Summary of little women. Little Women, characters, film adaptations

Little Women

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Now, Book, the fruit of my labors, go
And show everyone what you keep
in your chest.
You entertain and instruct my friends,
May the right path to good
my verse will show them.
I flatter myself that my dreams will come true,
What is the meaning of life to understand
you will help them all.
You introduce them to Mercy; it
On the path of life there should be a rule.
Let your voice be loud
will call upon young maidens
Appreciate the world that exists, and the one
what awaits us all.
Having the Lord in your soul, let him be with Him
The pilgrim will follow the safest path.

John Bunyan

Pilgrim Game

“It’s not Christmas without gifts,” Jo grumbled dissatisfied, stretching out on the rug in front of the fireplace.

- How disgusting it is to be poor! – Meg sighed and looked down at her old dress.

“It’s just unfair that some girls have a lot of beautiful things, while others have nothing at all,” little Amy added, sniffling resentfully.

“But we have dad and mom, and we all have each other,” Bess responded with satisfaction from her corner.

At these encouraging words, the four young faces, illuminated by the firelight, brightened for a moment, but immediately darkened again, as Jo said sadly:

“We don’t have a dad and won’t have one for a long time.”

She did not say: “Perhaps never,” but each of them added these words to herself, thinking about her father, who is so far from them - where they are fighting.

Everyone was silent for a minute, then Meg spoke in a different tone:

“You know why mom suggested not giving each other gifts for Christmas.” The winter is going to be hard, and mom thinks that we shouldn’t spend money on pleasure while men bear all the hardships. front-line life. There is little we can do to help them, but we are still able to make our small sacrifices and should do so joyfully. But I'm afraid there is no such joy in my soul. - And Meg shook her head, sadly thinking about all the beautiful things that she wanted to have.

“But in my opinion, the little pocket money we have cannot bring any noticeable benefit.” Each of us has only a dollar, and it is unlikely that we will help the army that much if we donate this money to it. I agree not to expect any gifts from mom and from you, but I really want to buy myself “Ondine and Sintram.” I've dreamed about this for so long! said Jo, who was a famous book eater.

“I was going to spend my dollar on new sheet music,” Bess said with such a small sigh that it was heard only by the tea stand and fire brush standing nearby.

– I’ll buy myself a box of colored pencils. “I absolutely need them,” Amy said decisively.

“Mom didn’t say anything about our pocket money, and she, of course, won’t demand that we completely give up all pleasures.” Let each of us buy what we want, and we will be at least a little happy. I think we deserve it because we worked so hard! - exclaimed Jo, looking at the heels of her worn-out shoes like a man.

“I really had a hard time teaching these annoying children almost all day long when I really wanted to go home,” Meg began again in a plaintive tone.

“It wasn’t nearly as hard for you as it was for me,” Jo said. - How would you like to sit locked up for hours with a fussy and capricious old woman who doesn’t give you a minute of peace, is always unhappy and bores you to such an extent that you are ready to throw yourself out of the window or cry?

“It’s not nice, of course, to complain, but I think that washing dishes and keeping the house in order is the most unpleasant job in the world.” It makes me irritable, and my hands feel like wood, so I can’t even play scales properly. - And Bess looked at her calloused hands with a sigh, which this time everyone heard.

“And I think that none of you suffers as much as I do!” - Amy exclaimed. - After all, you don’t have to go to school and sit there with arrogant girls who snitch on you if you don’t know your lesson, laugh at your dresses, insult you because you don’t have a good beautiful nose, And clean your father, since he is not rich.

- If you want to say honor, then say so, and don’t talk about your father as if he were a sooty kettle,” Jo advised with a laugh.

- I know perfectly well what I want to say, and there is no point in addressing me with such starcasm. It is very commendable to use Nice words and replenish your fox, – Amy retorted with dignity.

- Don't peck each other, kids. Don't you wish, Joe, that we had the money now that Daddy lost when we were little? - said Meg, who was the eldest and could remember better times. - My God! How happy and friendly we would be if we had no worries!

“And the other day you said that, in your opinion, we are much happier than the King children, despite all their wealth, because all they do is quarrel and fight.”

“Of course, Bess, I said that and I really think that we are happier than them, even if we have to work.” After all, we know how to have fun, and in general we are a “warm company,” as Jo would say.

“Joe always uses such vulgar expressions!” – Amy remarked, looking reproachfully at the long figure stretched out on the rug.

Jo immediately sat up, put her hands in her pockets and whistled.

- Stop it, Joe, it's so boyish!

“That’s why I whistle.”

– I can’t stand rude, ill-mannered girls!

– I hate cutesy and mannered touchy-feely ones!

“The birds in their nest are all chirping in harmony,” Bess sang with such a funny expression on her face that the irritated voices gave way to laughter and the “birds” stopped pecking each other for a while.

“Really, girls, you both deserve to be blamed,” Meg said judiciously, starting to teach like an older sister. “You, Josephine, are old enough to give up these boyish antics and behave like a girl.” Your manners had no of great importance while you were little. However, now that you are so tall and are giving yourself a “grown-up” hairstyle, you should remember that you are already a young lady, and not a tomboy.

Now, Book, the fruit of my labors, go

And show everyone what you keep

in your chest.

You entertain and instruct my friends,

May the right path to good

my verse will show them.

