Little Women
Short description
Little Women follows the four March sisters as they grow up in Massachusetts during and just after the American Civil War. With their father away, Jo, Meg, Amy and Beth navigate a household shaped by limited means and by the expectations placed on women of their time. Each sister takes a different path: Jo pursues writing and resists the pressure to marry, Meg chooses a life of her own making, Amy devotes herself to painting, and Beth looks after the family. Their neighbour Laurie becomes entangled in their lives, particularly with Jo, while their mother Marmee holds the household together. The story moves between the sisters' teenage years and their adult lives, tracing first love, disappointment, ambition and the bonds that survive change. Greta Gerwig wrote and directed this adaptation of Louisa May Alcott's novel.
The film was Gerwig's second as director, following Lady Bird in 2017 and preceding Barbie in 2023. Saoirse Ronan plays Jo, with Emma Watson, Florence Pugh, Eliza Scanlen, Laura Dern and Timothée Chalamet in the main roles. Made for a budget of about 40 million dollars, it took roughly 220 million dollars worldwide, a strong return for a period drama. On IMDb it holds 7.8 out of 10 from around 282,000 votes, and on TMDB 7.8 out of 10 from about 7,000 votes. A critics' rating of 8.6 out of 10 from 441 reviews places it above both audience scores.
What's left behind the scenes
- Timothée Chalamet improvised during the love confession scene.
- Louisa May Alcott's 1868 novel (1832-1888), on which the film is based, was published in installments, so the first half appeared before the author even came up with the ending. The scenes involving Jo and her publisher describe conversations the author of the novel actually had with her publisher regarding whether or not to marry Jo off in the finale, and if so, to whom.
- The film received six Academy Award nominations. The 1933, 1949, and 1994 adaptations received a total of eight nominations and won two Oscars.
- The filming crew had to resort to various tricks to conceal Timothée Chalamet's actual height (approximately 178 centimeters).
- The film was shot in the state of Massachusetts.
- The March house was created to look unremarkable from the outside, but bright and colorful inside. The film crew nicknamed it the “jewel box.”
- Louis Garrel played Friedrich Bhaer, and he spoke with a distinct French accent. Friedrich's homeland is never mentioned, but he has a German name. In the 1994 adaptation, Friedrich was played by Irish actor Gabriel Byrne, who spoke with a German accent.
- Emma Stone was initially considered for the role of Meg, but she was unable to participate in the project due to the promotional campaign for Yorgos Lanthimos's "The Favourite" (2018).
- Before filming the argument between Jo and Amy, which Saoirse Ronan and Florence Pugh were eagerly anticipating, Pugh allowed Ronan to give her a full-force slap.
- Filming took place from October 5th to December 15th, 2018.
- Initially, it was assumed that Greta Gerwig would only write the screenplay, but after the success of her tragicomedy "Lady Bird" (2017), she was offered the position of director.
- The wardrobe of all the women has distinctive colors. For Meg, it's pale lilac and green, for Jo, red and indigo, for Beth, pink with brown, and for Amy, light blue. Their mother, Marmee, often appears in outfits that include various combinations of these colors.
- Costume designer Jacqueline Durran sewed several identical items of clothing for Jo and Laurie to give the audience the impression that these characters are exchanging them with each other.
- The script did not include the marriage of Amy March, played by Florence Pugh. Meryl Streep, who played Aunt March, suggested including it. The speech text was written right before filming this scene.
- The film was shot in Massachusetts. Filming took place in Boston, Harvard, and Concord. The Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University was used as the location for a scene taking place in a Parisian park.
Auditions in India
Casting calls in USA
Castingi w Polsce
Кастинги в Україні
