Little Women (2017)

Set in Massachusetts during the Civil War, the March sisters: Jo (Maya Hawke, daughter of Ethan and Uma Thurman), Meg (Willa Fitzgerald), Amy (Kathryn Newton) and Beth (Annes Elwy) and their mother (Emily Watson) struggle in genteel poverty while Mr. March (Dylan Baker) serves as a pastor in the Civil War. Based on the classic novel by Louisa May Alcott and directed by Vanessa Caswill. Do we really need yet another version of LITLE WOMEN? There have been at least eight film versions that I know of done for both film and TV and Greta Gerwig is directing a new version due out in 2019. This one attempts to give it a contemporary feel and though I haven't read the novel in decades, it seems they've fiddled with it somewhat (I may be wrong but I don't remember Meg's near drowning in the book). Hawke's Jo seems out of time, too modern for the 19th century, not as a character but her performance. The rest of the cast all look and act like they could have lived in the 19th century. The film looks great (Piers McGrail did the cinematography) but the score by Stuart Earl often seems anachronistic. It's a decent presentation but it doesn't feel like Alcott, something's off. With Angela Lansbury, Michael Gambon, Mark Stanley and Jonah Hauer King, very good as Laurie.