This past week, I went to go see the new adaptation of Little Women, a film based on the novel of the same name by Louisa May Alcott, with a few of my friends. They had been talking about seeing the movie for a little while, and if I’m being honest, I was hesitant about seeing it. Truthfully, historical fiction movies were never something I thought I would enjoy, and in regards to this film, I didn’t think that the style and plot of the movie would interest me – it also didn’t help that the run time was 2 hours and 15 minutes total. I am not afraid to admit that I was definitely wrong in regard to my presumptions about this film and I was truly moved by the beautiful story told about a family and their bond.
The movie is a historical coming-of-age film based on four sisters: Jo, Meg, Beth, and Amy. Jo is the main protagonist of the film and she is an aspiring novelist, doing everything she can to get her work published – even if it means submitting it under a pen name. Meg is the oldest sister who loved luxury until she married a poor man which both taught her and exemplified that love is more important than the materialistic goods of life. Beth is one of the middle sisters who is very soft-spoken and she is shown throughout the movie as having a passion for music, specifically through her continuous and beautiful playing of the piano. Amy is the youngest of the bunch, being only twelve years old. As she gets older, she develops a passion for art and painting as she also begins to develop a sense of maturity and find her place in the world and amongst her sisters. When sudden news of a family tragedy brings everyone back together again, it shows how strong a family bond can be no matter the amount of distance placed between them and demonstrated how they had grown and changed throughout the years. The format of the movie switches between past and present rather frequently, allowing people to follow how the individual sisters themselves have matured. It also shows how those relationships between the characters, inside and outside of the family, develop over time through life-changing events.
I am usually not a movie buff, but overall, I would say this is one of the best movies I have ever seen due to the fact that it has just enough modern plotline to keep you engaged while displaying a beautiful historical theme simultaneously. I was engaged for every single minute, feeling every emotion there is to feel during a movie that has the plot this one does and is not afraid to show the good and the bad in a family setting over the course of a number of years. I would definitely recommend Little Women to anyone who likes a classic coming-of-age film that also incorporates a dash of romance!