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Little Women (2019 film)

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Little Women
Theatrical release poster
Directed byGreta Gerwig
Screenplay byGreta Gerwig
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyYorick Le Saux
Edited byNick Houy
Music byAlexandre Desplat
Production
companies
Distributed bySony Pictures Releasing
Release dates
  • December 7, 2019 (2019-12-07) (MoMA)
  • December 25, 2019 (2019-12-25) (United States)
Running time
135 minutes[1]
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$40 million[2]
Box office$164.2 million[3][4]

Little Women is a 2019 American coming-of-age period drama film written and directed by Greta Gerwig. It is the seventh film adaptation of the 1868 novel of the same name by Louisa May Alcott. The film stars Saoirse Ronan, Emma Watson, Florence Pugh, Eliza Scanlen, Laura Dern, Timothée Chalamet, Tracy Letts, Bob Odenkirk, James Norton, Louis Garrel, Chris Cooper, and Meryl Streep.

Little Women had its world premiere at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City on December 7, 2019, and was released theatrically in the United States on December 25, 2019, by Sony Pictures Releasing. The film received critical acclaim, and has grossed over $164 million worldwide. It was chosen by the American Film Institute and Time magazine as one of the top 10 films of 2019. Among its numerous awards and nominations, the film received six nominations at the 92nd Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Actress (Ronan), Best Supporting Actress (Pugh), and Best Adapted Screenplay.[5] It also received five nominations at the 73rd British Academy Film Awards, winning for Best Costume Design, and two nominations at the 77th Golden Globe Awards.

Plot

In 1868, Jo is a teacher in New York City. She goes to an editor, Mr. Dashwood, and gets a story published subject to considerable editing. Her sister Amy, in Paris with their Aunt March, sees childhood friend Laurie and invites him to a party. At the party, she is angry at his drunken behavior and he mocks her for spending time with rich businessman, Fred Vaughn. In New York, Jo meets with Friedrich Bhaer, a professor infatuated with her, and he constructively criticizes her work. Jo takes it personally and breaks their friendship off. Afterward, Jo gets a letter saying that her younger sister Beth has gotten sicker so she returns home.

In 1861 in Concord, Massachusetts, Jo and her older sister Meg go to a party where Jo meets Laurie, the grandson of their neighbour Mr. Laurence.

On Christmas morning, their mother "Marmee" persuades the girls to give their breakfast to their poor neighbour, Mrs. Hummel and her group of starving young children. Upon returning home, the girls see their table full of food, provided by Mr. Laurence, and a letter from their father fighting in the American Civil War.

Jo visits their Aunt March, who invites Jo to Europe with her. During his Latin lesson, Laurie notices Amy standing outside, having been hit by her teacher for misbehaving in class, and invites her in before her family comes to take her home.

When Meg, Jo, Laurie and John, Laurie's tutor and Meg's eventual husband, go out one night to the theatre, an angry and jealous Amy burns Jo's writings, upsetting Jo. Amy attempts to apologize but to no avail. The next morning Amy, wanting to make up with Jo, chases her onto a lake where Jo and Laurie are skating. The two skate over to save Amy when the ice breaks underneath her. That night, Jo expresses guilt over what happened to Amy. Mr. Laurence invites Beth to play the piano in his house, as she reminds him of his dead daughter.

In the present, Laurie visits Amy to apologize for his behavior at the party. Later, he urges Amy not to marry Fred Vaughn, but to marry him instead. Amy is upset at being second for everything to Jo, including Laurie. Amy later turns down Fred's proposal only to learn that Laurie left for London.

In the past, Marmee, the mother of the girls, is informed that their father is ill from the war. While Marmee is visiting their father, Beth is given the piano from Mr. Laurence, but contracts scarlet fever. Amy, who has not had the disease before, is sent to Aunt March. Marmee comes home early when Beth gets worse, but she recovers in time for Christmas, with their father returning home. However, in the present, Beth's condition later worsens and she soon dies.

On Meg's wedding day Jo tries to convince her to run away, but Meg tells her she is happy getting married. Aunt March announces her trip to Europe, but decides to take Amy instead of Jo. After the wedding, Laurie admits his feelings for Jo, but she insists she does not feel the same way.

In the present Marmee reveals a devastated Amy was returning home with a sick Aunt March. Jo wonders whether she was too quick in turning Laurie down and writes him a letter. On their way back, Amy tells Laurie she turned down Fred's proposal. The two kiss and later marry on the journey home. Returning home, Laurie catches up with Jo and they agree to just be friends. Outside, Jo throws away the letter she wrote for Laurie.

The next day, Jo begins writing a novel based on the lives of her and her sisters. She sends the first chapters to Mr. Dashwood, who is unimpressed. Bhaer turns up at the March house on his way to California to teach.

