogue was beautiful, the setting and color of the film were all beautiful. More than beautiful this movie was made with love. It's so clear to see how each decision, each line of dialogue, each character choice was made with and from love. It's rare to see a film in this day and age that's the main objective, it seems, is to show love in all of its different forms and to embolden audience members to share that love with those around them.
The casting for this film is excellent. It truly feels like each of these actors were made to play these roles. I mean for any person who has watched this movie, can you imagine anyone other than Timothee Chalamet playing Laurie or anyone else playing Jo besides Saoirse Ronan? Absolutely not! Florence Pugh dynamically transformed the character of Amy (and copped her first Oscar nomination for it) while the legendary Meryl Streep became the Aunt March we both loved and feared. And then there is Greta, who adapted this book for the screen and carefully orchestrated the story and the performances with such an open heart and total respect for the source material. She knew what she wanted to say and she knew what movie she wanted to make. Her vision was clear and it made the experience of watching the film feel so real and the world so lived in. If you've seen Greta's debut film, Lady Bird, or the movie Frances Ha that she wrote with partner Noah Baumbach, you know she has a way with language and that aspect of her story-telling has made her an already well respected and sought after director and filmmaker. Although Greta Gerwig is an exceptional filmmaker, she along with many other women were locked out of the Best Director category at the Oscars and Golden Globe awards, even though their films were nominated for Best Picture, showing that there is still a lot more work to do to get female directors and storytellers the recognition they deserve.
Louisa May Alcott's 1868's novel has been adapted seven times in film and there is a reason that this particular literary work has been the source of inspiration for so many years. It highlights feminism, identity, class structure, male and female dynamics, creativity, family, and that's just the tip of the iceberg. Why Gerwig's interpretation of this text is as special and captivating as it is, is because she takes the time to show the importance and relevance of each March sister's life choices and why none of them are in any way lesser than the others. Emma Watson's character Meg has a great line in the film where she says to Jo," just because my dreams are different than yours doesn't mean they're not important." I think that line perfectly states what being a feminist is all about. It is about supporting other women's dreams and desires. Meg March wants to get married and have a stable and successful family life while Jo wants to be a writer and a teacher and live a life in the city. Each of the sisters'
choices are different but both are important because it's their choice. They are choosing to exercise their authority over their lives whether that be putting their career first or their family first. In this adaption, Greta beautifully demonstrates that there is no wrong way to be a woman and that's a great thing.