Patty Hudson

I first read Little Women when I was in the second grade, and have read it many, many times since. Some movies have captured the spirit of the book; others have not. This movie captured the intent and spirit of the Louisa May Alcott book in a way that I could not have imagined. Told in Jo's current time and in flashbacks, the story was easy to follow. The adaptation expanded on some parts of the book that gave additional perspective, but respected the original story. When I was growing up, Little Women was a "girls" book, but this movie was simply great as a movie - even if you'd never known the story. The four sisters were portrayed by non-American actors - Saoirse Ronan, Emma Watson, Florence Pugh, Eliza Scanlen - who did American better than some Americans. And Laura Dern, as Marmee, was exactly as I imagined she would be. When it's out on DVD, it will be added to my library to watch over and over.