When it was announced that Lady Bird writer-director Greta Gerwig was setting her sights on a version of Louisa May Alcott’s classic Little Women, many wondered … why? Since Gerwig’s Little Women arrived in theaters last year and now with its home video release on Blu-Ray, DVD and digital download, one can easily see why. Gerwig crafted a slice of cinematic art that would make Alcott smile broadly up in heaven.
Starting with her casting, through her cinematographer, make-up, costume designer and throughout the below-the-line players, Little Women 2019 is one of the most joyous and moving of movie moments that arrived last year. Oscar would agree, as the film scored six nominations and won one for Best Costumes.
Saoirse Ronan is our main protagonist, Jo March, who is a writer with dreams that firmly land miles away from societal expectations of a young woman of the 1860s. She wants to make a living as a writer, a playwright … something that involves creating worlds with words. Jo’s adorable and adoring sisters are Meg (Emma Watson), Amy (Florence Pugh) and Beth (Eliza Scanlen). Their bond is palpable through Gerwig’s script and her direction to the point that this never feels like we’re watching a film, more of a family home movie. It’s that endearing and engrossing. Their mother is played by recent Oscar winner (for Marriage Story), Laura Dern, who was impeccably cast as the matriarch of the March family. The clan are doing their best while they wait for the return of Father March (Bob Odenkirk) from the closing days of the Civil War.
Then, there are the fellow supporting players that easily make Little Women one of the best casts of 2019. Meryl Streep stars as Aunt March, Chris Cooper (one of our favorites—check him out in A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood) is Mr. Laurence and acting phenom Timothée Chalamet as Theodore ‘Laurie’ Laurence, a man who has stars in his eyes for Meg.
The entire cast is sublime, and it is an acting clinic unfolding right in front of our eyes with every frame.
What sets Little Women 2019 apart from the beloved Little Women 1994 is that there is an emotive gut punch that arises from this incarnation that was there in the 90s version, just not as enduring. There is something about Gerwig’s direction, as an actress herself, that she taps into these thespians otherworldly talent that will have her version of Alcott’s classic be one we will revisit for decades to come. It’s beauty incarnate in every sense of that sentiment.
Ronan has long established herself as an actress whose performance demands your full attention. What she brings to the Jo character is some of the best work of her career, and yes that is saying something. She goes deep with Jo and one can feel her utter frustration with her position in society as a woman of that time. Jo has talent and aplomb that should be sending her to the top of the public consciousness ladder with her wordsmithing talents. Instead, she lives in a world where book publishers tell her that all her female protagonists must finish their literary journey with a ring on their finger. She perseveres, and her determination will be inspirational for younger viewers and older ones alike. Then, there’s Pugh. The star who has had a year for the ages (she was also in Fighting with My Family and Midsommar last year) that concluded with her earning a Best Supporting Actress nomination for her Little Women role. Watson continues her post-Harry Potter hot streak with her turn as the excited to marry Meg. She shares Jo’s passion for life and exploration, but simultaneously is perfectly content to become a Mrs. and enjoy what that life has to offer with the fulfillment of family.
How Gerwig interweaves her story is ever-so slightly different than the 1994 version and a bit more faithful to the tone of the book. She crafts a landscape where we could have never left. There is a timeless quality to Gerwig’s work too that makes us feel the 90s version could feel a little dated. This is a Little Women for a new century.
Check out our theatrical Little Women review for a more in-depth look.
The bonus features include over 45 minutes of fascinating content that takes viewers behind the scenes of the modern classic.
Speaking of that … Making a Modern Classic exposes exactly what makes 2019’s Alcott’s page to screen effort feel so modern, yet still akin to its time period. It’s use of dynamic camerawork and the way in which Gerwig wrote and shot the overlapping dialogue of the characters is purely twenty-first century filmmaking. This is all achieved while employing pitch-perfect classically inspired costuming, locations and overall production design. This nine-minute featurette is the first one I’d recommend diving into with this Little Women Blu-Ray release. We also get a lesson in the real life elements from Alcott’s world that inspired the book—from her home to the use of cinematography and even the aspect ratio of the film itself.
Little Women Behind the Scenes is a three-and-a-half minute look at the set experience for Gerwig’s flick. The writer-director and the cast share their insight in the most entertaining and enlightening manner.
As I already highlighted, the cast is beyond brilliant. A New Generation of Little Women introduces us to the actors behind the cinematic sisterhood and those who love them. The almost thirteen-minute featurette is superb, and it is especially touching when the cast speaks to how Alcott’s work transcends the decades.
It’s her baby, so let’s look at how she did it! Greta Gerwig: Women Making Art is an glowing bonus feature that takes us behind the camera with Gerwig. Viewers get an inside scoop into her creative process and how she decided to add her own unique mark to a centuries old tale. It also delves into her own artistic history and touches on her longtime passion for the subject matter that clearly comes through throughout Little Women.
A nice little look at the BTL of hair and make-up gets the spotlight with Hair & Make-Up Test Sequence that also shines a light on those uncanny costumes that are as rich as can be imagined. The cherry on the top of this bonus feature? The stupendous score of the movie emotionally enhancing the film footage that showcases the inside insight.
For those who are fans of Alcott’s or have become fans of hers, thanks to Gerwig’s film, do not miss a tour of Orchard House, Home of Louisa May Alcott. This ten-minute featurette takes us inside the Concord, Massachusetts home of a national treasure as we learn more about the iconic author, her work and life. The Executive Director of Louisa May Alcott’s Orchard House, Jan Turnquist, narrates and offers a priceless vision of what it meant to be Louisa May Alcott.
Film Grade: A
Bonus Features: A