Greta Gerwig’s “LITTLE WOMEN”

A movie review by Dennis D. McDonald

My favorite movies of the past year: Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, Parasite, Ad Astra, Ford V Ferrari, American Factory, and Joker. 2019 was a good year for movies!.

Now I’ve seen Little Women and must add it to my “best of” list.

What makes Little Women so special? There is a lot to like, regardless of whether you have read the book or not (I have not).

First is the recognizability. My wife grew up in an all-female household and has two sisters. The tales they tell of childhood and growing up make the March family’s adventures ring very true.

Second is the setting. I’m a history buff. Seeing Civil War and post-Civil War era Massachusetts, New York, and Paris portrayed is a joy to behold. There’s a recognizability that makes all the years seem to fall way. We are there whether we’re in a stifling hovel, a cozy front room, a magical attic, or a boisterous beer hall. You can almost hear the clothes whipping about as Jo runs down a New York sidewalk, hair flying.

Third is what I’ll just call the “struggles of youth.” What to be? What to do? Why can’t I do what I want to do? Why do I have to pay so much attention to what others think? It’s all there. Things may look all warm and cozy to someone looking in from the outside but they rarely are.

Fourth is the music. The original music is by Alexandre Desplat is in my opinion the best he has done since Tree of Life. There is a constant forward movement to the music that is simultaneously playful, youthful, and sentimental.

Fifth, much of the movie concentrates on Jo’s urge to write. This culminates in her seeing her book published. She and we look on as her hand-written words are typeset, printed, and bound in bright red with the book’s title emblazoned in gold leaf. This is one of the best renderings of the physicality of writing that I have seen and should remind us all that, as convenient as the Kindle is, there will always be a place for “real” books.

Sixth, of course, is Saoirse Ronan’s Jo. Who cannot identify with Jo’s free spirit, ambition, and loyalty? When my wife was young she too had dreams of New York City. Fortunately, she ended up getting a job in the DC area, for which I — and two children later — am eternally grateful!

Movie review copyright (c) 2020 by Dennis D. McDonald