Brief thoughts on Little Women.

Little Women by Louisa May Alcott has been a literary staple since its 1869 publication, becoming a smash hit with readers, specifically its target demographic of young girls finding their place in the world, who still gravitate to it to this day. Having inspired numerous film adaptations since, from those starring Katharine Hepburn and Winona Ryder, it goes to show what a thoughtful story the book is that any new artist can still find new life in it, as writer/director Greta Gerwig does in her fantastic follow-up to Lady Bird.

Little Women has largely stood the test of time for its still timely and relevant themes, that are versatile enough, and the topics broad enough, that each adaptation can find something new and engaging beneath the text. As for Gerwig's rendition, in favor of a more traditional point A to B story, her focus is more deliberately aimed on the central themes, playing its story out in a non-linear cross-cut between timelines; one set during the childhood of the March sisters, and one set seven years later during their adulthood.

True to her prior feature, Gerwig lets the film play out in a filtered, stream-of-consciousness style of presentation, capturing the wayward spirit and dreams of the individual March children, whose goals are constantly shifting as they come to terms with their eventual place in the world. Even with the Civil War period setting, many of those desires, anxieties, and frustrations over their place in the world still play true to the Millennial timeframe they've released. Even as an old-fashioned piece, there's such a contemplative, honest youthful spirit to the film, that even as someone outside of its target demographic, I could find myself greatly relating to. Through the vibrant sense of joy that she can capture, but also the lost sense of direction and apathy that comes with finding one's calling, and adapting to life's unpredictability.

It's all delicately handled by Gerwig, who crafts the film with such a felt, energetic touch, and continues to hone her skills as a director. It's a credit to her craft that even as the film kept cross-cutting, I never once felt lost or confused, whether it be from the smart technical details (from costumes, makeup effects, and the vibrancy of the cinematography), to the deliberate matching and parallels to the events of the opposite timelines. This movie's structure is so well balanced in that regard, and had the film simply played out in chronological order, I don't think it would have hit with the same force.

It also helps that Gerwig has assembled an amazing dream cast for the various roles. Each of them are so perfect in their respective roles, Timothee Chalamet ever so charismatic as the potential suitor of the various March sisters, Laura Dern ever so warm as the family's mother, Chris Cooper as the wealthy but gold-hearted neighbor, Emma Watson as the graceful eldest sister, and Meryl Streep stealing scenes as the snooty Aunt March. But the ones who really dominate the film are Saoirse Ronan and Florence Pugh. Ronan, looking set to be an amazing muse for Gerwig, is again fantastic as the movie's emotional anchor, especially as her inner conflict and frustration of her place in the world eat away at her. Pugh, who we can go ahead and crown MVP of the year, also excels as the bratty and naive youngest sister, especially as the trials of adulthood speed up her maturation and allows her to find contentment.

I don't know if I would call this the definitive adaptation of Little Women (I haven't seen enough to adequately say), but it is, at the very least, one of the best thus far. As much as I adore the 1994 Winona Ryder starring version, I may actually prefer this one, even if only because of how it spoke to me. Yes, it's an old story, but one that still manages to cut deep as it pulls you in, and even outside of its timeliness, is just a great movie on its own terms. Undoubtedly one of the year's best.


***** / *****