{"id":30087,"date":"2021-12-22T02:34:21","date_gmt":"2021-12-22T02:34:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thefilmagazine.com\/?p=30087"},"modified":"2022-09-24T20:05:43","modified_gmt":"2022-09-24T20:05:43","slug":"little-women-ultimate-christmas-film","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thefilmagazine.com\/little-women-ultimate-christmas-film\/","title":{"rendered":"Little Women Is the Ultimate Christmas Film, Actually"},"content":{"rendered":"

As the days grow shorter and Christmas draws closer, there seems no better time for some good old fashioned movie watching. From <\/span>The Holiday<\/span><\/i><\/span><\/a> to <\/span>Home Alone<\/span><\/i><\/span><\/a>, this time of year will bring out the films that we only seem to watch in December. In between the classics, there will be releases whose statuses as Christmas films can be widely debated, and it is one of these that holds the crown for Ultimate Christmas Film. And no – it\u2019s not <\/span>Die Hard<\/span><\/i><\/span><\/a>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The film in question is Greta Gerwig\u2019s 2019 adaptation of <\/span>Little Women. <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

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Louisa May Alcott\u2019s classic American coming-of-age tale has made its way to the screen multiple times over the years, and while Christmas is a significant factor in all adaptations, Greta Gerwig\u2019s version feels especially like the perfect winter warmer.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Maybe\u00a0Little Women’s<\/em> Christmassy nature is influenced by the time in which it was released, with a Christmas Day Opening in the US, and subsequent worldwide releases in the following days. It can\u2019t help but to be associated with the holiday, given that so many saw it for the first time (and sometimes second and third times) in that hazy week that occurs between Christmas and New Year. Its status is also influenced by the number of times we see the holiday portrayed in the film, with each Christmas holding significant weight for our protagonists. From learning the lessons of giving to those in need, to the start of the March family’s friendship with Mr Laurence (Chris Cooper), to the homecoming of the March sisters’ father from the war. For the March family, Christmas serves as a pivotal point in their year.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Above each of these factors, the thing that ultimately makes <\/span>Little Women<\/span><\/i><\/span><\/a> a perfect Christmas watch is its inherent cosiness. The harshness of the winter is contrasted by the softness of the simple domesticity of this story. The stakes are low: the narrative action centering around the everyday ups and downs of family life. Whether it\u2019s the girls bundling on top of each other on the floor, or calling each other names, or them sitting around dressed as Englishmen as they play pretend in their attic, <\/span>Little Women <\/span><\/i>invites us to join the March family in a way that feels genuine and familiar. At a time of year all about connecting with family, it\u2019s a more than welcome invitation. Much like Laurie (Timothee Chalamet) when he first meets them, we don\u2019t have to stand on the side and observe; Gerwig\u2019s maternal guide of the camera, paired with Marmee\u2019s (Laura Dern) warm smile, quickly bring us into the fold, journeying with these characters as if they were friends. In fact, this inclusion of Laurie into the March household extends this familial cosiness, reminding us that while sisterly affection is important, for those who lack blood relatives to offer that, there is always the opportunity to forge your own family.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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Cosiness is also found in the familiarity of it all. Familiarity when it comes to the text itself, given the number of adaptations and the regard people have for the novel, but also familiarity in both the little details and the bigger themes. Many will recognise the desire to splurge on that fancy outfit when you know you can\u2019t afford it, just like Meg (Emma Watson). Many will recognise the dream of wanting to be \u201cgreat or nothing\u201d, just as Amy (Florence Pugh) expresses. Many will feel Marmee and Jo\u2019s struggle of wanting to be more even-tempered each day. And many will deeply feel the weight of the monologue in which Jo (Saoirse Ronan) tells of all the things women are, beyond just their relationship status, vocalising her profound loneliness despite that knowledge. And while there is something of the melancholic in all these associations, there remains something deeply comforting about being known. <\/span><\/p>\n

Many will also recognise the way Jo laughs as Amy gets her foot stuck in plaster cast, or the way Laurie turns away so as not to laugh when Jo cuts off her hair, or even Beth (Eliza Scanlen) saying she\u2019s scared of boys. The beauty of <\/span>Little Women <\/span><\/i>is that Gerwig treats none of this as inconsequential – it matters on the screen because it would matter to someone in real life.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n