Little Women is a 1994 drama film based on Louisa May Alcott's novel of the same name. Columbia Pictures first gave the film a limited release on December 21, 1994 before being released nationwide four days later on Christmas Day. This was the fifth feature film adaptation of the story and the first of two adaptations of it produced by Sony Pictures.
Synopsis[]
The film focuses on the March sisters: responsible Meg, tempestuous Jo, tender Beth, and romantic Amy, who are growing up in Concord, Massachusetts during and after the American Civil War. With their father away fighting in the war, they struggle with major and minor problems under the guidance of their strong-willed mother, affectionately called Marmee (pronounced "Mahmee" in 19th century New England). As a means of escaping some of their problems, they revel in performing in romantic plays written by Jo in their attic theater.
Living next door to the Marches is wealthy Mr. Laurence, whose grandson, Theodore, nicknamed "Laurie", moves in with him and becomes a close friend of the Marches, particularly Jo. Mr. Laurence becomes a mentor for Beth, whose exquisite piano-playing reminds him of his deceased young daughter, and Meg falls in love with Laurie's tutor, John Brooke.
When Mr. March is wounded in the war, Jo sells her hair so that Marmee can purchase a train ticket to travel to him and nurse him back to health. While she is away, Beth continues her visits to a struggling immigrant family in order to provide them food and firewood. During this time she contracts scarlet fever from their infant. Awaiting Marmee's return, Meg and Jo, who both previously survived scarlet fever, send Amy away to live in safety with their Aunt March. Fearing that she too may contract the illness, she laments to Laurie that she may die without ever being kissed. He promises to kiss her before she dies should she become ill. Prior to Beth's illness, Jo had been Aunt March's companion for several years, and while she was unhappy with her position she tolerated it in the hope Aunt March would take her to Europe one day. When Beth's condition worsens, Marmee is summoned home and nurses her to recovery just in time for Christmas, but the illness has severely weakened her. Mr. Laurence gives his daughter's piano to her, Meg accepts John's proposal and Mr. March surprises his family by returning home from the war.
Four years pass; Meg, who is now 20, and John marry, and Beth's health is deteriorating steadily. Laurie graduates from college, proposes to Jo, who is now 19, and asks her to go to London with him, but realizing she thinks of him more as an older brother than a lover, she refuses his offer. She later deals with the added disappointment that Aunt March has decided to take Amy, who is now 17, with her to Europe instead of Jo, as Amy now works as her companion and she wishes for Amy to further her training as an artist in Europe. Crushed, Jo departs for New York City to pursue her dream of writing and experiencing life. There she meets Friedrich Bhaer, a German professor who challenges and stimulates her intellectually, introduces her to opera and philosophy, and encourages her to write better stories than the lurid Victorian melodramas she has penned so far.
In Europe, Amy is reunited with Laurie. She is disappointed to find he has become dissolute and irresponsible and scolds him for pursuing her merely to become part of the March family. In return, he bitterly rebukes her for courting one of his wealthy college friends in order to marry into money. He leaves her a letter asking her to wait for him while he works in London for Mr. Laurence and makes himself worthy of her.
Jo is summoned home to see Beth, who is now 18, and who finally dies of the lingering effects of scarlet fever (presumably rheumatic heart disease) that have plagued her for the past four years. A saddened Jo retreats to the comfort of the attic and begins to write her life story. Upon its completion, she sends it to Professor Bhaer. Meanwhile, Meg gives birth to fraternal twins Demi and Daisy.
A letter from Amy informs the family that Aunt March is too ill to travel, so Amy must remain in Europe with her. In London, Laurie receives a letter from Jo in which she informs him of Beth's death and mentions Amy is in Vevey and unable to come home. He immediately travels to be at her side. They finally return to the March home as husband and wife, much to Jo's surprise and eventual delight.
Aunt March dies and leaves Jo her house, which she decides to convert into a school. Professor Bhaer arrives with the printed galley proofs of her manuscript, but when he mistakenly believes she has married Laurie he departs to catch a train to the West, where he is to become a teacher. She runs after him and explains the misunderstanding. When she begs him not to leave, he proposes to her, and she happily accepts.
