Masterpiece/BBC Little Women (TV Mini Series 2017) review

 

Masterpiece/BBC Little Women (TV Mini Series 2017) review 

Rating: ★★★★★(5/5)

Story: ★★★★★ (5/5)

Characters: ★★★★★ (5/5)

Cleanness: ★★★★★ (5/5) 

First impressions: 

To be totally honest, when I first started this series…I didn’t like it. I started the first episode near the beginning of last year. I was expecting something like the 2019 Little Women film with its fast pace, beautiful filming and new perspective (that is still the only adaptation I truly like Amy and Laurie together and was rooting for). Or I was expecting it to be like the 1994 Little Women with its feeling of Christmas and nostalgia (I so wished Laurie and Jo would end up together and have to admit that I hated everyone they ended up with. John and Meg were not a good match in my sight. Nor was Jo and Bhaer or Amy and Laurie. Really the only thing that makes me love it is the nostalgia, Christmas vibes (it’s a Christmas movie watching tradition), and the coziness of the movie). 

So, I was expecting something different than it was. 

When I first watched it…it felt a bit like a play. Not a movie or series. A play. Lots of the dialogue felt scripted in a way it didn’t feel genuine. The filming, though beautiful, felt more like a nature vlog than a real film. 

So I didn’t finish it. 

Now don’t run away yet…I changed my mind. 

Recently I’ve been looking for sweet comforting stories. Maybe with the loss of my grandpa, I wanted to find a story I could relate too and little women with Beth felt like just the thing to watch. But…I didn’t want to watch the films. Instead I had a craving to see the mini series and give it another chance. 

So, the first week of January I took time to sit down and watch it with my sister. I fell in love. 

—Play the main song 

The Story: 

I love the story of little women. The sister bond between Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy. The wise mothering of Marmee. The transition from childhood to adulthood. The look of following your dreams and facing hardships and using your life for something great and meaningful. 

I fell in love with this mini series adaptation. 

It is slow. It shows life. That is what it is. It feels real. More than just a movie. It feels like real life. You see them struggle. This adaptation is the most I’ve seen the characters flaws and also their strengths. You truly watch them grow up. You see them in all these walks of life. 

This one has also really inspired me in my writing. Specifically with my lighthouse book and The Noble Oath novelette! <3  

The Characters:

I have always loved the characters of little women. They are all so relatable. Something I have found is that in different seasons of life I relate to different sisters. I love that this story does that. 

Now I want to talk about how the characters were executed in the mini series. 

Jo March

This is probably the most…imperfect Jo I’ve seen on screen. At first I was unsure of it but now I love it! It really makes her feel human. Her temper, bluntness and how she speaks before she thinks. Then you see her mature. You see her learn to control her temper and emotions. You see her love for her sisters so present in this adaptation. I think you see her family motivation clearest in this one. I love that.

 I think I like other Jo’s better but this one is still good. 

Laurie “Teddy” Laurence

This teddy, same with Jo, you see more of his imperfections. He is emotional, wants things his way, a smoker and flirt. But you also see his sweet boy side. This was the best adaptation for showing the sibling bond between him and Jo. There was no real thought of the two of them being together. You saw how they were friends first and like siblings and you see clearly how they are so similar and wouldn’t work together. I loved that! 

I do think there are better adaptations of Laurie but he was still so good—I also love that he is the live action Prince Eric from The Little Mermaid! I loved him in that and this! 

Beth 

Beth dear. I think this was my favorite Beth! I love how you got to see so much more of her story. She isn’t just Beth who got sick. She has her own story. Beth is a shy girl. A big part of this series was showing her love for people—which ends up being her sad demise—her great love for her family, and you see her conquer her fears. Marmee challenges her to be brave. It’s a challenging for Beth. She is scared of people, shy and quiet. You see her gain a voice and be brave. That was so beautiful to see! 

This is by far my favorite Beth! 

