FILM: Little Women

There is a particular challenge in making a new film of a story that is well-known, well-loved, and has been done before. Greta Gerwig completely rises to that challenge with her fresh take on Little Women that suits our times. At first, I was a little rattled by some of the differences from the 1994 Winona Ryder / Susan Sarandon / Christian Bale film that was my reference point, but by the end, I was completely won over. Instead of a straightforward chronological telling of the story as in the book and most other films, Gerwig chose to portray events out of time order in a way that intentionally takes the focus off of the original romantic angles. And I think in some ways, it was a nod to the fact of doing the umpteenth adaptation and self-consciously saying “look we all know the story, and – spoiler alert – I’m going to dispense early on with the fact that Jo rejects Laurie’s proposal, because that’s not my focus.” I remember in the 1994 film, I along with all the viewers was swept up in the Jo / Laurie romance, and it was such a dramatic surprise when she turns him down. Now, even 25 years later where hopefully most of us have more evolved feminist understandings, it takes Gerwig’s telling the story in a very different way to make me rethink the traditional version and realize how much that focus on romance makes even Little Women skirt close to failing the Bechdel test. Now, despite casting heartthrob Timothée Chalamet as Laurie, the film doesn’t make us fall in love with him as Jo (and we with her) did in 1994. Rather, we get to know him at his Paris worst and learn of Jo’s rejection before we come around to seeing why that may have been a hard choice. But this film isn’t about him, it’s about her, and not about whether and whom she marries, but whether she can realize her ambition to be a successful writer. The film is framed beginning and end with scenes of Jo meeting with her publisher for the first time and Jo watching her book roll off of the 19th century printing presses (a gorgeous scene). That and Gerwig’s absolutely brilliant winking touch to portray Jo’s ultimate marriage in the context of her publisher’s demand for a “storybook” ending. It’s a shame she was overlooked for an Oscar best director nomination, and I hope she wins for best adapted screenplay. This may be the first Little Women adaptation that really honors the women. In addition to engaging us with Jo as a would-be author, we’re also drawn to respect the other sisters for their choices. Amy is particularly strong in her cold-eyed (but not cold-hearted) appraisal of how marriage means different things to men than to women in her time, and in defending her choices. Saoirse Ronan as Jo and Florence Pugh as Amy are both deserving of their Oscar nominations (though the best actress competition is tough this year!). Now 1994 seems so dated, and this is my new definitive Little Women.