Music[]
- "Leila! Dieu Puissant" No.9 "Act II of the Pearl Fishers" - Barbara Hendricks and John Aler - with Orchestre du Capitole de Toulouse (Michel Plasson)
Original Motion Picture Soundtrack[]
| # | Composition | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Orchard House" (Opening Credits) | 3'29 |
| 2 | "Meg's Hair" | 0'45 |
| 3 | "Snowplay" | 0'48 |
| 4 | "Scarlet Fever" | 1'10 |
| 5 | "Ashes" | 0'43 |
| 6 | "Spring" | 0'57 |
| 7 | "La Fayette's Welcome" Frank (Francis) Johnson (1792-1844) |
1'01 |
| 8 | "A Telegram" | 0'45 |
| 9 | "Two Couples" | 1'32 |
| 10 | "Burdens" | 1'57 |
| 11 | "New York" | 2'15 |
| 12 | "Harvest Time" | 1'25 |
| 13 | "Maria Redowa" Gaetano Donizetti (1797-1848) |
1'22 |
| 14 | "Letter from Jo" | 1'17 |
| 15 | "Amy Abroad" | 1'04 |
| 16 | "Limes" | 0'35 |
| 17 | "Beth's Secret" | 2'08 |
| 18 | "For the Beauty of the Earth" Music: Conrad Kocher (1786-1872) Words: Folliott Sandford Pierpoint (1835-1917) Vocals: Trini Alvarado, Kristen Dunst, Claire Danes |
0'26 |
| 19 | "Little Women" | 1'19 |
| 20 | "Learning to Forget" | 2'20 |
| 21 | "Valley of the Shadow" | 2'09 |
| 22 | "Port Royal Gallop" Claudio S. Grafulla (1810-1880) |
0'55 |
| 23 | "Domestic Experiences" | 0'51 |
| 24 | "The Laurence Boy" | 0'37 |
| 25 | "Lovelornity" | 1'21 |
| 26 | "Under the Umbrella" (End Credits) | 3'41 |
Cast[]
| Actor/actress | Character(s) |
|---|---|
| Winona Ryder | Jo March |
| Gabriel Byrne | Fredrich Bhaer |
| Trini Alvarado | Meg March |
| Samantha Mathis (older) Kirsten Dunst (younger) |
Amy March |
| Claire Danes | Beth March |
| Christian Bale | Laurie |
| Eric Stoltz | John Brooke |
| John Neville | Mr. Laurence |
| Mary Wickes | Aunt March |
| Susan Sarandon | Marmee |
| Florence Paterson | Hannah |
| Robin Collins | Carriage Boy |
| Corrie Clark | Belle Gardiner |
| Rebecca Toolan | Mrs. Gradiner |
| Curt Willington | Red-haired Young Man |
| Billie & Louella Pleffer | Naughty Girls |
| Janne Mortil | Sally Moffat |
| Sarah Strange Ahnee Boyce |
Sally's friends |
| Michele Goodger | Hortense |
| Marco Roy | Mr. Parker |
| A.J. Unger | Ned Moffatt |
| Janie Woods-Morris Patricia Leith |
Boston Matrons |
| Christine Lippa | Mrs. Hummel |
| Kristina West Nicole Babuick Jenna Percy |
Hummel Children |
| Alan Robertson | Dr. Bangs |
| Mar Andersons | Fred Vaughan |
| Cameron Labine | Averill |
| Matthew Walker | Mr. March |
| Bethoe Shirkoff | Art Teacher |
| Marilyn Norry | Mrs. Kirk |
| Andrea Libman | Kitty Kirk |
| Tegan Moss | Minnie Kirk |
| Janet Craig | Miss Norton |
| Beverley Elliott | Irish Maid |
| James Leard Charles Baird |
Office workers |
| Jay Brazeau | Dashwood |
| Demetri Goritsas | Bhaer's student |
| Kate Robbins ('Leila') David Adams ('Nadir') |
The Pearl Fishers singers |
| Donal Logue | Jacob Mayer |
| Scott Bellis | John McCracken |
| John C. Shaw | Charles Botts |
| Irene Miscisco | French Maid |
| Peter Haworth | Male Secretary |
| Natalie & Kristy Friisdahl | Daisy |
| Bryan & Sean Finn | Demi |
See also[]
External links[]
- Little Women at the Internet Movie Database
- Little Women at the Movie Database
content from Wikipedia (view authors). |
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| Sony Pictures |
| Movies | |
| Columbia Pictures | 1941 • Little Women (1994) • Christmas with the Kranks • The Holiday • Arthur Christmas • Paul Blart: Mall Cop • The Night Before • The Star • Little Women (2019) |
| TriStar Pictures | Mixed Nuts |
| Screen Gems | This Christmas |
| Direct-to-Video | Buster & Chauncey's Silent Night • The Nuttiest Nutcracker • The Swan Princess Christmas |