Amy 

Amy. You really got to see her grow up and mature! I loved that. She goes from kinda self centered and maybe a bit vain to kind and mature. You see her truly grow up from the first episode to the final. I loved that! I loved that you saw how she grew up. You see why she is chosen to go to Europe. It makes sense. You do see how Laurie chooses her. 

Now this isn’t my favorite match but…it’s better than the 1994 one. I still think the 2019 film is my favorite pairing for Amy and Laurie. 

Meg 

This was my favorite Meg. You saw her struggles, regrets, and her growing up. You see her gain a voice and stand up for who she loves. You see how she and John fall in love. You see her imperfections paired with her strengths. 

My favorite moment and why this is my favorite Meg is that you got to see her become a mother. You saw her be pregnant, have her babies, and see a touching moment with her Marmee. That moment was my favorite. This mother daughter moment that touches your heart. They show what it means to be a woman and the beauty as well as the challenges of motherhood

Marmee 

This Marmee was so good and moving. You see her raising her daughters. You see these moments of worry and struggling that are really moving. You see how she cares for her daughters and lets them grow and parents each one differently to what they need. She is there helping Meg give birth and helping her after. You see her encouraging Jo to be herself and not change for anyone and to follow what she believes. You see her challenging Beth to be brave. You see her let Amy spread her wings and do things. 

Some emotional moments that made me love Marmee’s character: when meg gets married, you see her outside meg's room crying. It’s something that made me want to cry and I could see my mom doing oneday. When she is there for Meg’s twins' birth. When you see her struggle with Beth about to die—you see her break—and then talk to Beth through her pain till her passing. 

John

I really liked that in this adaptation you see more from John. You see his growing love for Meg and you get to see them spend time together . His time in the civil war which I thought was such a good touch that I’ve never seen done in another adaptation. I really liked that and him and Meg were perfectly paired! 

On a side note, I also loved seeing Meg and John’s kids grow up too! 

Fredrich Bhaer 

This is the first time in an adaptation I actually LOVED Fredrich’s character! In the book you see how good he is for Joe and you get to know his character. I haven’t seen that well depicted in any adaptation except for this mini series. He is finally a perfect match for Jo. You see how they balance each other out. 

You get to see his character. In this adaptation you see him caring for and interacting with children. You see how he takes in his nephews. You see how Jo and him slowly fall in love. 

This is by far my favorite Jo and Fredrich pairing EVER!  

Comparing other film adaptations: 

This was maybe the most by the book adaption as most book to tv adaptations are similar to All The Light We Cannot See. 

It’s funny, I almost want to say that this is my favorite Little Women Adaptation! I don’t know. I feel like I’m almost leaning on this one. Otherwise I think  it’s tied in first place between this mini series and the 2019 film! 

Then in second place is the 1994 movie. 

Then…I don’t know if this counts to anyone but me, but years ago I went to see my cousin’s play of Little Women and that was a FAVORITE of mine so that's third place for me.

Then I’d say the 1949 movie is in fourth place. 

These are the only little women adaptations I’ve seen so I’m only ranking these ones! As always, the book is my favorite and the best of all! For my eighteenth birthday my grandpa actually got me a copy of little women that is my FAVORITE! It has letters and newspaper clippings from the [newspaper]! It’s so sweet and I love that I have that gift from him! <3 

Other Fun Resources: 

Books: 

• Little Women by Louisa May Alcott | ★★★★★ (5 / 5 stars) 

• Jo & Laurie by Margaret Stohl and Melissa de la Cruz | ★★★★ ( 4 / 5 stars) 

• So Many Beginnings by Bethany C. Morrow | ★★★.5  (3.5/5 stars) 

Movies & Shows:

• Little Women (2017) mini series | ★★★★★

• Little Women (2019) | ★★★★★

• Little Women (1994) | ★★★★.5

• Little Women (1949) | ★★★

Other:

• Orchard House: https://louisamayalcott.org 

• Sparknotes: https://www.sparknotes.com/lit/littlewomen/sparklets/ 

• Little Women Garden: https://louisamayalcott.org/little-women-garden