I flatter myself that my dreams will come true,

What is the meaning of life to understand

you will help them all.

You introduce them to Mercy; it

On the path of life there should be a rule.

will call upon young maidens

Appreciate the world that exists, and the one

what awaits us all.

Having the Lord in your soul, let him be with Him

The pilgrim will follow the safest path.

Everyone was silent for a minute, then Meg spoke in a different tone:

“You know why mom suggested not giving each other gifts for Christmas.” The winter is going to be hard, and my mother thinks that we should not spend money on pleasure, while men bear all the hardships of front-line life. There is little we can do to help them, but we are still able to make our small sacrifices and should do so joyfully. But I'm afraid there is no such joy in my soul. - And Meg shook her head, sadly thinking about all the beautiful things that she wanted to have.

“But in my opinion, the little pocket money we have cannot bring any noticeable benefit.” Each of us has only a dollar, and it is unlikely that we will help the army that much if we donate this money to it. I agree not to expect any gifts from my mother or you, but I really want to buy myself “Ondine and Sintram”. I've dreamed about this for so long! said Jo, who was a famous book eater.

“I was going to spend my dollar on new sheet music,” Bess said with such a small sigh that it was heard only by the tea stand and fire brush standing nearby.

– I’ll buy myself a box of colored pencils. “I absolutely need them,” Amy said decisively.

“I really had a hard time teaching these annoying children almost all day long when I really wanted to go home,” Meg began again in a plaintive tone.

“And I think that none of you suffers as much as I do!” - Amy exclaimed. “After all, you don’t have to go to school and sit there with arrogant girls who tell on you if you don’t know your lesson, laugh at your dresses, insult you because you don’t have a very beautiful nose, and clean your father, since he is not rich.

- If you want to say honor, then say so, and don’t talk about your father as if he were a sooty kettle,” Jo advised with a laugh.

- I know perfectly well what I want to say, and there is no point in addressing me with such starcasm. It is very commendable to use good words and replenish your fox, – Amy retorted with dignity.

- Don't peck each other, kids. Don't you, Joe, wish we had the money now that Dad lost when we were little? said Meg, who was the eldest and could remember better times. - My God! How happy and friendly we would be if we had no worries!

“And the other day you said that, in your opinion, we are much happier than the King children, despite all their wealth, because all they do is quarrel and fight.”

“Joe always uses such vulgar expressions!” – Amy remarked, looking reproachfully at the long figure stretched out on the rug.

Jo immediately sat up, put her hands in her pockets and whistled.

- Stop it, Joe, it's so boyish!

“That’s why I whistle.”

– I can’t stand rude, ill-mannered girls!

– I hate cutesy and mannered touchy-feely ones!

“Really, girls, you both deserve to be blamed,” Meg said judiciously, starting to teach like an older sister. “You, Josephine, are old enough to give up these boyish antics and behave like a girl.” Your manners didn't matter much when you were little. However, now that you are so tall and are giving yourself a “grown-up” hairstyle, you should remember that you are already a young lady, and not a tomboy.

- I’m no young lady! And if I become a young lady by styling my hair, then I’d better wear two braids until I’m twenty! - Jo exclaimed, pulling the net from her hair and shaking her thick chestnut mane. “It’s disgusting to even think that I’ll have to become an adult, call myself Miss March, wear long dresses and be prim, like some Chinese aster!” And it’s so bad to be a girl when I love everything boyish: work, games, and manners! I can’t get used to the fact that I’m not a boy, and now it’s even harder because I’m dying to go into the army and fight shoulder to shoulder with dad, but instead I have to sit at home and knit, like some sleepy old woman ! - And Jo shook her blue soldier’s sock so fiercely that the knitting needles knocked against each other like castanets, and the ball jumped around the room.

For years. The novel describes life of four March family sisters - Margaret, Jo, Beth and Emmy. It is partly written from the author's childhood memories: Alcott also had three sisters. The first part of the book became widely known and became extremely successful commercially, which prompted the author to write a sequel, Good Wives, also very popular. Together, the two parts of the novel were first published in 1880. After Little Women, Alcott wrote sequels about the lives of the heroines of this book: Little Men (1871) and Joe's Boys (1886). Plays, films, cartoons and an opera have been created based on the novel Little Women.

Encyclopedic YouTube

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✪ Little Women - Russian trailer (2018)

✪ THE LITTLE MERMAID. FILM 2018 (FAMILY CINEMA, FANTASY, ADVENTURE)

