My Opinion on the 1994 Little Women Adaptation

The soundtrack is absolutely beautiful and fits the story and cinematography perfectly. It really elevates the film.
The pacing is perfect. The movie is two hours, we get one hour for childhood, a clear shift to adulthood with “four years later” and an adult Amy, and one hour for adulthood.
The cast has really good chemistry. This is the first adaptation where they really seem like a family, meaning the house is lived in and we really feel like we are getting an inside peek at their lives.
This is the first adaptation that doesn’t use obvious sets. The house is realistic and accurate, and it really feels like we are in 1860s New England. The New York set is also accurate and realistic
The cinematography and coloring are beautiful, and it really adds to the warmth and comforting feeling of the film, alongside the cast chemistry. It doesn’t use excessive warm filters to convey the nostalgic feeling, which I like, but it comes through in the shots that make you feel like you are there. The coloring is realistic, but still seems like a pleasant memory.
The cast is very strong, there isn’t one actor who seems out of place, weaker, or like a wrong choice.
I wish we saw Jo and Amy fight more before the burning of the book, and I also wish we got to see Amy burning the book. However, I really like how Jo attacked Amy after because it was accurate to how sisters really fight. The scene of Amy falling into the ice would’ve been better if Laurie told Jo to not go in the middle and Jo chooses to not tell Amy because it would’ve added to her guilt.
This is the first film adaptation to depict many key events of the book: Beth visiting the Hummels for the last time, Meg at the Moffats and Meg and Laurie at the ball, Amy burning Jo’s book, Amy at Aunt March’s, Amy falling into the ice, Amy’s painting and art, and Amy and Laurie in Europe.
I like that this adaptation shows the more artistic and silly side of Jo, but I wish it had also shown her tomboyish side as well. Her desire to truly be a boy is central to her character and also her and Laurie’s relationship.
I wish we had gotten to see Jo and Laurie’s relationship develop a little more in the beginning because it is unclear as to why they become such great friends.
Finally we get Marmee as her own character and not just the traditional doting mother. We get to see her strength, confidence, and feminism, and how she portrays a loving mother differently from many other films. She is kind and caring without being traditional or boring.
The amazing and accurate costuming combined with the sets and acting really add to the movie’s realism, and how it feels like you are transported into the book.
I wish they expanded on Beth and Mr. Laurence’s relationship, especially Beth overcoming her social anxiety to go over to the Laurence house to play the piano. It’s a really important moment for both her and Mr. Laurence’s character development.
I really like how they added why Meg and the March’s family belief about wearing products made by child labor and slavery, and it adds a little bit to why Meg was worried about what her family would think.
I love how they expanded on Mr. Brooke and Meg’s relationship, and we get to see that she really likes him unlike in previous adaptations where it didn’t seem like she cared about him at all until they got engaged. It’s crazy how this was lacking in every adaptation previous to this one. I on the fence if I wish they had shown her defending John to Aunt March, I like how them not including it shows that Meg truly loved him and didn’t just marry him to make Aunt March upset.
I wish they had kept Beth going to the Hummels’ for the last time like it happened in the book, where Beth asks the girls to go but they all brush it off and Beth feels forced to go. I feel that it shows Beth’s character and adds to the sisters’ guilt when she gets sick.
I like that they showed the Pickwick Society, instead of just one little play, and I feel like it shows a lot about each character.
Laurie and Jo have too much romantic chemistry. If this movie is your introduction to Little Women, it makes absolutely no sense why they don’t get together. This is definitely due to Christian and Winona’s chemistry, and unfortunately Samantha Mathis and Christian don’t have enough chemistry to convince me that they’re in love, especially compared to Winona and Christian.
I liked how they added more to Jo and Meg’s relationship and showed the Meg and Amy vs. Jo and Beth divide, but I wish they showed more of Amy and Beth’s relationship like the 1949 adaptation.
I liked how they added clarity to the family’s financial situation and political opinions. I dislike how they ignore wartime issues in other adaptations, and I really liked how they incorporated it into the plot without it feeling random.
I’m really happy with how they wrote Meg’s character. I think Trini Alvarado did a good job, but they wrote her really differently from previous adaptations. She’s definitely the mature older sister, but she isn’t nagging or critical, instead she’s gentle, responsible, and loving.
I think Samantha Mathis is a good older Kirsten Dunst physically, and she’s a fine Amy. Kirsten outacts her by a mile and plays a much better Amy. Samantha is nice and definitely has Amy’s grace and refinement, but I think she lacks spirit and is too placid. However, River Phoenix, Samantha’s boyfriend, died right before filming so I’ll let it slide.
I like the line in the beginning where Amy says, “We’re all going to grow up someday, Meg. We might as well know what we want.” and I especially like how Jo laughs at her after. It shows how even though Amy has always been logical and wise, Jo never took her seriously.
I like how we see Jo going to the publisher and pursuing her writing career.
I really like Jo and Mr. Bhaer’s relationship. It doesn’t feel creepy at all, and Gabriel Byrne is the first actor where I feel that he really understands the character. They really expand on the relationship and make it make sense. I love the part where Jo chases after him and they kiss, it’s so perfect.
This movie is so ahead of its time. It talks about financial difficulty, wartime struggles, feminism, slavery, and it shows Jo talking about women having the right to vote in New York.
I like how Jo was afraid in New York in the beginning, but found her footing. It was realistic, and I think they did her time in New York really well.
There were several tear inducing moments. Beth’s death was definitely the #1, but Mr. March returning home was one as well.
I loved the scene after Beth’s death of Hannah, and how it showed her dolls, since that’s an aspect of her character in the book.
Amy and Laurie’s relationship was not very well done. I like how Laurie immediately went to Amy when he heard the news and I liked their first kiss. However, their conversation under the trees made no sense, I didn’t understand how they fell in love and why Laurie immediately went to London for her, and I didn’t feel he had good enough chemistry with Samantha.
I loved the scene of Jo writing her novel and sending in the manuscript, and how it referenced moments in their lives, narrated by each sister.
I wish we saw just a little more of Mr. Brooke’s and Meg’s married life, but I like how we finally get to see Daisy and Demi.
This adaptation perfectly balances emotion, nostalgia, plot, and book accuracy. It’s a wonderful mix that captures everything important about the book.
I love that they finally include Jo getting Plumfield and deciding to turn it into a school.
I love that there are a lot of female presences behind-the-scenes, such as the director, costume designer, producer, and screenplay writer.
Overall I give it a 9.5/10. It’s so close to perfection, and it’s just absolutely amazing in every way. I seriously doubt any other adaptation will ever touch this one. Every aspect is so wonderful, from the cinematography, sets, soundtrack, pacing, and screenplay, to the casting, chemistry, and emotion. In this adaptation the behind-the-scenes aspects of the film stand out to me as much as the obvious things like cast and set, and it’s obvious that the crew, director, and writer were passionate about this movie. There is no weak point in the actors, and all of them are either strong or my favorite portrayal of their character. The only weak points for me are the lack of development of Amy and Laurie’s relationship, Beth and Mr. Laurence’s relationship, and Meg and Mr. Brooke’s married life. However, these aren’t bad necessarily, just a little underdeveloped, and I understand that they couldn’t spend more time on these since it’s a movie and not a miniseries. I would absolutely recommend this movie, and it’s such a perfect watch for fall or winter.

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