In New York, Mr. Dashwood's daughters find the chapters of Jo's book and ask how it ends. He agrees to publish the book, but finds it unacceptable that the main character was unmarried. Jo amends her ending so that the main character, herself, chases after Bhaer and stops him from going to California. She negotiates copyright and royalties with Mr. Dashwood.

Later, Jo has inherited Aunt March's house and opened it as a school. Meg teaches acting and Amy teaches art to the schoolchildren. Bhaer is also shown teaching children at the school. Jo observes as printers print her book, titled Little Women.

Cast

Production

Development

In October 2013, it was announced a new film adaption of Little Women was in development at Sony Pictures with Olivia Milch writing the script, and Robin Swicord and Denise Di Novi serving as producers.[6] In March 2015, Amy Pascal began developing the new adaptation, with Sarah Polley hired to write the script and potentially direct.[7] Despite reports, Polley's involvement never went beyond initial discussions.[8]

In August 2016, Greta Gerwig was hired to write the script.[9] In June 2018, in light of her awards season success with Lady Bird, Gerwig was brought on as director.[10][11]

Casting

In June 2018, it was announced that Meryl Streep, Emma Stone, Saoirse Ronan, Timothée Chalamet, and Florence Pugh had been cast for the film in undisclosed roles.[10][11] In July 2018, Eliza Scanlen joined the cast.[12] In August 2018, James Norton and Laura Dern joined the cast.[13][14] Then in the same month, Stone dropped out of the film due to scheduling conflicts with the press tour for The Favourite and Emma Watson was cast to replace her.[15] In September 2018, Louis Garrel, Bob Odenkirk and Chris Cooper joined the cast.[16][17][18] In October 2018, New Regency Pictures was announced as an additional financier on the film, and Abby Quinn joined the cast.[19][20]

Filming

Principal photography began on October 5, 2018, in Boston, Massachusetts.[21] Additional filming locations included Lancaster, Harvard and Concord, Massachusetts.[22] The Arnold Arboretum was used as a location to shoot a scene set in a 19th-century Paris park.[23] Filming wrapped up on December 15, 2018.[24][25] Saoirse Ronan stated that, as previously done with Lady Bird, Gerwig banned cellphones on the set.[26]

Music

On April 8, 2019, it was announced that Alexandre Desplat had been hired to compose the film's score.[27]

Release

Little Women had its world premiere at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City on December 7, 2019.[28] It also screened as the opening film of the Rio de Janeiro International Film Festival on December 9, 2019,[29] and was theatrically released in the United States on December 25, 2019 by Sony Pictures Releasing.[30][31]

Marketing

On December 13, 2018, Emma Watson posted a set photo on social media of her along with the writer-director of the film Greta Gerwig and co-stars Saoirse Ronan, Florence Pugh, Eliza Scanlen, and Timothée Chalamet.[32] Six days later, Watson posted another set photo of her along with Gerwig and co-star Laura Dern.[33] On June 19, 2019, Vanity Fair released the first stills from the film.[34] The official trailer for the film was released on August 13, 2019.[35]

Reception

Box office

As of February 4, 2020, Little Women has grossed $99.6 million in the United States and Canada, and $64.6 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $164.2 million.[3][4]

In the United States and Canada, the film was released alongside Spies in Disguise and the expansion of Uncut Gems, and was projected to gross $18–22 million from 3,308 over its five-day opening weekend. The film made $6.4 million on Christmas Day and $6 million on its second day.[36] It went on to debut to $16.8 million (a total of $29.2 million over the five-day Christmas frame), finishing in fourth.[37][38] In its second weekend the film made $13.6 million, finishing third.[39]

Critical response

On Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 95% based on 360 reviews, with an average rating of 8.58/10. The website's critics consensus reads: "With a stellar cast and a smart, sensitive retelling of its classic source material, Greta Gerwig's Little Women proves some stories truly are timeless."[40] On Metacritic, it has a weighted average score of 91 out of 100, based on 57 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".[41] Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "A–" on an A+ to F scale, and those at PostTrak gave it an average five out of five stars.[37] It was chosen by the American Film Institute and Time magazine as one of the top 10 films of 2019.[42][43]

Accolades

Main article: List of accolades received by Little Women (2019 film)

The film has received numerous awards and nominations. At the 92nd Academy Awards, it received six nominations, including Best Picture, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actress and Best Adapted Screenplay.[44] At the 25th Critics' Choice Awards, it received nine nominations, winning for Best Adapted Screenplay.[45][46] The film also received five nominations at the 73rd British Academy Film Awards and two nominations at the 77th Golden Globe Awards, and was chosen by the American Film Institute as one of the top 10 films of the year.[47][48][49]

