You'd think that by the third time watching this film, the intensity of my reactions would fade but they are as strong as ever. No matter how many times I watch this film, my heart will still ache when Jo rejects Laurie and Amy’s tantrums will always make me burst out laughing.
The film stays true to Alcott's story as it follows the growing-up of the March sisters in Concord, Massachusetts, during and after the Civil War. The four sisters: Meg (Trini Alvarado), Jo (Winona Ryder), Beth (Claire Danes) and Amy (initially Kirsten Dunst, then Samantha Mathis) live with their mother, Marmee (Susan Sarandon) while their father is fighting for the Union Army. Although the film's heroine is Jo, an aspiring writer, each one of the "little women" leaves a mark on the audience. They are nuanced, dynamic characters; who start like girls and through hardship, loss and the typical teenage confusion develop into women.
Although the film stays true to its time with Meg or Amy dreaming of "marrying good", these little women are their own persons; they are individuals with strong personalities, dreams and desires. The girls may not have a favourable financial position, but they have strong principles, and most importantly, they have each other.
To be honest, what took me by surprise is how relatable this film is for modern-day women. Yes, the action may have taken place in the 1806s, but some of the issues are as relevant as ever. This film does not only present sisterhood and solidarity (which are as needed today as they were in the 19th century), but it also approaches issues such as gender inequality: "Nothing provokes speculation more than the sight of a woman enjoying herself".
Armstrong's version of Little women seems to hail from where Jo's writing does "From life, from the depths of your soul".
