Now I know calling it the best Christmas movie could be considered a bit of a stretch. But it’s true. Little Women by Louisa May Alcott, is a timeless classic that follows the storyline of 4 sisters in the early 1860s. It follows Jo, Amy, Meg, and Beth as they grow up in their house in Massachusetts. With their father away at war, their mother is their sole provider and caretaker. Soon their lives are changed when they meet the boy who lives across the street, Laurie. The 2019 remake, features Timothee Chalamet as Laurie. And who can go wrong with Timothee?
The quaint love story between Jo and Laurie begins almost immediately. With the classic boy next door trope, she finds that he has more in common with her than she thinks. They meet at a New Year’s Eve party, and quickly hit it off. They dance around on the back porch and seem to already have formed a connection. Their friendship soon blossoms as Laurie meets the rest of the March family. He soon becomes a key part of all of their lives but becomes increasingly close with Jo. The laughs, dances, and jokes that they have together make this movie so wonderful, but this movie is a tear jerker as well. The hillside scene where Laurie confesses his feelings for Jo can bring anyone to tears and when Laurie tells Jo that he’s married Amy, you can sense her disappointment through the screen.
Flipping between the warmth of the past and the cold of the present, you can see how each character grows in their own way. The cold represents the death of Beth, one of the sisters, who is the reason why the family reunites in Massachusetts. But in the end, the warmth returns. Each character is able to celebrate the life Beth lived and find happiness in their own lives. Jo pursues a career in writing and marries a guy she truly loves, Amy becomes a painter and marries Laurie and Meg is able to work out her issues with her husband and has two children.
It may not seem like a typical Christmas movie, but the movie represents what Christmas is really about. It shows that family is one of the most important parts of life. Families argue, but in the end it is important to have forgiveness. The March family overcomes tragedy and hardship through financial situations and Beth’s death. But they also are an extremely giving family who provide support and relief to many people in their town. Laurie’s family also represents the importance of giving as well. He provides the March’s with food, support, and meaningful gifts. The entire movie represents perfectly the purpose of the holiday season: showing the people in your life that you love them.