I FINALLY watched the new “Little Women” movie
Have you seen the NEW Little Women movie yet??? I kept putting it off, but I FINALLY watched it and do you wanna know what I thought…well you will just have to wait until I tell you all about how much I love Louisa May Alcott, how I ADORE the book, and how I was a bit apprehensive of watching the new film FIRST. BUT if you want an honest review from a Little Women lover extraordinaire…it is on the way.
You guys…to say that I am a fan of the Louisa May Alcott story of Little Women is SUCH an understatement of epic proportions that it is ALMOST laughable. Not only was it the book that changed the way I read ALL books, but it was the book that changed ME. Jo and her huge personality and inability to entirely fit into proper society and be the person she was expected to be, was my childhood hero. I ALWAYS knew that I never wanted to be a Meg and was not GOOD enough to be a Beth…and let’s just face it, nobody wants to be an Amy. BUT Jo… She is my spirit animal.
Growing up loving the book and reading it over and over…and then falling in love with the Winona Ryder version of the movie and watching IT over and OVER…I was a bit scared to watch this new version. What if it didn’t live up to the hype? What if Jo was not JO enough or Beth wasn’t BETH enough?? What if I didn’t spend the entire movie hoping that Jo FINALLY says yes to Laurie and Amy lives alone in Aunt March’s dreary old house with a lap dog named Fluffy?? So many WHAT IFS!! But then I decided that watching ANY version of Little Women was better than watching NO VERSION at all…and I am so glad I did.
Ok…now on to the movie. First off…spoiler alert…I LOVED IT!! The casting was fun and different. I thought it would be hard to accept a “new” Jo, but it wasn’t and she was perfect. Each new actor brought a little different spin to the characters, but still kept them the same girls that we have loved for so long. BUT if I am being TOTALLY honest, Amy was not my favorite. AND not just because I don’t like Amy…which I don’t. It was just odd having an older person play such a young part. Her voice and size did not match the age of Amy in the story. AND sadly, the new Laurie was not my favorite either. This is going to sound so silly, but he was just very TINY. He was like a little boy trying to keep up with Jo. And I know it is nonsense, but I was actually glad Jo didn’t choose him in this instance. He was just NOT the Laurie of my imagination.
A big Amy and a tiny Laurie did NOT ruin the film for me though…not in a long shot. The movie began with Jo in New York selling her books and living her independent life, then bounced back and forth between the girls’ childhood and adulthood, showing us how the girls grew and changed into the young women they became. I felt like EACH of the girls had more of a story…which I loved. Meg struggled with her status as a poor housewife, Beth tried to overcome her anxiety and fear of strangers, and Jo faced rejection and hard knocks in her writing career. And on top of that was the overlying theme of women’s rights…or lack thereof. Jo judging Meg for wanting to “just go be a wife”, Jo trying to decide what to do with her life BESIDES marry, and Amy feeling the pressure to marry for money to help her family. I have a feeling this will be one that I watch over and over too and I will hold out hope that they continue the story and make a LITTLE MEN too…because who doesn’t want MORE JO???
Without any spoilers, I will say this…I LOVED THE PROFESSOR. I loved watching Jo struggle and grow up in New York. I LOVED that all of my favorite Little Women scenes came to life in a new way. I LOVED that Beth was a more rounded character and got more moments to shine. I loved the costumes. I love watching Jo burn Meg’s hair off again. I loved that I cried with Jo all over again after she cut off her hair. I LOVED that Hermione was Meg, but that I NEVER thought of her as Hermione and she was 100% as Meg. I LOVED that I got to share my favorite classic story with Emersyn and pass these wonderful sisters along to her. I just LOVED it. Go see it…or go see it again. Or read the book along with me…I plan to start next week. Have the best weekend friends!! Jess
***Check out my other favorite movies and shows HERE, HERE and HERE.
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