Grade: B-
I’ve never read Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women, nor had I seen any film version, until I saw the 2019 Greta Gerwig movie last night. There doesn’t seem to be a definitive storyline that carries us from the beginning to the end. It introduces the characters (the 4 sisters – Jo, Beth, Meg and Amy – at the forefront), and plays more like a series of episodes, like a TV show or comic strip.
There is a decent amount to admire about this movie. The cinematography and locations are lovely. The two scenes that resonated with me the most, from a writing perspective, are the ones where Amy explains to Jo exactly why she did the spoiler-free mean thing to Jo’s thing, and Jo’s profoundly wise breakdown she gives her would-be boyfriend on why they should never get married. In both instances, Alcott really put me in their heads and brought me on board with where they were coming from. Other “vignettes” gave me varying degrees of interest.
I wouldn’t have nominated Little Women for Best Picture, but the other nods it got (and didn’t get) feel right. Irish actress Saoirse Ronan was nominated recently for Lady Bird and Brooklyn, and her work here is on the same level. She is a powerhouse, and will win an Oscar one day. Best Supporting Actress nominee Florence Pugh gave one of the most memorable performances in 2019 with Midsommar, and here she plays Amy. She is spunky, whiny, sassy, funny, smart, and nails all of those points. Between Midsommar and this movie, I hope she gets put on the map. She is one to watch. The cast is rounded out nicely with the likes of Emma Watson, Laura Dern, Timothee Chalamet, Tracy Letts, Bob Odenkirk (once I realized it was him and not Kevin Costner), Chris Cooper, and Meryl Streep.
Many have hailed this Little Women as the best movie of the year. If you loved it that much, I’m happy for you. It seems to be popular opinion, and sometimes I feel like I need to apologize if I didn’t see it the same way. I’m imagining this hypothetical dialogue.
Other Person: What did you think of Little Women?
Me: I didn’t love it.
OP: WHAT?!? It’s amazing, one of the best films of the year. What was wrong with it?
Me: Nothing in particular was really WRONG with it – it just didn’t touch me as much as other movies I’ve seen, even others I’ve seen in the past week.
OP: Compare it to itself, though. Don’t compare it to other movies which bear no resemblance to it at all. What if Little Women was the first movie you ever saw?
Me: I imagine my reaction would be something like “So, this is a movie, huh? Not too bad. What else ya got?”
Grade: B-
Film Reviews by Mark 
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