‘Little Women’ is for the boys

I walked into “Little Women” with a group of my cousins. Right away all of the boys and I were on the same page, “this movie looks like trash,” “this sucks,” and “why aren’t we at the new ‘Star Wars’ movie.” However, after struggling through 20 minutes of “Little Women” I started to enjoy the clever back and forth between the four protagonist sisters: Jo, Amy, Meg, and Beth. By the end of the movie, I was thoroughly enjoying it. 

This is the most recent of the many film and TV adaptations of Louisa May Alcott’s wildly successful 1868 “Little Women” book series. The subject matter for this film is over 150 years old, yet the themes highlighted in the movie are very relatable to audiences in the 21st century. Strong individual performances from Timothée Chalamet as Laurie, Saoirse Ronan as Jo, Emma Watson as Meg, and Florence Pugh as Amy transform the main characters into real, living people with complex emotions. Their acting creates a sense that you know the characters on screen personally. Their stories are very similar to the ones anyone experiences. 

The movie’s ability to resonate with the audience is it’s most redeeming quality and this is unique when you consider how vastly different that era was in comparison to present day. The complex plot delves into love, loss and happiness in life, making it a movie that most teens can relate to and enjoy. Although slow at the beginning, by the end I was very entertained and pleased with the dramatic finish. As I walked out, I was left with a melancholy feeling of both happiness and sadness because of how real the stories felt. 

4/5