✪ Legion (2/10) Movie CLIP - Granny's Got Teeth (2010) HD

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Characters

Basic

Margaret March(eng. Margaret March), or Meg- the eldest of the March sisters, one of the main characters of the novel. A very beautiful 16-year-old girl with excellent manners, feminine and romantic. Meg is obedient and modest, and is very concerned about her own reputation and that of her family. Vanity is no stranger to her - she is ashamed of her poverty, envies beautiful dresses and expensive jewelry of her friends, she is drawn to beautiful life. Meg's "favorite" is Amy, the youngest of the sisters. Meg spoils her sister and indulges her in almost everything. She subsequently married John Brooke and became the mother of two children.
Josephine March(eng. Josephine March), or Joe- The second oldest of the March sisters, she is 15 years old. Joe is a real tomboy in a skirt. Unlike her older sister, she does not like balls and girl talk; they seem boring to her. Joe is much more interesting in men's company. She climbs trees, runs races with friends, skates, and maybe even fights. She loves to read and dreams of becoming a writer, Joe has a notebook with stories own composition. Jo is honest and sometimes too straightforward - she does not know how to dissemble at all and is devoid of coquetry. Because of this, many people find her rude, but others are even attracted to her openness. Of the sisters, Jo is most attached to Beth. Margaret admires her beauty and manners, Joe loves her older sister, but there is no complete mutual understanding between them - they are too different. The relationship with Amy is ambiguous, but overall not bad. Laurie fell in love with Joe, but she, realizing that she could not be a good wife to him, rejected him. She subsequently marries Herr Friedrich Baer, a professor and German emigrant, and gives birth to two sons, Rob and Teddy.
Elizabeth March(eng. Elizabeth March), or Beth (Bess)- a quiet and obedient 13-year-old girl. Very timid and shy, she has difficulty getting along with people. He loves music very much and dreams of getting a new piano. Beth is completely non-conflict, she has an even relationship with all her sisters. This is a guardian of light who visited the earth and accepted nothing on it except human image. Beth loves Mr. Lawrence very much; the old man, in turn, is attached to her, as if to his own granddaughter. She suffered a severe fever, and the girl's health rapidly weakened. In the second book, Beth dies at the age of 18.
Amy March(eng. Amy March) - the youngest of the March sisters, the most controversial character in the novel. Amy is only 12 years old - she has a pretty appearance, is well-mannered, and at the same time cunning. She learned early on that she could please people whenever she wanted, and often used her charm for personal gain. Like Margaret, Amy is vain and at the same time touchy, selfish and capricious; only her upbringing and the spiritual values instilled in her family hold her back. Angry, Amy commits dishonest and sometimes cruel acts (for example, she burns Joe's notebook with stories), but she is also capable of repentance. Positive and negative qualities they are closely intertwined and are in a very fragile balance. Subsequently, Amy becomes more modest, kind and tactful. Laurie, rejected by Joe, falls in love with her, and she reciprocates his feelings. After getting married, Amy gave birth to a daughter, named after the late Beth.

Minor

Robert March(eng. Robert March) - head of the family, father of the girls. At the beginning of the novel he is at war (the American Civil War of 1861-1865). He fulfills his military duty to the country as a priest, maintaining the morale of the northern soldiers. After retiring, he returns home and becomes a real pastor. It is wise, kind and fair old man. His daughters love and respect him very much. Mr. March is no stranger to philosophy.

Margaret (Marmee) March(eng. Marmee March) - Mr. March’s wife, mother of the girls. For his daughters, he is an unquestioned authority and role model. Mrs. March is honest, virtuous, merciful, fair, although sometimes strict. Friendly with Mr. Lawrence; Laurie replaced her son.

Theodore Lawrence(eng. Theodore Laurence), or Laurie (Laurie) - a young man 15-16 years old, living in a house next door to the March family. Given name The boy doesn’t like Theodore, he asks to call him “Lori” (later Joe will sometimes call him “Teddy”). Lori is an orphan. He studied in Europe for several years closed school for boys, then returned to the United States and, at the time of the events described in the novel, lives with his grandfather and is preparing to enter university. At the ball, Laurie meets Jo March (both of them are trying to hide from the crowd in a far corner and accidentally cross paths) and they manage to become friends. Later, Joe, with the consent of his mother, introduces Laurie into the March family, and the young man becomes a friend of the family. He is educated and very well mannered, but at times he is rebellious and impudent (largely due to his age). Laurie treats all the March sisters well, but has a special interest (at first friendly, then romantic) in Jo. The younger Lawrence has a talent for music and plays the piano well, but his grandfather does not encourage Laurie for this. Lawrence Sr. wants his grandson to succeed in “more important things.” Laurie loves her grandfather, but resists his control. By his own admission, he dreams of “moving to Italy and living as he pleases.” Subsequently, he confesses his love to Jo, but she reluctantly rejects him, and Laurie is tormented by leaving for Europe. There he unexpectedly falls in love with Amy, and she also falls in love with him. Lawrence Jr. marries Amy and becomes the father of little Beth.

James Lawrence(eng. James Laurence) - Laurie's grandfather. Strong-willed, strict, unyielding person. The owner of a large fortune and a rich house next door to the March family home. Mr. Lawrence in every possible way encourages his grandson to communicate with his neighbors, believing that Mrs. March and the girls have a positive influence on the rebellious young man. The old man treated all the March sisters well, but especially loved the shy and timid Beth.

John Brooke(eng. John Brooke) - Laurie’s teacher and friend, very smart, respectable, modest and honest. Having met Margaret March, he falls in love with her and later proposes marriage to her. By marrying her, John becomes the father of Demi and Daisy. In the book "Little Men", he dies of an unknown disease.

Annie Moffat(eng. Annie Moffat) - Meg's friend. The girl from rich family, a gossip and a frivolous dummy. Passionate about fashion, balls, entertainment and fans. Having met Meg at the ball, he invites her to visit and tries to involve her in his circle - he borrows his dress (too open and seductive), blushes her cheeks and makes a pompous hairstyle, teaches coquetry bordering on affectation. Annie is helped in this by her older sisters, Bell and Clara. Having learned about Meg's friendship with Laurie Lawrence, Annie, her mother and sisters gossip - they unanimously decide that Meg and her mother are simply “hunting” for a rich groom. Having gotten to know Annie Moffat and her sisters better, Meg (not without Laurie's participation) decides to abandon her friendship with them.

