Louisa
May Alcott never objected when people confused her with Jo March, her most
famous character. She even answered mail addressed to the second March
daughter. Of course, Ms. March remains one of the most roundly beloved figures
in American literature, who helped spring-board Katharine Hepburn’s career when
she played the role in George Cukor’s acclaimed 1933 film. Happily, the charm
of Alcott’s story remains undiminished in Heidi Thomas’s warm and reassuring adaptation
of Little Women (promo here), directed by
Vanessa Caswill, which premieres this Sunday on PBS’s Masterpiece.
It
is Little Women, so you should know
the story by now. There are indeed four March daughters, one for each Beatle. Josephine
“Jo” March is the second oldest. She is a bit of a tomboy with a quick temper.
She is not necessarily the most practical of the March sisters, but she is the
strongest. The oldest, Margaret “Meg” is considered a beauty with lady-like
manners, but she will be more egalitarian than her society friends would
expect. In some ways, Elizabeth “Beth” is Jo’s opposite. She is shy but has a
talent for brokering peace among the family. Amy Curtis March is the youngest
and often quite a handful, because she always expects to be the center of
attention.
Their
mother Margaret “Marmee” maintains the household and provides for them as well
as she can while their father is serving as a Union Army chaplain. They will
also welcome their new neighbor Theodore “Laurie” Laurence into their constant
company. Although born to wealth, Laurence has been deeply touched family
tragedy. However, his friendship with the March Sisters helps him better relate
to his grandfather.
This
take on Little Women is particularly
well-cast, fortunately starting first and foremost with Maya Hawke. Her resemblance
to her mother Uma Thurman is striking, but that is the least of what she brings
to the table. Hawke completely nails the indomitable Jo March spirit and powers
the production with her appropriately youthful energy. In fact, Little Women really ought to make her a
star.
Laurie
Laurence requires some tricky balancing, but Jonah Hauer-King is quite
sure-footed in the part, developing some crackling chemistry with Hawke’s Jo.
We find ourselves hoping they will work out as a couple, even though…you know.
Annes Elwy turns Beth March’s Camille
scenes with impressive dignity and understatement, while Kathryn Newton’s Amy
March pouts like nobody’s business. Naturally, Angela Lansbury gets prominent billing
for playing the Marches’ snobby Aunt, but she is rather a tame shadow of Dame
Maggie Smith’s Dowager Countess. On the other hand, the great Michael Gambon
makes the most of his brief screen time as Laurence’s grandfather. Throughout
it all, Emily Watson anchors the film as the heroically dedicated Marmee.
There
are good reasons why Alcott’s Little
Women has been so enduringly popular, which are abundantly clear in Thomas’s
adaptation, especially the complete lack of cynicism. It is a big, messy tale of
family love and strife that makes no apologies for its heartfelt nostalgia. Frankly,
it is quite remarkable how refreshing it is to reconnect with the March family
(and the Laurences). The only quibble is the awkward way the series has been
divided over two nights for American television, with the first installment clocking
in at a mere one-hour, but the second instalment running nearly two hours, on
the dot, but that is a minor point (especially considering how many viewers
will wait to binge it later). Very highly recommended, Little Women airs this Sunday and the following Sunday (5/13 &
5/20) as part of the current season of Masterpiece
on most PBS stations nationwide.