Review of Little Women (1994) by Karlo M — 26 Jan 2009

Little Women introduces us to the March sisters as their lives unfold from a quiet life of mirth to the bittersweet hardships of adulthood in a smart coming of age tale set in post-civil war America. The story centres around Jo (Ryder), who in her youth, aspires to move to New York to pursue her career in writing.

Her best friend, Laurie, is played with delight by Christian Bale-- he is charming, warm, and kind-hearted-- a musician with an air of unbridled romanticism. The other players include Meg, the eldest-- who seems destined to embrace the responsibilities of the domesticated married life.

The quiet Beth is the unassuming light-- through tragic circumstances, she would become the spiritual catalyst that would enable the sisters to grow even further. Then there is Amy, played with ardor and natural lightness by a young Kirsten Dunst.

Being the youngest, she is spoiled, self-centered, and driven to satisfy her own needs. As a young adult, we see glimpses of her selfish attitude she carried earlier in youth but we can't help but sympathize with her desire to be satisfied.

The film outdoes itself by departing from the pitfalls and dramatic cliches of a conventional feel-good family movie. Of course it is guilty of tying loose ends a little too neatly but it rectifies itself by exploring what happens to these characters at the onset of adulthood.

People change, relationships blossom and die. Good souls become bitter but the film also argues that life offers a multitude of possibilities for redemption. The latter half of the story deals with the young women still striving to find their individual voices.

For Jo, as she gets closer towards finding fulfillment we see each of her sisters strong qualities embodied in her-- Meg's matured self-assurance, Amy's passionate flares, and Beth's contentment in the little things in life.

When she moves to a new city and meets her mentor-- a philosopher and the antithesis of her first love-- we can only hope that the choices she makes will further her advancement. At the film's conclusion, we care for the characters, reflect on their childhood, and can only wish them best success.