Friedrich Baer- German emigrant, poor professor. First appears in the book "Good Wives" as an acquaintance and then friend of Joe. He falls in love with her, although she does not notice it at first. Herr Baer is wise, kind, calm and patient. Jo also fell in love with him and accepted his marriage proposal. On Aunt March's estate, Plumfield, the Bhaer couple set up a school for boys, where they raised a dozen worthy pupils, including Herr Bhaer's nephews - Franz and Emil - and sons, Teddy and Rob.

I became acquainted with Little Women through my fascination with actress Katharine Hepburn. One of her first film jobs was the role of Josephine March in the film Little Women. Her performance there fascinates and evokes admiration, so I really enjoyed the film. A couple of years later, I watched the film adaptation with still young stars of modern Hollywood. I had no idea that the book existed until I found it on a shelf in the children's library where I go with my son.

I was even more surprised that both films were based not on one book, but on two - "Little Women" and " good wives" Of course, I read both. Naturally, books are much richer than any film, they contain more stories and all sorts of incidents that can be included in the film, as well as wisdom and life lessons. It is not surprising that I wanted to find the ideal actress for the role of each girl, because there are three films to choose from - 1933 with Hollywood stars of the 30-40s, who are little known in our country, 1949 with Elizabeth Taylor, 1994 with Kirsten Dunst, Winona Ryder, Claire Danes and Christian Bale.

The plot of the books is simple - in the center of the story is the poor March family - father and mother (Marmee), old maid Hannah, 4 daughters different ages- from 12 to 16 years old - Meg, Joe, Beth, Amy. And their neighbors are the wealthy Mr. Lawrence, his 15-year-old grandson Theodore (Lori or Teddy) and the latter’s teacher, Mr. Brooke. Each girl is distinguished by her special prettiness and bright features character.

Meg is a 16-year-old beauty, vain and envious of the rich, but at the same time sensible and hard-working, very feminine, which leads to envy of her wealthy friends. Jo is a 15-year-old tomboy who writes scary or love stories, loves theatrical effects. She is harsh, quick-tempered, restless, but at the same time generous and kind, cheerful and affectionate. Beth is the ideal person: kind, soft, flexible, loves to play the piano and kittens, but is very shy. Amy, a 12-year-old lover of painting and antique noses, is romantic, loves to show off, wants to become rich and famous, while learning to control her shortcomings and knows how to please anyone.

When I read both Little Women and Good Wives, I had a few thoughts running through my head.

1. The author of the book is Louisa May Alcott, who wrote both works back in 1868-69. These books have been loved by many generations of girls and women. What's the secret? After all, Louise, in principle, was describing her family - in particular herself and her sisters. But not every artistic autobiography achieves such popularity. For example, I cannot find or remember a similar book for young people in our literature, which is sad. If you can, in the comments I will be glad that I was wrong, since both books by Louisa May Alcott are really good both for entertainment and for the formation of high moral beliefs.

2. The book is a must-read for teenagers and young girls. I myself greatly regretted that I did not know about its existence in my youth. If at my age many things seemed to me simply a storehouse of knowledge on self-development, harmonious relationship to yourself and people, then what can we say about young minds and hearts? Of course, read about girlish entertainment, problems and dreams adult woman a little boring, but all this is compensated by the thoughts to which the author leads his readers. Many fans of "Little Women" prefer the first book, but I was more interested in reading the sequel - "Good Wives" - love twists and turns, choice of betrothed, marriage relationships.

3. Despite the fact that the main characters of the books, the March sisters, are still the core of the family, its basis is their mother - Marmee, Mrs. March. Father - Mr. March passes in the background, but from Marmee's stories we know that it was her husband who helped her become wiser and learn to deal with shortcomings. The influence of spiritual and moral principle fathers and mothers let the girls do right choice every time they face difficulty, grief or a difficult decision. Several times I was simply amazed at how the mother prompted or explained to her daughters some simple, but very understandable life rules, gently guided them towards morality and self-development. Despite poverty and limited funds, March's parents always encouraged their daughters' hobbies, so Jo became a good writer (Louise wrote to Jo from herself), Amy tried a lot different ways artistic creativity, and Beth played the piano beautifully. Marmee, by her example, taught the girls mercy and patience, although she herself told them how difficult it was for her after her husband lost his fortune. Parents allowed their daughters a lot, even if they knew they were wrong. And they never reproached them later, trusting the girls in choosing their path, counting on their inner honesty towards themselves.

In the novel, the girls receive a Christmas gift from their mother - “The Pilgrim’s Progress to the Heavenly Land” - a religious book, very popular and constantly reprinted since 1678. The book should aim girls at fighting their own weaknesses and shortcomings, which every person has. Marmee is also surprisingly progressive - unlike Aunt March (the rich sister of the girls’ father), she does not count on a profitable marriage for one of her daughters, believing that finding her own path and independence is more useful than material well-being. Therefore, girls start working early and are confident that they will support themselves, even if they never get married.

