“ Little Women Has a Little Man Problem,” Vanity Fair “Men Are Dismissing ‘Little Women.’ What a Surprise,” The New York Times “Dear Men Who Are Afraid to See ‘Little Women’: You Can Do This,” The Washington Post.
#Laurie little women movie#
When a movie is this much of a triumph, there are bound to be complaints. The novel had an ending all of us hated, and she created one that changes everything. She understood that the wide familiarity with the story wasn’t a challenge but a fantastic opportunity. She recognized what few filmmakers do when they approach a widely known story: Fans won’t countenance cutting major episodes, but they will happily see the story expanded in new directions. Gerwig laid the story flat, cut it apart, and rearranged it she added new sections and then turned the whole thing into a paper lantern-beautiful, unexpected, and glowing. The thought of doing the stations of the cross one more time-the cutting of the hair the burning of the manuscript the catching of the scarlet fever-was out of the question.īut could that many critics be wrong? I bought a ticket to see the movie, settled down for a long winter’s nap-and from the opening scene was in its thrall. Movie versions have tended to be even worse. I loved the book as a child, but as an adult I’ve always found it cloying. How did Greta Gerwig get herself mixed up in this? I was at a movie theater, realizing that the trailer unspooling before me was for yet another adaptation of Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women. She is the author of Girl Land and To Hell With All That. About the author: Caitlin Flanagan is a staff writer at The Atlantic.