‘Little Women’ boasts a wonderful cast and a timeless story of sisters

Posted on January 10, 2020

By MARK VIOLA

So, let’s get this out of the way first. I’ve never read Louisa May Alcott’s “Little Women.” I’ve also never seen any of the numerous film adaptations of the book. That is, until the most recent one, directed by Greta Gerwig (“Lady Bird”). As such, I went into the movie blind as far as expectations or prior knowledge of the story, and I can’t compare this film to the many others that came before it.

What I can say, however, is that this movie is quite good, with intriguing characters, wonderful performances and an interesting storytelling style that makes the 150-year-old story feel quite fresh.

For those, like myself (prior to last week), who are not familiar with the story, “Little Women” follows the lives of the four March sisters, including Jo (Saoirse Ronan, “Brooklyn”), Meg (Emma Watson, “Harry Potter”), Amy (Florence Pugh, “Midsommar”) and Beth (Eliza Scanlen, “Sharp Objects”), both as teenagers and a few years later in the 20s as they begin to strike out on their own paths.

Gerwig, who also wrote the screenplay, takes the story and tells it out of order, beginning with Jo later in her journey alone in New York City and uses her reflections as flashbacks to show us what happened before. This technique really works well, and Gerwig masterfully weaves the story back and forth, connecting moments both past and present that fit thematically both for the overall plot, as well as individual characters.

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