a collection of my film + show reviews

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this film is based on the coming-of-age novel by louisa may alcott, from the 1860s. inspired by her own life, the story is about an 1860s family, following a household of four sisters growing up together.

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first off, the movie is directed in such a unique and captivating way, cutting back from past to present throughout the movie, using the color of the screen as a representation of the past and present. the past has a brighter and warmer tone, showing how they were happier back then, and the present is cooler, showing how the happiness is not the same as it used to be. however, at the end, the present becomes warmer as the ending gets happier. the original book was in chronological order, and i feel like if this movie followed that, it would be more boring and harder to retain my attention span.

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i love how it's a representation of healthy family relationships. the sisters fight, but they talk everything out and have such great older figures in their lives to help guide them in making the right decisions and not holding grudges. moreover, the sisters all have different goals and ambitions in life, which is so inspiring to see. they don’t let this get in the way of their relationships with one another because, despite their differences, they are family.

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i also see this movie as incredibly relatable, with incredible characters and experiences that we can all relate to in some shape or form. laurie reminds me a bit of myself, and jo reminds me of someone i once knew. i love jo’s character, especially how she is so passionate about writing and independence. despite her love for laurie and their incredible banter and dynamic with one another—both being incredibly quirky and goofy—she chooses to not marry him to pursue her passion for independence and going against the status quo, along with not letting it get in the way of her dreams of becoming a writer. i love how she tries to bring up all the reasons she and laurie wouldn’t work out without even trying it out. she is so stubborn. jo is trying to find reasons to not marry him so she can remain independent, avoiding her true feelings for him and not letting it get in the way of her dreams and passions.

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seven years later, she realizes she wants laurie back and regrets not being with him. she writes him a letter, assumably talking about how she still loves him. later on, she speaks with another character and questions if she just wanted to be loved or if she truly loved laurie. i believe that she still loved him. i can see it. however, she finds out laurie is with amy. she moves on and allows laurie to get with her sister. she does not let a guy get between her and her sister. even though she is sad, she knows there are more important things in life and moves on. she is STRONG. that is how you write a strong female character.

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i also love how the director makes us second guess if she ends up getting married or not. since the book is about jo’s life, and he tells her that her character needs to end up with a man if she wants it to get published. she publishes it, and then the movie shows the real scenes of her getting a man in a romantic scene. at the very end, she is standing in her school she created, not with her man though. who knows what happened?

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very good movie. i recommend.

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score: 8/10