Little Women

1994 • 118 minutes
4.7
400 reviews
93%
Tomatometer
PG
Rating
Eligible
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About this movie

Winona Ryder (in an Oscar® nominated role) and Academy Award® winner Susan Sarandon (1995 Best Actress, Dead Man Walking) star in this "affectionate, superbly acted" (Los Angeles Times) family favorite. With her husband off at war, Marmee (Sarandon) is left alone to raise their four daughters, her LITTLE WOMEN. There is the spirited Jo (Ryder); conservative Meg (Trini Alvarado, Paulie); fragile Beth (Claire Danes, William Shakespeare's Romeo & Juliet); and romantic Amy (played at different ages by Kristen Dunst, Wag the Dog and Samantha Mathis, Broken Arrow). As the years pass, the sisters share some of the most cherished and painful memories of self-discovery, as Marmee and Aunt March (Mary Wickes, The Man Who Came to Dinner) guide them through issues of independence, romance and virtue. Gabriel Byrne (End of Days), Eric Stoltz (TV's "Chicago Hope") and Christian Bale (The Portrait of a Lady) co-star in this "handcrafted valentine" (Newsweek) of a film.
Rating
PG

Ratings and reviews

4.7
400 reviews
Nonya Bizness
December 6, 2020
A major disappointment. Considering the star studded cast, the acting was mediocre at best. Especially Ryder and Dunst. The cinematography and era details were good. But the screenplay was the big failure. They took a moving, warm touching story of a family of womens journey in adulthood and turned it into a story that focused too much on womens rights and sufferage. Of all the versions of this book done to date? This is by far the worst. If you THINK this version is good? Please try watching a few of the others. They are all far better than this.
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Marie Wright
December 26, 2019
This movie, and the book it came from, have always been one of my go to favorites! It always reminds me that, as long as we are true to ourselves, we will eventually find the right path for our lives. Also, that the life of wealth is not necessarily better than any other life, just different. This version's cast does Louisa May Alcott credit, truly bringing her women to life. Love it!
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Katie
October 11, 2017
Growing up, we watched this movie at least once a week. I still watch it several times a month. No matter where I am in the world, this movie brings me home. Sarandon plays the mother we all wish we had. Organized, efficient, and extremely willing to let her four girls become whoever they wish to be, while gently guiding them away from superficial attributes. Alvarado plays the eldest daughter, Meg. She brings a beauty and quiet calm to the role. Ryder plays Jo. The girl we all empathize with in her lifelong quest to just fit in. She feels completely out of place until she eventually realizes that home truly is where your heart lies. Danes plays Beth in a way that is brave and strong. Other versions of the film relegate Beth to a non-role. Someone who is just there until she dies. But Danes brings a strength to Beth that embodies the raging against the dying of the light, in a way. Suddenly we see that it is Beth that holds the girls together, not Jo or their mother. Dunst plays Amy in a way that we don't mind her youthful vanity. Mathis plays Amy briefly, but helps us to see the woman that we all hoped she would become. This is, by far, my favorite version of this film.
31 people found this review helpful
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