Little Women (1994)
Composite Score: 83.77
Starring: Susan Sarandon, Winona Ryder, Kirsten Dunst, Claire Danes, Gabriel Byrne, Trini Alvarado, Samantha Mathis, Christian Bale, Eric Stoltz, John Neville, and Mary Wickes
Director: Gillian Armstrong
Writer: Robin Swicord
Genres: Drama, Family, Romance, Coming of Age
MPAA Rating: PG for two uses of mild language
Box Office: $50.08 million worldwide
Why should you Watch This Film?
Little Women is the 1994 film adaptation of Louisa May Alcott’s novel of the same title, following the four March sisters as they grow up during the 1860s. This adaptation features Winona Ryder in the leading role of Jo, supported by Trini Alvarado as Meg, Claire Danes as Beth, and Kirsten Dunst and later Samantha Mathis as Amy. The film also features Christian Bale as Laurie, Susan Sarandon as Marmee March, and Gabriel Byrne as Friedrich Bhaer. The film received Oscar nominations for Best Costume Design, Best Original Score, and Best Lead Actress for Ryder’s performance. It is an excellently portrayed adaptation, with beautiful production design, that stays true to its source material, presenting a coming-of-age story for its four young protagonists that continues to receive renown.
Why shouldn’t you Watch This Film?
I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: Once you’ve seen one Little Women adaptation, you’ve seen them all, and the one you should see is Greta Gerwig’s 2019 version. However, story purists most likely will prefer this version or even the 1933 adaptation for their stricter adherence to the novel’s narrative structure. That being said, I do think that Winona Ryder’s Jo might be the least interesting of the three, though also the most feminine in her presentation. It’s still a great performance, but it just doesn’t quite hold up to Katharine Hepburn’s or Saoirse Ronan’s interpretations of the iconic character. Additionally, switching actresses for Amy two-thirds of the way through the film only served the purpose of hindering Amy’s character development in my book. We don’t get to see Kirsten Dunst come to a point of self-recognition or, alternatively, watch Samantha Mathis antagonize her sisters with her self-absorption before transforming into the more mature version of herself. We probably could have done without 12-year-old Kirsten Dunst in this particular role – much as it pains me to say it.
So wait, why should you Watch This Film?
For all of its shortcomings in comparison to other adaptations, there are some moments where this particular Little Women film shines. For me, the portrayals of Meg, Beth, and Marmee are better than any of the others, making this arguably the most complete of the film adaptations. Trini Alvarado’s Meg really goes through the whole ordeal of choosing between wealth and love, fully played out on screen. It’s a solid side-plot that does a better job of fleshing out her character than just a few stolen glances with a tutor can accomplish. Claire Danes gives Beth a little bit more dimension than just the oh this girl is going to die somewhere around the hour and a half mark portrayal that the character usually takes on. She has expressed desires and actual relationships and connections in the world despite her shy nature. Marmee serves as the inspirational figure for all of the girls, pushing them to be their own women and to achieve what they want in life, and Susan Sarandon’s portrayal of the March Matriarch just might be the best one. It’s still a performance full of one-liners and aphorisms, but her delivery is one of a mother who cares about her daughters and truly believes that what she is telling them will drive their development in a positive direction.
Little Women benefits from perhaps the strongest portrayals of some of its side characters to set it apart from its fellow adaptations; combining with its excellent score and production design, these aspects make the film deservedly one of the Greatest Films of All Time. It might suffer a bit from comparison to other films, particularly in its portrayal of Jo and Amy, but the other characters even things out enough to help this one stand out from the crowd in its own way. This film is currently available to stream with a DirecTV subscription or to rent on most other streaming services if you’re looking for a place to watch it.
