Little Women (2017): A Beautiful and Heart Warming Adaptation

PBS aired BBC’s Little Women this past May (in Canada and US), and it was, in a word, wonderful.

Due to the casting and the fact that the series was being produced by the BBC, I had no doubt that this series would be spectacular. It exceeded all of my expectations however, and is now among the list of my favorite period dramas. There were both major and small detailed aspects in this series that drew me in and made me love it, and I’m excited to go through them all!

The Casting

The casting for the main characters in this film was perfect. Not only did the actors portray their roles very well, but the March sisters actually looked like sisters. They were similar in looks and mannerisms enough that they were very convincing in their collective role as a family. It was easy to see how well their chemistry was both on and off set.

Maya Hawke as Jo, was a surprisingly well performed role. From what I saw in the trailer for the series I wasn’t overly convinced that she would play the role as well as Wynona Ryder. But by the end of it I was thoroughly drawn into her characters story and the way she played it off. I enjoyed the unique ways she approached her character. I believe she really deserved this role and will no doubt greatly benefit from it’s positive impression on many of the fans of this new show.

I absolutely adored Jonah Hauer-King as Laurie Lawrence. He really brought his own take to the character in a way I haven’t really seen. Even though Christian Bale did a fantastic job in the 90’s film, I often found him to be a bit stiff and I felt like I saw more of Christian the actor than Laurie.

I found this new version of Laurie to be playful and charismatic, and he was exactly how I pictured him to be when I read the book. He also played off the emotional scenes incredibly well, especially during the proposal scene with Jo. The fact that he just broke down and cried really threw me off guard, and I was balling my eyes out right with him. It was a different, yet I believe more realistic reaction from his character than we’ve seen before, and made more sense for his character than for him to simply get mad and show little sensitivity.

Mark Stanley’s performance as Prof. Bhaer was a refreshing take on his character. It always irritated me that the casting for him in the 90’s film was so much older than what was described in the novel. He seemed more like a sweet grandpa than a romantic suitor, and the relationship just felt forced. In this film though, I was immediately rooting for their relationship to happen. It was a believable romance, and as it should be, the better option for Jo.

Stuck to The Integrity of the Novel

One of the things I truly appreciated about this series was how close they stuck to the novel. The scene with Amy and her pickled limes was something I was really hoping they would portray, as well as the final scene in the book at Jo’s school for boys when the family is picnicking on the lawn. I as worried about them doing something similar to recent novel adaptations: taking major incidents that never occurred, and placing them over plot points very relevant to the story that are merely glossed over. Thankfully that wasn’t the case, and as I watched it I could recall every single scene from reading the book.

A Minor Slip-up With Immediate Recovery

My only negative reaction from the series was during the scene where Amy is trying to get Jo and Meg to bring her to the theatre. I felt like Kathryn Newton could have played it off more vengefully than she did. But she made it up immediately during the scene where she burns Jo’s book.

I liked how they showed her to be internally battling with herself a little as to whether or not Jo actually deserved what she was getting, even after she burned the entire thing. In fact, Kathryn Newton’s portrayal of Amy was what I was most excited for, from what I had seen of her in the trailer (and being that Amy is my favorite March sister). Aside from that slight personal opinion of the way the theatre scene should have been portrayed, I found her performance immaculate.

Without a doubt this series gets a solid 10/10 from me, and I highly recommend it to anyone who might enjoy it. Devoted lovers of the book will surely find this series well matches the descriptions and character development of the original material, and will no doubt be in tears by the end!

What did you think of Little Women? Do you prefer this mini series over the film, or do you enjoy both equally? Let us know in the comments below!

Cover Image: Little Women- Masterpiece/PBS