So overall, this movie was entertaining, but I did feel myself thinking it saccharine at times. I thoroughly enjoyed seeing the relationship between Joe and Lauri/Teddy develop. I appreciated the statements about women’s place in society, but sometimes I felt like they could have been more subtle.
It grated me that Joe’s family complained of being poor when they live in a huge house. There was such a stark contrast between their house and the shack they went to on Christmas (bringing a family in need food and blankets).
It was about halfway through, maybe three quarters of the way through the film that I started not to like it as much. I liked how Joe was a writer and that she told her own story in the book Little Women, but it was also disappointing that she changed her ending to make it more publishable. It just felt wrong. Against her personality? Though she did negotiate the terms. But I guess the trade off might have been she was better able to start her school, though the house was gifted to her.
The biggest bone to pick I have with the movie is the whole trajectory of Lauri and Amy. Literally within 5, maybe 10 minutes in the movie Amy went from turning down Lauri because she knows that despite how much she loves him, she’ll always be second to Joe. I respected her so much when she walked away from him. But then within such a short span of time she changed her mind? turned down Frederick at the chance of being with Lauri? And then they married all in such short order when Beth had died. The scene where Lauri kisses Amy was just unbelievable to me. Like. Does death turn people on? Make them vulnerable and make dumb decisions? I guess. If something was building between Amy and Lauri during their time away, I didn’t feel it.
I could have dealt with Joe being “too late” to be with Lauri if that part of the movie wasn’t so rushed and if it wasn’t with Amy. I just felt like that wasn’t set up substantially enough for me. I guess you could say that Amy chose the lesser of two evils in her mind, being with someone you love is better than not, even if that person clearly would prefer someone else. That’s just awful though. Have some self respect.
The whole time I found myself wishing I had read the book prior. But at the same time because I haven’t, bad feminist that I am, I am able to evaluate the movie for a stand alone piece without filling in details and comparing it to the book. I do plan to read it though. Well see if the ending is similar, or if Joe is even an author in it! That would be interesting for sure.
So don’t spoil the book for me! lol. If you saw the movie, how did you like it?
Eternal Ocean of Words 