Dynestee Fields

Christmas 2017 saw the premiere of BBC One’s three part adaptation of Little Women. Fans were poised to witness the regeneration of the four iconic March sisters and their lovable next-door neighbor, Laurie. This adaptation of Louisa May Alcott’s beloved 1868 novel is brought to life by a lively cast comprised of both newcomers of the industry and veterans alike. Each of them add their own unique element to the classic story. Many of these actors portray their characters well, causing the audience to fondly reminisce about Alcott’s novel. However, one of these characters is not so fortunate. It is the objective of this review to analyze this new regeneration of the March family and their acquaintances.

Josephine March, or Jo for short, is portrayed by the relative newcomer Maya Hawke. This actress does well at portraying Jo’s trademark creativity, determination, and faithfulness to family and friends. These attributes are Jo’s core and are embodied by her character throughout any good adaptation of the novel. Hawke’s unique spin on Jo’s character is her amplification of Jo’s temper. It was likely the aim of Heidi Thomas, the series’ writer, to showcase how Jo continuously succumbs to her fatal flaw of being quick to anger, but the result is that Jo comes across as being touchy. The majority of the time when this temper arises it is directed at her best friend and neighbor, Laurie Laurence. However, Hawke also shows that Jo’s love for her family and friends always prevails.

Willa Fitzgerald dazzles as Jo’s older sister, Margaret, or more affectionately, Meg March. Meg is always recognized as one of more the dutiful, conforming, and mild-mannered sisters. At the beginning of the series, Meg’s ambitions revolve around what her society values: lavish lifestyles, dainty trinkets, and societal exchanges. However, after being invited to an elaborate coming out party, meant to announce that a girl is of courting age, Meg realizes that her dream lifestyle is not all that it appears to be and is able to overcome her fatal flaw: covetousness. This epiphany is shown when Meg defies her aunt (Angela Lansbury), a proud gentlewoman, and marries John Brooke, a man lacking wealth. Fitzgerald’s performance allows the audience to note these changes in Meg’s behavior without fear of missing subtle cues. Like Hawke, Fitzgerald also adds a unique twist to her character. The element that she adjusts in Meg is her kindness. Instead of being overly proper, Meg is portrayed as being a bubbly and tender-hearted young woman.

Elizabeth March, commonly known as Beth, is the angel of the home. Chronically shy, she does not like to attend school and chooses to stay home and execute domestic duties. Annes Elwy, the actress who portrays her in the new series, gives audiences a glimpse of Beth as a girl who is wise beyond her years. Generosity, along with the fatal flaw of shyness, are at the core of Beth’s being. This generosity leads her to help the Hummels, a German family in the throes of poverty, during which she catches Scarlet Fever. Readers of the novel know that she later succumbs to this disease. During her short life, Beth is able to overcome her shyness by engaging in her passion for music. Laurie’s grandfather desires for her to play the piano for him, and although she is initially too shy to do so, she eventually overcomes her fear. Referencing her wisdom, Beth is able to accept her approaching death because of her connection with God. She explains her surety to Jo as they enjoy one last vacation together, and she is successful in assuring her sister that her death cannot be stopped and that it is what God wants. Elwy’s talent shines during these critical moments as her portrayal of Beth’s maturity and wisdom reaches far beyond what any of her sisters appear to be capable of.

Now for the controversial portrayal. The youngest March sister, Amy, is twelve years old in Alcott’s novel. However, the film version of her character, portrayed by Kathryn Newton, appears much older. She looks older than Beth and perhaps even Jo. This causes complications to the story line. For instance, in the second episode Amy is bullied by her teacher and one of her peers for bringing pickled limes to school. Had a younger actress been chosen to fill the role, this absurd story line would make sense. However, given the mature look of Newton the story simply comes off as ridiculous.

The actress does not do injustice to Amy. Apart from the fact that at several points in the film she comes across as being a child trapped in an adult’s body, Newton accurately portrays the character growth that Amy experiences throughout the course of the three part miniseries. Amy’s fatal flaw, vanity, dominates much of her character both in the beginning of the series and near its end. She wants to be a gentlewoman, a good artist, beautiful, and rich. However, little threads of love and tenderness for those around her occasionally poke through her infirmity. Throughout the series this tenderness, having not yet ventured into the arena of romantic love, makes its appearance when Amy is alone with Laurie. Near the series’ end it finally culminates into romance when the two run into each other abroad and marry.

Laurie Laurence, as portrayed by Jonah Hauer-King, in this adaptation is the perfect boy next door. Charming, kind, and persistent, he is the perfect companion to the March family as they experience the instabilities of life. Although it is hinted at that he can exhibit a wild streak at times that includes: drinking, playing billiards, and chasing after women, it never makes an appearance in the series. In many ways this version of Laurie is the exact opposite of the suave version portrayed by Christian Bale in the 1994 version of the character. For nearly two thirds of the series, Laurie gently pursues Jo’s love. Only near the series’ end does he reverse his feelings for Jo and Amy, with the former becoming more sisterly and the latter becoming a love interest. However, the newfound interests of Hauer-King and Newton’s characters appear to be poorly represented. Laurie simply appears to be little more than a steady hand for Amy, and secretly the fulfillment of her desire to be wealthy. Perhaps this deficiency is due to the fact that so little attention is paid to the reasoning behind this match. Unlike in the 1994 adaptation, no one is told that Laurie is willing to change his behavior to be more compatible with a future wife or that Amy only wants to marry a wealthy man. Their relationship is a sweet friendship that blossoms into something more, while simultaneously fulfilling the desires that each of them have about life. If a passionate romance is what this show’s audience is looking for, they will not find it in this adaptation.

The cinematography of this series was colorful and unique. The soft music playing in the background is reminiscent of the soft pastels that can often be found in the vicinity of the characters. Each scene is lively, and the characters stand out well against the backdrop. The effect that this has on the series is that each episode makes the audience feel as though they are immersed in the action being carried out on the screen. The only negative aspect of the series as a whole is the language that the characters use. At times, particularly in the scene where Jo and Laurie are arguing in the carriage, it is hard to not notice that the actors are trying too hard to grasp the speaking pattern of the time.

This adaptation of Little Women deserves four out of five stars, with one star being deducted because of the massive age difference between the Amy of the novel and the Amy of this series. However, the other casting choices and film elements appear to give the desired effect. In conclusion, this latest regeneration of Alcott’s iconic story is the perfect series to liven up a rainy afternoon or to enjoy on a long weekend.