The remake of the classic 'Little Women' was a surprising update to the old story. The new release, directed by Greta Gerwig, was everything it could've and should've been. The movie started off with an older Jo March rather than at Christmas morning, where the original story starts. The remake adapted the classic by cutting up the timeline and rearranging it. It was a nice touch to refresh an old story, it made the audience much more engaged even though it was a plot they were familiar with. Gerwig created an all-star cast with Saoirse Ronan, Florence Pugh, Emma Watson, and Timothée Chalamet, and that's just to name a few.
The March sisters were an invitation to chaos in the best way possible. Gerwig captured the essence of having sisters, especially ones with such clashing personalities. Jo, an independent free-spirited writer, is the one the story follows from past to present. Ronan captured the essence of Jo beautifully, especially her dynamic with her sisters. Another amazing portrayal was Florence Pugh's Amy. Pugh created a character that was more welcoming and insightful rather than what previous portrayals of Amy being more of a spoiled brat. Her anger when Jo refuses to bring her along to the theater was made to be more understanding and honestly, relatable. There's always a time where you get mad at a sibling so much where you want to hurt them. Amy telling Jo that she wanted to hurt her the same way she was hurt was a reminder of all the fights you've had with your own family, the same as Jo realizing her mistake when Amy gets hurt. Mostly, this is applause to Gerwig's directing. The previous movie lacked an in-depth look into each of the sister's relationship together. This adaption was strongly rooted in uplifting it's female characters and giving them much more depth.
Amy and Jo's up-and-down relationship felt more like sisterly than anything. The movie was beautifully done, and there were many scenes that truly captured what it meant to be a woman during that time but the best part was the ending. Gerwig's acceptance of women authors being pushed to include romance in their novels simply to sell was done gracefully. It was a nod to the ending in the novel but also a commemoration for Alcott's success. 'Little Women' is a must-watch for everyone, not just women.