Some readers find the novels too cheesy, but I didn't think so. Of course not exactly shown real people, which is natural for fiction. They suffer almost no flaws, and those that are present are quite innocent and common. The sisters do not quarrel or fight (with the exception of Joe and Amy), they are polite and well-mannered, smart and well-read, educated and beautiful. Mom does not scold them for mistakes and pranks, she is always ready to devote her time to them. The father studies science with them, is always calm, cheerful and loves to tinker with the children. This cannot but irritate some, but it is not the real reality that is being described, but the one in which the author would like to be in his childhood. Louisa May Alcott leaves behind the scenes what her family had to endure (for example, real hunger), painting a softer and more romantic image ideal family. In addition, her novels were instructive literature for girls, and therefore could not be a purely realistic work, real biography, and, first of all, a book that encourages development in the Christian understanding of the word.

Many fans of Louisa May Alcott's novel Little Women are disappointed in the second part of the book, Good Wives, because their hopes are not fulfilled. For example, Beth's death pisses many people off, but Louise's sister actually died from the effects of scarlet fever. Many are disappointed that Jo did not marry Laurie, that he went to the youngest, spoiled sister, who is considered a dummy. But if you read the novel carefully, it is immediately clear that Jo needed a husband whom she would admire, who would be morally superior and guide her. (As her father guided her mother). Amy has also changed very, very much since the first book and has grown up to be a worthy daughter of her parents. Otherwise, Laurie would not have married her, because... what he valued in the March family was healthy moral and spirituality. Thanks to their influence, he became a man who reconsidered his superficial and frivolous attitude towards life, became the support of his family and a benefactor to those around him.

In general, Louisa May Alcott hoped to show more real world adults, where she deliberately shattered all the readers' expectations. In life, indeed, often what is desired does not coincide with reality, and dreams sometimes remain dreams and people grow up and behave differently than in childhood, develop or degrade, change their opinions on many important issues due to accumulated experience and emerging opportunities, etc. P.

These novels gave rise to many film adaptations: the first two were filmed back in 1917-1918 in the UK and the USA. But the next three are popular and loved among a wide audience - 1933, 1949 and 1994. I heard that they are going to make another film, because 20 years have passed since the last film adaptation. 17 series and films were shot for TV, but we won’t talk about them here. because they are all not translated into Russian and are difficult to find on the Internet.

The first film adaptation deservedly glorified Katharine Hepburn - I’ll say right away that she is the ideal Jo for me - tall, fast, frisky, eccentric and very organic. The actresses playing her sisters are also all famous and popular in Hollywood, because... they all had other successful film roles. Of course, looking at them, it is difficult to imagine at the beginning of the film that they are from 12 to 16, because the roles are already played by adult women - the youngest is 17 (Beth - Jean Parker), and Amy (Joanne Bennett) was actually pregnant during filming. The film is still in black and white, but this somehow does not interfere with enjoying the atmosphere. Until I read the book, I was happy with everything about this version. Now I will say that Laurie is “pale”, and the story about the sisters did not work out - all the attention is on Joe, and the rest pass in the background - each has only one or two large scenes about own history, and not about the March family in general.

The second film adaptation of 1949 almost completely repeats the first, but has a number of advantages. Firstly, the film is in color, secondly, Beth is played here by a talented girl - Margaret O'Brien, who won an Oscar at the age of 7!, thirdly, in the film again star cast of established and future stars of American cinema. But there are also disadvantages - Jo is played by an actress (June Allison) who is 32 years old! This is, of course, not a guard, and she looks natural with her partners, who are from 27 to 33 (Lori and the professor, respectively), but still, still. It's annoying that Amy is not the youngest here - Elizabeth Taylor was already 17 when filming began. I also didn’t like Laurie (Peter Lawford) at all - he’s kind of faded and looks old.

There is also a scene in the film that is simply impossible to imagine when reading the novel: the girls receive a letter from their father, but then Aunt March arrives and gives them money for Christmas. And they run off to the store to do some shopping, and read the letter after returning. Anyone who has read the novel will immediately say that without reading the letter from their father, not one of them (maybe only Amy, and even that is not a fact) would have thought of running for gifts. This clearly does not take into account the atmosphere of the March family, where good and loving attitude to parents exceeds any material acquisitions.

Another minus is that the film has not been translated into Russian. For those who speak English or know the novel well, this fact will not be an obstacle to viewing. But the rest of us are unlikely to be interested in this film, which is a little sad, because... Most Americans love this particular film adaptation, because it is often shown during the Christmas holidays.

It’s a pleasure to watch the 1994 film “Little Women” - the picture and the actors are pleasing to the eye. All the main characters are known to us from other film works at an older age, so it is especially interesting to look at them at the beginning of their journey. It’s good that there are two Amys in the film—a little one and an adult—everything immediately falls into place. In addition, this film specifically indicates a time period of 4 years in the life of the March family, which divides the film into 2 parts. In this regard, previous film adaptations are very inferior, when it is not clear how much time has passed and how old the heroines are now.

The first part of the film pleased me - this is really the story of sisters, each assigned story line, no one stands out, everyone is in charge, everyone is equal. The only thing that confuses me is Marmee’s feminist statements, which look ridiculous if you are familiar with the source material.

