Little Women

At Last....
At last The TV Mini Serize of Little Women is finally available here in the USA and although there are other versions out there ; this is one of the best . All the girls are wonderful as the sisters; but Dey is one of the best Jo holding her own with Hepburn and Allison. The real treat is Greer Garson as Aunt March ; Robert Young as old Mr. Lawrence and Dorothy McGuire as Marmee. They are three stars from the Golden Years of Hollywood who make this an A list movie. A movie to be watched and rewatched and treasured!

Dated production, but very good adaptation
I remember seeing this when it aired on TV lo so many years ago, and am very happy that it is now available on DVD.

There are many things to recommend about this production; first of all, Susan Dey as Jo. Physically, she's closer to the vivid description Alcott herself gives us (tall, long-limbed, round-shouldered, and awkward) than is Wynona Ryder--much as I admire Ryder's performance, her petiteness keeps me from truly seeing the Jo March I imagined as a child. Dey is also by turns funny, tender, fiery, and poignant. Meredith Baxter-Birney is an appropriately pretty Meg, and portrays the character's little vanities while retaining her essential appeal. As gentle Beth, Eve Plumb is surprisingly affecting, particularly in her final scene with Jo at the seaside. As for Ann Dusenberry...one wishes they had cast a true 12-year-old for the young Amy, as Dusenberry's valiant attempt to play young unfortunately results in an overly-petulant Shirley Temple. Her grown-up Amy is the...

An Admirable Adaptation
Louisa May Alcott's beloved novel is, in my opinion, one of the most difficult books to adapt to film. Much of the story revolves around inner struggles, which is hard to portray on screen, the period costumes are anything but simple, and besides this, a great deal of time transpires, so often the actors either look too old or too young for their parts. While this TV miniseries isn't perfect, I think that the filmmakers did an admirable job. The running time of a little over three hours gives the advantage of accuracy, without ever dragging. Even though certain portions were altered or cut out altogether, the script flowed naturally and presented many of the often overlooked facets to this lovely story. In my review here, I will attempt to report both the strengths and weaknesses of this movie.

On a positive note, the four March sisters are superb in their roles. Susan Day is the most human and real Jo I have seen so far, combining all the fiery temper, kindness and...

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