Little Women (1994)
Feb. 6th, 2026 05:43 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
varidogLittle Women (1994) was a treat. It was still built and constructed as an older style film, and generally worked well that way. It sat between the formalism of former eras, where the past was depicted stiffly, and the historical-esque which has gained fashion these days. There was still a little stiffness, but the kinetics weren't stiff at all.
First, a shout out to the screen writer. Adapting Little Women is quite the challenge, and doing that even moderately well is enough for a gold star. That book is full of challenges. My wife had a few criticisms of the film, and all of them point straight back to the book.
I enjoyed seeing the younger selves of so many actresses. Much of the cast would go on to star in so many things. This was especially true of Dunst, who was about 10-12 at the time of filming. My brain took a little bit to begin recognizing her, but there were times when her face jumped out, and there she was. I'd seen Sarandon in so many comedic and outrageous roles, it was a treat to see her in a dramatic one.
I enjoyed the set design, but I reserve my right to complain about the bland decor of the house. At least they put the house in town, where it belonged. Having actual Massachusetts to film in helped. Growing up, I'd seen so many examples of the furniture that they used, revived in later eras, but still harkening back. That gave the setting a surprisingly familiar feel.
The apparent romance between Jo and Lauri proceeded at it should, and if I'd been through this story the first time, I'd be shocked that Jo turned her down.
There's a few places where the film went clunk, but not many. I suspect that a runtime limit contributed to this. If I could, I'd add those 5-10 minutes back in.
One particular point that I enjoyed was the piano. When I first heard it, I said, "That piano is out of tune." You could hear how bad that piano sounded, with its overly loud soundboard, giving it an overall metallic feel. When the new piano came in, the aural contrast was stark, and the new piano in tune and sweet. (How you keep a piano in tune, in poorly heat regulated Massachusetts, without going into debt to the piano tuner, is a level of black sorcery that's beyond me.)
This film doesn't reach the top tier of historicals and adaptations, it sits comfortably in the next tier down, and overall, provides a satisfying watch.
First, a shout out to the screen writer. Adapting Little Women is quite the challenge, and doing that even moderately well is enough for a gold star. That book is full of challenges. My wife had a few criticisms of the film, and all of them point straight back to the book.
I enjoyed seeing the younger selves of so many actresses. Much of the cast would go on to star in so many things. This was especially true of Dunst, who was about 10-12 at the time of filming. My brain took a little bit to begin recognizing her, but there were times when her face jumped out, and there she was. I'd seen Sarandon in so many comedic and outrageous roles, it was a treat to see her in a dramatic one.
I enjoyed the set design, but I reserve my right to complain about the bland decor of the house. At least they put the house in town, where it belonged. Having actual Massachusetts to film in helped. Growing up, I'd seen so many examples of the furniture that they used, revived in later eras, but still harkening back. That gave the setting a surprisingly familiar feel.
The apparent romance between Jo and Lauri proceeded at it should, and if I'd been through this story the first time, I'd be shocked that Jo turned her down.
There's a few places where the film went clunk, but not many. I suspect that a runtime limit contributed to this. If I could, I'd add those 5-10 minutes back in.
One particular point that I enjoyed was the piano. When I first heard it, I said, "That piano is out of tune." You could hear how bad that piano sounded, with its overly loud soundboard, giving it an overall metallic feel. When the new piano came in, the aural contrast was stark, and the new piano in tune and sweet. (How you keep a piano in tune, in poorly heat regulated Massachusetts, without going into debt to the piano tuner, is a level of black sorcery that's beyond me.)
This film doesn't reach the top tier of historicals and adaptations, it sits comfortably in the next tier down, and overall, provides a satisfying watch.
