Little Women: From Page to Screen, with Love

“No one will forget Jo March”

In the quiet of an attic, a story begins. Jo March; fierce, ink-smudged, and full of restless ambition, writes as if her life depends on it. In the rest of the house, life continues: her mother, her three sisters, and a home full of love, laughter, and longing, set against the backdrop of post civil War Massachusetts.

Through the lens of director Greta Gerwig, we step into a retelling of Louisa May Alcott's classic that stays true to its 19th-century roots, yet laced with the language and concerns of our modern time.

Film Details

Title: Little Women (2019) 

Director: Greta Gerwig

Writer: Greta Gerwig (Original Novel by Louisa May Alcott) 

Starring: Saoirse Ronan, Florence Pugh, Emma Watson, Eliza Scanlen, Timothée Chalamet, Laura Dern, Meryl Streep 

Genre: Coming-of-age / Drama / Romance 

Runtime: 2h 15m 

Rating: PG 

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First Impressions

I haven’t read the book, nor have I seen any of the early adaptations. So, this 2019 version was my first introduction to the world of Little Women. And what a cute and intricate  introduction it was.

The storytelling caught me off guard at first. It is not a straightforward narrative but more like the flickering of memories. Gerwig doesn’t follow a linear timeline, instead, the story unfolds in loops, jumps, and parallels. It's as if the film breathes in and out between past and present, between the glowing warmth of youth and the paler hues of growing up.

I’ve first seen Little Women when it was released in 2019, and the nonlinear narrative honestly threw me off a bit. It needed focus to keep up with the events, and it was easy to miss the foreshadowing and emotional parallels scattered throughout the movie. However, with the second watch, I appreciated the depth put in this particular choice of storytelling, the little details put in making the two timelines looping in and out to form a beautifully woven tapestry that unfolds on the screen. 

A Tale Told in Two Shades

Something that enhanced the watching experience is the use of colour correction. When we are introduced to the March sisters in their younger days,  the colors are warm and saturated, like the way we remember our childhoods: brighter and more alive. The present-day timeline, where life has hardened slightly and grief lingers, is bathed in paler, more muted tones. That visual contrast alone does so much emotional heavy lifting; it tells us exactly how the past felt, and how the present feels.

Bringing the Marches to life 

The film’s casting is TOP-NOTCH.

For starters, Saoirse Ronan caught the balance of Jo’s boldness and vulnerability, making her character real and relatable. Florence Pugh’s portrayal of Amy might be the biggest revelation in the film. Amy can be easily dismissed as the bratty little sister, but

in this adaptation, she becomes one of the most complex and grounded characters.

To bring a gentle breeze to the stormy dynamic of the sisters, I couldn’t imagine anyone portraying Meg’s composure and quiet elegance better than Emma Watson. Her presence adds to the overall harmony of the ensemble.

Eliza Scanlen plays Beth with a soft and quiet presence that anchors the story emotionally, even if she didn’t have a long, moving monologue. Beth doesn’t need to say much; her presence alone is powerful.

Apart from the sisters, Laura Dern’s Marmee is perhaps one of the most quietly radical portrayals in the film. She’s nurturing, yes, but also burning beneath the surface, which adds more depth to the character other than the seemingly caring, cute mother.

Finally, casting Timothée Chalamet as the expressive and charming Laurie was a brilliant choice. He carries Laurie’s wits and playfulness so naturally that his relationships with both Jo and Amy feel believable and compelling. His performance adds another emotional thread to the already rich tapestry of the film.

Visual Poetry

Little Women is a feast for the eyes. With stunning cinematography, amazingly designed sets, and elegant costumes, every frame feels like a painting.

The camera work is delicate. It captures subtle details in a gentle, almost rhythmic movement, perfectly synchronized with the sentimental rollercoaster this film brings.

The set design complements this perfectly, we can see bits of every character in the corners of the house.  

Then there’s the costume design, which might be one of the film’s most quietly powerful storytelling tools. The costume choices don’t just clothe the characters; they reveal them. The characters’ wardrobes are expressive and give the characters more depth and dimension. 

Final Thoughts

Little Women is a love letter to womanhood. The film manages to honor the soul of Louisa May Alcott’s original work while breathing into it a contemporary spirit that feels timeless. It’s a story of women, of ambition, of loss, and of love, not just romantic, but familial and creative love, too.

And for real, Jo March wanted to write something that would make people feel “not alone”; this film, in all its warmth and complexity, does just that.