The second part is horror, horror! But not all that pleases. A lot of "gag". First, the good stuff. First of all, at least it shows love line between Laurie and Amy, it becomes clear why and how they fell in love with each other. In other films this is not present or not developed, so their relationship is not clear to the viewer - how and why they suddenly got married, although no one expected this based on the plot. Secondly, the birth of Meg’s children is shown; this was mentioned in passing in previous film adaptations. It’s bad that Joe was turned into Louisa May Alcott, a feminist who eventually wrote the novel “Little Women.” For what? And it’s also incomprehensible how calculatedly Professor Baer seduces young Jo March, who doesn’t want to get married at all (according to the book), but in the film she immediately starts flirting with him, shining her eyes and so on. In my opinion, the whole love story between Joe and the professor is unconvincing and does not coincide with the images that are born when reading the book “Good Wives”. In general, the second part is not for everyone, although the costumes and actors play very well, but when you watch it after reading the book... some scenes are disgusting.

Well, now let's move on to the film image of the main characters:

Marmee, Mrs. March is a tireless worker and mentor. I’m not the only one who considers her simply the standard of a woman: a wife and mother. Honestly, for me all the actresses who play this role are equal. Although, to be honest, I simply adore Sarandon and single her out separately, but this is due to her age: if I were over 50, I would most likely prefer actresses of the older generation.

Marmee-Sarandon was made into a bright feminist, who is radically different from Marmee previous adaptations It’s even more amazing that the director somehow guessed the real character of Louisa May Alcott’s mother, with whom the character of Marmee was written. Recently the book “Marmee and Louise” was published in America, dedicated to new biography writers based recently open documents. It turned out that Abigail, Louise's mother, was indeed very active in socially, as well as a supporter of women's equality.
In the book, at first it is not clear what Jo’s character is like - she is so hot-tempered and uncontrollable, until her mother admits that her character was even worse!

“For forty years I tamed myself and only recently achieved some results. Almost every day I suddenly begin to feel terrible irritability. But I’ve learned to hide it, and no one seems to notice what’s going on with me. Still, I hope that the day will come when I will get rid of irritability itself. In any case, I will try, even if it takes another forty years.”

Personally, this kind of self-education really amazes me, because I am also very emotional and irritable. I don’t even know whether it’s good or bad for the psyche to be able to control yourself like that, but the results from Marmee’s book are wonderful - she is always full of strength to become a comforter and inspiration for her girls, while also doing other social things. She achieved such heights thanks to the influence of her husband:

“It wasn’t me who did it, Joe, it was your father who did it. He never loses his temper. Melancholy and despair are alien to him. He believes in the best. You see, in the face of all the misfortunes, he showed such cheerfulness and hard work that I was simply ashamed to behave any differently. And how he consoled me, Joe! And he convinced me that I myself must possess all the qualities that I want to endow my children with. I should be an example in everything. And then the task became simpler: holding back for your sake turned out to be much easier than just looking after yourself. As soon as I lost my temper, your frightened look brought me to my senses. And the most best reward What I received for my efforts was the love and respect of my daughters.”

By my calculations, Marmee is 45 years old at the beginning of the novel. All her daughters are beautiful, each in their own way, so if we take purely external data, then for me the most beautiful and feminine was Marmee, played by Mary Astor.

Meg is the older sister, therefore the most reasonable, reserved and responsible. However, like any young woman, she is not without frivolity. According to the book, she is the most beautiful of the sisters, a fashionista, and therefore suffers greatly from the loss of the family fortune - after all, new hats and ball gowns suit her so well. Unlike her younger sisters, she remembers what it means to live in abundance. Aunt March hopes that with such appearance Meg will hook up with a rich man and help the whole family, but she falls in love with Theodore Lawrence's poor teacher, Mr. Brooke. She waits 4 years for Brooke to start her own business and buy them a house in order to live separately from her parents. Meg is the first of the sisters to become a mother - she has twins - a boy and a girl.

Louisa May Alcott's real older sister, Anna, with whom the character of Meg was written, loved the theater and met her husband during the production new play. She also had two children. But, unfortunately, her husband died very early and she was forced to use the help of her mother and Louise in order to raise and support the kids. Louise bought Anna a house, but a few days after moving in, their mother died. Anne lived the longest of the Alcott family members.

I like Meg very much, despite her beauty, she does not turn up her nose, does not boast, but is ready to work for the sake of her family, to be a support to everyone who needs consolation or advice. In this regard, she is very similar to Marmee. If we take movie images as an example, the best Meg for me is Trini Alvarado. The fact is that it is in “Little Women” of 1994 that the image of Meg is revealed almost completely and Trini has room to develop and show the character of the heroine. But in previous films he often just passes in the background. In the 1933 film adaptation, Frances Dee is almost not remembered, but her contemporaries considered her a beauty and it was precisely because of her appearance that she did not get the role of Melanie in “ gone With the Wind“- they thought that she would be too beautiful and would outshine the new girl - Vivien Leigh! Frances Dee is very feminine, but there is too little of her on screen. Janet Leigh is very pretty and you want to look at her, but again there are too few of her in movies. At least she appears in the final frames several times, which is already pleasing. So if you decide to watch the 1933 or 1949 film adaptations, pay close attention to both actresses - they deserve it.

