Piccole donne

Having seen all the versions, including the 2019 version, this is the best out of all of them. Much truer to the book, as are the characters. Totally charming, beautiful dialogue and music.

This version of Little Women is lovely. Everyone is perfectly cast, and fans of the novel will be happy that it is quite true-to-book. Winona Ryder is perfect as Jo, quite equal to Katherine Hepburn's performance in the 1933 version. Susan Sarandon is wonderful (though I'm not sure Marmee would talk about 'restrictive corsets' to John Brooke). :) Christian Bale is an excellent Laurie, and Gabriel Byrne is wonderful as our Professor Bhaer. Kirsten Dunst and Claire Danes showed acting ability beyond their years. Trini Alvarado was a very pretty and sweet Meg. Samantha Mathis was a very pretty older Amy, but she could have been more lively. Eric Stoltz was a great John Brooke. I had never pictured Brooke with red hair, but it was nice. The rest of the cast was terrific, especially Mary Wickes as Aunt March. For once, Mary wasn't playing somebody's nurse or maid. :)

The music and cinematography were beautifully done. It was absolutely wonderful, and I highly recommend it (and the book of the same name). :)

Though some may argue that the older classic versions of Little Women with Katherine Hepburn and June Allison may be better because it sticks to the book, this is the only version that captures the spirit of the book.

Though the filmmakers took license to cut away certain specifics, the end result is an absolutely gorgeous film that stands on it's own completely. One would be able to watch this film without ever having read or known the book and seen it as it's own film.

The film thrives on small scenes and nuances, moments of person to person contact, production design and cinematography, the all important score (which adds a great deal to the film). This delicate and complicated symbiosis between all aspects tactfully and poignantly creates the story, something missing from many movies these days which creates a tangible and effervescent emotional layer. Then the acting of one of the best ensembles to hit the screen in a long time. Keep an eye out for Susan Sarandon and Claire Daines in roles that ought to have been nominated along with Ryder. These actors create people that endear themselves to us, and make the film even more than it could have been.

It's a small scale masterpiece that will leave you in tears. The film is honest and true in it's portrayal of human emotion. It went from being an adaptation of the book to it's own story and portrayal of people and their lives. It's beautiful aesthetically and dramatically, and a real gem of a film.

I've seen the original, starring Katherine Hepburn as Jo which was directed by George Cukor in (what seems to be) 1901. That's an excellent version of this story, a real classic.

Maybe the story just needed a 'new coat of paint' to spruce it up a bit because it sure does seem new and worth telling again.

Winona Ryder has to carry the movie, more or less, and gives a confident performance as the independent Jo. Susan Sarandon is not around that much but makes a good Marmee. Christian Bale is great, as always, and Trini Alvarado and Eric Stoltz round out the cast.

You don't see Claire Danes that much, but then it becomes about her quite a bit as the story moves on. A gift she receives for Christmas from a kindly neighbor could give your tearducts a workout, at the very least.

Beautiful movie. Could even be longer, and how many times can you say that about anything?

Superlative, mostly faithful adaptation of Louisa May Alcott's acclaimed novel of four impoverished teenage sisters who come of age in Civil War era New England. The film chronicles ambitious scribe Jo, decorative and impressionable Meg, timid, musically inclined Beth, and artistic, precocious Amy, with emphasis placed on their relationship with their beloved "Marmee" and their growing bond with the playful, cultured boy next door as they attempt to make their way while their father is off fighting in the war. While devoted readers may have wished for an ending that was more in line with the novel, this is perfectly cast and brilliantly acted, with wonderful characters, a pinpoint sense of the time period, and genuine emotions that flow throughout the proceedings; a worthy adaptation indeed. ***