Little Women (2019)

Last updated:
September 27, 2025

Greta Gerwig’s Little Women (2019) is a lush, heartfelt reimagining of Louisa May Alcott’s classic 19th-century novel. With a nonlinear narrative, bold directing choices, and a cast of today’s brightest talents, the film manages to be both faithful to its source material and refreshingly modern. Let’s go through everything you need to know about it.

Table of Contents

Detailed Summary

The March Sisters

The story revolves around the four March sisters—Jo, Meg, Amy, and Beth—growing up in Civil War–era Massachusetts. They’re guided by their loving mother, Marmee, while their father is away serving in the war. Each sister has a distinct personality and ambition: Jo (Saoirse Ronan) dreams of being a writer, Meg (Emma Watson) wants domestic stability, Amy (Florence Pugh) longs for refinement and artistic recognition, and Beth (Eliza Scanlen) embodies kindness and simplicity.

Jo and Laurie

Jo forms a deep bond with their wealthy neighbor, Laurie (Timothée Chalamet). Their relationship teases the potential for romance, but Jo insists she’s not meant for marriage and rejects his proposal. This moment is one of the story’s emotional turning points, leaving Laurie heartbroken.

Beth’s Illness

Beth’s recurring illness is depicted with sensitivity. In one timeline, she recovers from scarlet fever, while in another, she succumbs to it. The film juxtaposes the two events in parallel, making Beth’s eventual death hit especially hard for both the characters and the audience.

Amy’s Growth and Europe Journey

Amy, often criticized as spoiled, is given remarkable depth in this adaptation. Her time in Europe allows her to reflect on her ambitions and her limitations as a female artist. Eventually, her character evolves into one of the most pragmatic and self-aware of the sisters.

Jo’s Writing Struggles

Jo pursues writing in New York, where she meets Professor Friedrich Bhaer (Louis Garrel). Their intellectual connection is warm and understated, though Jo struggles with societal pressure and her own resistance to love.

Movie Ending

The film concludes with Jo channeling her grief over Beth’s death into writing the story of her and her sisters’ lives—Little Women itself. The ending cleverly blurs the line between Jo’s fictional novel and her reality.

In one thread, Jo is depicted negotiating with a publisher over her manuscript, holding firm on her rights, and successfully getting the book published under her own terms. In another thread, we see Jo rushing to the train station in the rain to declare her feelings for Bhaer, echoing the kind of romantic climax that might please a 19th-century audience but which Greta Gerwig suggests may be more of a narrative flourish than a literal event.

The final montage shows the sisters gathered happily at Plumfield, now transformed into a school run by Jo, with their mother and loved ones around them. It’s both a wistful nod to what was and an empowering vision of what Jo—and by extension, women—could achieve beyond traditional roles.

Are There Post-Credits Scenes?

No, Little Women (2019) does not have a post-credits scene. Once the final montage ends, the story is fully wrapped, so viewers don’t need to wait after the credits roll.

Type of Movie

Little Women is a period drama and coming-of-age story that also carries elements of romance and family drama. Greta Gerwig infuses it with a distinctly modern feminist perspective while keeping the period-appropriate details intact.

Cast

Saoirse Ronan as Jo March
Emma Watson as Meg March
Florence Pugh as Amy March
Eliza Scanlen as Beth March
Timothée Chalamet as Theodore “Laurie” Laurence
Laura Dern as Marmee March
Meryl Streep as Aunt March
Chris Cooper as Mr. Laurence
Louis Garrel as Friedrich Bhaer

Film Music and Composer

The score was composed by Alexandre Desplat, whose delicate, sweeping compositions underscore the sisters’ joys and sorrows. The music captures both the intimacy of home life and the grandeur of Jo’s creative journey.

Filming Locations

The film was shot primarily in Massachusetts, USA—including Concord, Harvard, and Boston. Using actual New England settings where Louisa May Alcott herself once lived lent authenticity and atmosphere. Locations like the Orchard House (Alcott’s real home) helped ground the film’s world in historical reality.

Awards and Nominations

Academy Awards: Won Best Costume Design; nominated for Best Picture, Best Actress (Saoirse Ronan), Best Supporting Actress (Florence Pugh), Best Adapted Screenplay (Greta Gerwig), Best Original Score (Alexandre Desplat).
BAFTAs: Nominated in multiple categories, including Best Film and Best Supporting Actress.
Golden Globes: Nominations for Best Actress and Best Original Score.

Behind the Scenes Insights

Greta Gerwig insisted on filming in Massachusetts for authenticity, despite budget challenges.
The nonlinear timeline was a bold creative choice; Gerwig has said she wanted to make the story feel alive for modern audiences.
The cast lived together in a house for a short time before shooting to build genuine sibling-like chemistry.
Florence Pugh filmed Midsommar and Little Women back-to-back, showcasing her dramatic range.
Meryl Streep suggested historical details for Aunt March’s character, drawing on her own knowledge of 19th-century customs.

Inspirations and References

The movie is based on Louisa May Alcott’s novel “Little Women” (1868–69). Gerwig drew heavily from the book but also incorporated elements of Alcott’s real life, such as her fight to maintain rights to her writing, to enrich Jo’s storyline.

Alternate Endings and Deleted Scenes

While no drastically different endings exist, early cuts played more straightforwardly without the dual “fiction vs. reality” ambiguity. Gerwig chose the layered ending to honor both Alcott’s original work and her personal independence.

Book Adaptations and Differences

The main difference is tone: while the novel presents Jo’s romance with Bhaer more conventionally, the film adds an ironic layer, hinting that Jo’s marriage may be more a narrative device than her literal fate. The film also places stronger emphasis on Jo as a stand-in for Alcott, highlighting her independence and authorship.

Memorable Scenes and Quotes

Key Scenes

Laurie’s emotional proposal to Jo, ending in her rejection.
Beth playing the piano in Mr. Laurence’s home, a quiet bonding moment.
Amy burning Jo’s manuscript in a fit of jealousy.
The parallel editing of Beth’s recovery contrasted with Beth’s death.
Jo bargaining with her publisher for the rights to her book.

Iconic Quotes

Marmee: “I’m angry nearly every day of my life.”
Jo: “Women have minds, and they have souls, as well as just hearts. And they’ve got ambition, and they’ve got talent, as well as just beauty.”
Amy: “I want to be great, or nothing.”

Easter Eggs and Hidden Details

Louisa May Alcott’s real Orchard House is referenced in the sets’ design.
Jo’s final book cover mirrors the original edition of Little Women.
The costumes subtly evolve with each character’s maturity—Jo’s attire grows more structured as her identity solidifies.

Trivia

Emma Watson replaced Emma Stone, who was originally cast as Meg.
Greta Gerwig was the only female director nominated in major critics’ circles that year, though she was snubbed at the Oscars for Best Director.
Florence Pugh earned her first Oscar nomination here, boosting her international fame.

Why Watch?

Because it’s Little Women as you’ve never seen it: tender, funny, heartbreaking, and empowering. Greta Gerwig breathes new life into the March sisters’ story, making it resonate with today’s conversations about gender, ambition, and independence, while still honoring the novel’s warmth.

Little Women (2019)