The story of the March sisters has been around since 1868, and has been a classic for decades. It’s based on the book “Little Women”, written by Louisa May Alcott, however the movie came out on December 25th, 2019. It follows four sisters growing up in a time of war without their father, who left to be a Chaplain in the Army. Missing such an important figure in your life during your formative years is very hard on people, but the sisters grow despite this, making this story so inspiring.
The director, Greta Gerwig, creates an atmosphere of hope, and comfort at the beginning of the film. One of the main themes is staying true to yourself from the beginning to the end no matter life’s challenges. It follows the March sisters: Margaret “Meg”, Josephine “Jo”, Elizabeth “Beth”, and Amelia “Amy”, through their teenage years. The sisters lived in a small town in Massachusetts in the 1860s during the Civil War.
Meg, played by Emma Watson, at 17 is concerned with her looks, how she presents herself, and how people see her. She likes acting, but doesn’t want to be an actress; she just wants a simple life, unlike her sisters Jo and Amy, who want to be famous for their talents. This is a hard feeling, because when you’re surrounded by people with big dreams, it’s easy to feel less than them if you don’t have that passion.
Jo, played by Saoirse Ronan, is 15 years old. She’s trying to break out of the molds that were set for women at the time. Being the main character of the movie, we see a lot about her character. As a writer, she is very opinionated, and at the time women’s opinions weren’t listened to. She grows up to become a professor and tries to sell her writings on the side, but it’s usually marked down because of her being a woman, and it doesn’t fit what’s expected of her. She gets very frustrated with this because she wants to support her family, but she just can’t make enough money.
Beth, played by Eliza Scanlen, is 13 and struggles to overcome her shyness. In the movie she doesn’t get as much screen time as her sisters, but she’s a very kind character. It is awful that quiet people are often overlooked, despite being complex characters. Their neighbor wanted her to use their fancy piano, as hers was broken. All she had to do was ask, which was hard for her. She eventually did ask and she realized that it was just her getting in her own way. People put way too much stress on themselves and she learns how to overcome it.
Amy, played by Florence Pugh, is 12 years old and often feels left out of what her older sisters are doing. When she’s older she becomes a painter, but her paintings aren’t as valuable as a man’s painting. She could have a better painting and they would still pick the worse one just because she’s a woman. She talks about how she wishes she could have the same opportunities that men do, which is still a problem we have today. She’s often seen as just a whiny little kid, and sometimes she is, but she is so much more than that. Three of her sisters cannot marry rich, so it’s up to her to support the family and she’s upset that she can’t support them without a man.
The movie highlights how hard it is to carry on despite these roadblocks as they try to stay kind, true, selfless and honest people. I think everyone could benefit from the lessons taught in the movie, such as overcoming adversity and how to stay true to yourself. My great-grandma recommended the book to me, and I read it and then watched the movie. It showed me what goals I should set to help improve myself.
During the film, scenes switch between multiple timelines, starting with them as teenagers, and then skip to seven years later. It shows pieces of each timeline, and the cinematography shows this change by it being very warm and colorful in the early time- but dark and cool toned as the time skips. As they grow older and out of childhood, the world gets more neutral, just like it does in real life.
At the end of the movie, they navigate adjusting to adulthood, exploring topics like careers, grief, marriage, and motherhood. It’s a great movie full of lessons on how to flow through life. I would rate it 8/10.