The second sister - Josephine March - is clumsy, eccentric, harsh, impatient, impetuous, unrestrained. It would seem that there is something to like about it? But on the other hand, she is open and kind, smart and talented, direct and selfless. Louise wrote Joe from herself and one can only guess whether she was actually like this in childhood or whether she thought up the image, making it more vibrant and attractive. Joe, like Louise, becomes a writer; all the money from the sale of her works goes to help her family. Unlike her real self, her Joe gets happily married and becomes the mother of two boys.

Despite his flaws, which would be annoying in real life, Jo March is one of the most... bright characters, although not my favorite. This is especially noticeable in the films, where Jo's story is clearly chosen as the main story, in contrast to her sisters, whose problems and their solutions are less interesting for the writers, but, in my opinion, more useful for young girls.

The brightest, most unique, graceful, playful and eccentric is Katharine Hepburn's Jo. June Allison copies Catherine's performance in many ways, but her Jo is grittier and therefore more realistic. (By the way, June always reminded me of the young Gurchenko from the time of “Carnival Night.”) And Winona Ryder’s Joe is generally too petite and feminine, and is not at all associated with a kind of tomboy who does not want to observe any rules of decency.

Beth, the third sister, is shy and very kind, she looks like a house fairy. Beth grows flowers, tinkers with kittens and dolls, greets children running to school, and plays the piano. She never argues, never quarrels with anyone, always in good mood. Her kindness will melt the heart of Mr. Lawrence, who has lost his granddaughter. He gave the piano to his deceased granddaughter Beth so that she could enjoy music. Unfortunately, Beth becomes seriously ill with scarlet fever and the disease permanently weakens her health. Beth's death greatly affects Joe because... they were very close.

Beth is my favorite, her character is attractive to me, because I myself am far from calm and peaceful. People of this type seem to me to be the happiest, because they know how to create their own cozy and clean world, they know how to love with all their hearts, they know how to accept the blows of fate with courage and without hysterics.

I'm happy with Beth's portrayal in all three film adaptations. Each actress created her own unique Beth, which makes viewers fall in love with their character even more. They look especially organic young actresses, corresponding to Beth's age in Little Women. And Gene Parker plays the final scene superbly.

Louisa May Alcott's younger sister Elizabeth actually died at the age of 23, so the chapters dedicated to Beth's illness and death are extremely heartfelt and sad.

“There are many such Bethes in the world, timid, quiet, sitting in their corners and living for others so joyfully that no one notices their self-sacrifice until the little cricket behind the stove stops chirping and the presence of something sweet, sunny ends, leaving Behind me there is only shadow and silence.”

Amy is the most interesting character, In my opinion. And her fate is no less amazing than Joe’s story. If Meg is a specimen traditional woman, and Joe is modern and enlightened, almost a feminist, then Amy is Cinderella, who “made herself” (Self made man). In the first book, we see a typical youngest daughter - narrow-minded and spoiled, and in the second book (Good Wives), the author shows us Amy, who undergoes a metamorphosis. Having decided to become a better person, to fight vanity, pride and arrogance, Amy before her eyes turned into a young woman with a gentle character and tall moral principles. Louisa May Alcott shows several situations from the life of the matured Amy, which show how the spiritual and moral growth of this girl took place. No wonder this new Amy attracted Lori and, as a result, they, who survived death loved one and broken dreams made up an excellent family duet.

Real younger sister Louise - Abigail was 8 years younger than her. Since childhood, she loved to draw. After the publication of Little Women, Louise was able to sponsor her sister’s education in Europe - in Paris, London and Rome. She became especially famous as a copyist of Turner's paintings. At 38, she married a 22-year-old businessman who sponsored her passion for painting. A year later, her painting was exhibited at the Paris Salon - this was a great achievement for a woman artist at that time. (1879) Unfortunately, she died that same year, 7 weeks after giving birth to her daughter. The girl was sent from Paris to be raised by her aunt, Louisa May Alcott, and after Louise’s death she was taken into the care of the elder sister of the Alcott family, Anna.

The best Amy is undoubtedly in the 1994 film adaptation - little Amy is played by Kirsten Dunst, a masterpiece, and the matured, serious and restrained beauty played by Samantha Mathis evokes respect and admiration not only from Laurie. If we talk about earlier Amys, I liked Joan Bennett more than Elizabeth Taylor. Taylor perfectly showed the comical side of little Amy's mannerisms and arrogance, but when performed by an already grown-up girl, it looks somewhat vulgar. Joan Bennett plays the capricious girl better and therefore looks younger than her age.

Laurie is cheerful, active, loves music, rides horses, and rows. He grows up without his mother and father, who died early. That is why he is very happy to communicate with the March family - wonderful parents and girls, who are always more affectionate and kinder than boys, make up for his lack of maternal affection. Laurie's mother is Italian, so he is described as a brunette with curly hair and dark skin. He is an artistic, sympathetic boy, but, like any child, he loves to play pranks. As a student, he leads a lavish lifestyle, which girls do not like. After Jo refuses to become his wife, he goes to Europe and tries to become a pianist. As a result, realizing that he lacks talent, he, on Amy’s advice, begins to help his grandfather with business.

Laurie is a charming young man, with excellent manners, active and kind. He is ready to take part in all the affairs of the March family, help selflessly and have fun like crazy. In the movies, the closest person to the book Laurie is Christian Bale, both in appearance and in his demeanor. Christian was 20 when the film was filmed and is the youngest Laurie in all the film adaptations. Douglas Montgomery wears too much makeup and, although he runs and fences well and wears boyish clothes, he still looks like a young man, not a youth. Peter Lawford generally seems like an old man and also looks vulgar. I don’t know how, but at 27 years old he has the appearance of a rake and is quite shabby. Apparently his real life affected his appearance too much. I don’t even understand how he got through the casting.