References

  1. ^ "'Little Women'". British Board of Film Classification. Retrieved November 25, 2019.
  2. ^ Siegel, Tatiana (December 13, 2019). "The First Couple of Film: Greta Gerwig and Noah Baumbach Open Up on Their Personal and Professional Partnership". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on December 13, 2019. Retrieved December 14, 2019.
  3. ^ a b "Little Women (2019)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved February 5, 2020.
  4. ^ a b "Little Women (2019) – Financial Information". The Numbers. Archived from the original on January 3, 2020. Retrieved February 5, 2020.
  5. ^ "Oscars: Greta Gerwig's Adaptation Brings 'Little Women' Noms Tally to 14". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on January 13, 2020. Retrieved January 13, 2020.
  6. ^ Kroll, Justin (October 18, 2013). "Sony Sets Up 'Little Women' Adaptation with Olivia Milch Writing (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Archived from the original on January 12, 2020. Retrieved January 8, 2020.
  7. ^ "Amy Pascal, Sarah Polley Team on 'Little Women' Remake at Sony". March 18, 2015. Archived from the original on October 5, 2018. Retrieved June 29, 2018.
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  9. ^ "Greta Gerwig Rewriting 'Little Women' Remake For Sony". Archived from the original on August 5, 2018. Retrieved August 15, 2018.
  10. ^ a b Kroll, Justin (June 29, 2018). "Greta Gerwig Eyes 'Little Women' With Meryl Streep, Emma Watson, Saoirse Ronan, Timothee Chalamet Circling". Archived from the original on June 29, 2018. Retrieved June 29, 2018.
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  12. ^ N'Duka, Amanda (July 24, 2018). "'Little Women': 'Sharp Objects' Actress In Talks For The Role Of Beth March". Archived from the original on July 27, 2018. Retrieved July 24, 2018.
  13. ^ N'Duka, Amanda (August 2, 2018). "Sony's 'Little Women' Adaptation Adds 'Flatliners' Actor James Norton".
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  19. ^ Jr, Mike Fleming (October 2, 2018). "New Regency Co-Finances Two Sony Films: 'Little Women' & 'Girl In The Spider's Web'". Archived from the original on October 3, 2018. Retrieved October 2, 2018.
  20. ^ N'Duka, Amanda (October 3, 2018). "Sony Casts Abby Quinn In 'Little Women' As Filming Is Set To Begin This Month". Archived from the original on October 4, 2018. Retrieved October 3, 2018.
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  23. ^ Blackwell, Deborah (November 1, 2018). "Harvard's Arnold Arboretum attracts 'Little Women' with Meryl Streep". Harvard Gazette. Archived from the original on November 18, 2018. Retrieved November 17, 2018.
  24. ^ Miller, Julie (December 21, 2018). "Saoirse Ronan on 'Little Women' and What She Learned from Mary Queen of Scots". Vanity Fair. Retrieved December 21, 2018.
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  29. ^ "'Little Women' to open Festival do Rio". Rio de Janeiro International Film Festival. Archived from the original on December 3, 2019. Retrieved December 2, 2019.
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  31. ^ Eldredge, Kristy (December 27, 2019). "Opinion | Men Are Dismissing 'Little Women.' What a Surprise". The New York Times. Retrieved December 27, 2019.
  32. ^ Rackham, Casey (December 14, 2018). "Here's The First 'Little Women' Cast Photo And It's Amazing". BuzzFeed. Archived from the original on December 14, 2018. Retrieved December 14, 2018.
  33. ^ Sharf, Zack (December 20, 2018). "'Little Women' Behind the Scenes: Emma Watson Shares Intimate Look". IndieWire. Retrieved December 20, 2018.
  34. ^ Saraiya, Sonia (June 19, 2019). "Exclusive First Look: Greta Gerwig and Saoirse Ronan's 'Little Women'". Vanity Fair. Archived from the original on June 19, 2019. Retrieved June 19, 2019.
  35. ^ Beresford, Trilby (August 13, 2019). "Greta Gerwig's 'Little Women' Releases First Trailer". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved August 13, 2019.
  36. ^ McClintock, Pamela (December 25, 2019). "Box Office: 'Star Wars: Rise of Skywalker' Unwraps Huge $32M on Christmas Day". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on December 26, 2019. Retrieved December 26, 2019.
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  39. ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (January 5, 2020). "'Star Wars: Rise Of Skywalker' Dips To $34M+ Third Weekend; 'Grudge' Doesn't Scream With $11M+ & 'F' CinemaScore". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on January 5, 2020. Retrieved January 5, 2020.
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