Another unique character novel, controversial and accepted differently by fans of the book - German professor Friedrich Baer. Many people do not want to understand why the young and impetuous Jo chose the poor “old man” professor as her husband, and not the young and rich Laurie. But if you read the novel carefully, everything falls into place. Professor -amazing person— he is unusually responsive and kind to all the people around him. He supports two nephews and for their sake endures hardships far from his homeland. His gentleness, delicacy, artistry, ease and simplicity of communication could not help but interest Jo, and then win her heart - after all, this man became an example and teacher for her. And judging by his inability to “do business,” most likely Louisa May Alcott was partially describing her father.

« Why did everyone love him? That's what puzzled Joe at first. He was neither rich, nor noble, nor young, nor handsome, nor in any respect was he what is called charming, representative, outstanding, and yet he attracted people to himself, and people gathered around him, just like like being around a nice warm fireplace. He was poor, but he always seemed to be giving something away; a stranger, but everyone was his friend; far from young, but he enjoyed life like a boy; ugly and eccentric, but his face seemed beautiful to many, and his oddities were readily forgiven.”

If we consider film adaptations, then the most “bayer” Baer is Paul Lucas. He completely coincided with my vision of the professor from the book - a magnificent image, somewhat reminiscent of Pierre Bezukhov. Rossano Brazzi would be more suitable for the role of Laurie - that's his Italian origin no one would dispute it. And at 33, he looks like a man happy with life, impressive and quite wealthy, and not a shabby, absent-minded professor, who is slightly over 40. Gabriel Byrne is the closest match in age to the hero of the book, but his Baer can hardly be called naive, lost or overly sensitive. He is more reminiscent of an Englishman than an enthusiastic and poetically inclined German. And his behavior with Joe looks like a clearly rehearsed seduction, while in the book the professor for a very long time did not dare to confess his feelings to the young girl, because he was poor and thought that she would marry a rich man and the same age as Theodore Lawrence.

Louisa May Alcott Little Women - a wonderful novel for girls school age, and for teenagers, and for young women, and for parents. The plot of the novel is simple, but the main characters are very lively and sweet. Maybe that’s why the novel has an unfading fame - it is not only constantly republished and filmed, but plays based on it are regularly staged. I think that many actresses and just young schoolgirls are happy to take part in the production of a story from the life of four sisters, adapted for the stage, because it’s so cool to be like long dresses and pretend to be educated young ladies from the 19th century.

P.S. To be honest, this article should have appeared back in May, but I was sorely short of time to write it. Maybe that's why it's so bulky. Don’t judge strictly, and if you liked it and had the strength to finish reading it, press the “magic” buttons of social networks - maybe someone else will get through it. Thank you.

Composers Thomas Newman, Georges Bizet, Conrad Kocher, more Editing Nicholas Boman Cinematographer Geoffrey Simpson Writers Robin Swicord, Louisa May Alcott Designers Jan Roelfs, Richard Hudolin, Colleen Atwood, more

Do you know that

The film is based on the novel by L.M. Allcott.
The film was shot in the USA and Canada.
Winona Ryder dedicated the film to a murdered girl who really loved the book that became the plot of the film.
While filming the movie, Claire Danes was carrying a candle up the stairs and her hair caught fire.
Costumes are passed down from older sister to younger sister to highlight the family's poverty and the bond between sisters.
Claire Danes' debut film.
The opera in which Professor Baer gives Joe a role is The Pearl Fishers by Georges Bizet.
On the set of this film, Winona Ryder introduced Christian Bale to her assistant, who later became his wife.
Christina Ricci, Thora Birch and Natalie Portman auditioned for the role of young Amy March, but the role eventually went to Kirsten Dunst.
The film's set was modeled after the Orchard house, family home Louisa May Alcott in Concord, Massachusetts. This is the house she lived in while writing the book.
Alicia Silverstone auditioned for the role of Beth March, but the director saw the character as much younger.
Winona Ryder, Susan Sarandon and Claire Danes wore wigs made by him in the film famous designer wigs Peter Owen.
The film was originally to be directed by John Duigan.
Olivia Hussey expressed interest in the role of Marmee, but was rejected by producers due to her English accent and because she was considered too similar to Trini Alvarado, who played Meg March.
Unlike the 1933, 1949, and 1978 versions, Beth dies in this film adaptation of the book.

More facts (+12)

Plot

Beware, the text may contain spoilers!

The life story of the four March sisters is closely connected with the history of the country in which they live. Civil War became the main one in the USA life milestone, which in one way or another affected the life of every girl. We see them at first very small, then the stage of growing up passes and youth begins - the sweetest time for any beauty. Despite their blood relationship, the March sisters are very different. Meg dreams of big family and her beloved husband, while Joe does not at all imagine himself in the role of a housewife. She wants fame, glory, respect. She doesn’t know how to achieve this, but she still secretly dreams of such a life. Amy is very hot-tempered and harsh, she does not believe in love, but she respects money. And only Beth becomes the link between such dissimilar, and at the same time, such loving people.