Little Women 2019 Trailer (Long Rant)

 I jumped to the band wagon and wrote some of my thoughts about the new trailer. 

I like the costumes and Jo´s "suits". Jo´s hair is a bit cringy. She ain´t a blonde in the books. I love that she is running and is overall more "boyish" than previous Jo´s.
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I was very exited when I heard that Meryl Streep was going to be aunt March but what´s up with aunt March not ever being married to Uncle March. That´s why she has all the money. Are they trying to turn aunt March to Josephine Barry from Anne of Green Gables? If that is the case I´ll stick with Angela Landsbury. I always thought the reason why aunt was grumpy in the books was because she missed her belated husband.

I have watched 11 adaptations so far. Each time Laurie´s proposal is romanticised. In this version proposal is an argument like it is in the books which is definitely an improvement.  I can´t judge the acting yet but I do hope that Timothee can pull the prankster/funny/immature/messy Laurie as well as the sensitive, sweet and caring Laurie and his looks are a lot more closer to the way I imagined  Laurie to look like in the books than in any other film adaptations that I have seen. Extra stars if the film shows Laurie´s tricky relationship with his grandfather (in my  gender studies I am currently exploring Laurie´s models of masculinity).

Film is going to flesh up Amy´s character and as a massive Amy fan I really look forward seeing that. I always wished that the films would show the way Amy was experimenting her artistic skills since very young age. I don´t know if that is going to happen but based to the trailer there is fire and love for painting. They are also going to build Amy´s and Laurie´s relationship. Yey!

I am confused about this book that Jo is writing. In the books Jo writes her own version of "Little Women" sometimes between Little Men and Jo´s boys. There is also a play written by Jo, isn´t that from Jo´s boys as well and Jo is in her 50´s when that takes place.  Artistic liberties must be taken what it comes to films. I hope they can make it work. 

I am a feminist and I am annoyed that the trailer is pretty much shouting that "this film is feminist because it´s Little Women" yet everyone already knows that Little Women is feminist. It is not something that people need to be reminded on. Story is already powerful enough.

I am not a huge fan of trying to force bits and pieces of Louisa´s life to Jo´s life. Jo is fiction. Louisa´s own life and family relations were in many ways different than in Little Women. But that is the challenge of adapting a semi-biographic novel. 

I was really exited when I heard that James Norton was going to be John Brooke but he was hardly in the trailer either. Could this film be the first where John defends Meg when the upper-class girls make fun of her because she is a governess. 

I love Emma Watson as Meg. 

Where is Professor Bhaer? He is on the trailer for a second. 

I read interview of Greta Gerwig where she said that the film is going to handle gender fluidly with Jo and Laurie but is the film going to show the effect that Friedrich´s mixture of gender binary has on Jo? 

I was just thinking the other day that in this day and age it would be wonderful if the Little Women movies would show the ways German immigrants were treated in the 19th century US. They were the lowest of the low. 

What I am curious to see is how this film is going to show Friedrich´s positive effects on Jo´s writing and also is this film going to follow the Fritz and Jo - trope that is in the previous films but not in the books, where Fritz takes Jo to opera. There is a photo online of the two coming out of an official looking building. I can´t put my finger on it but this film might have the symposium (I´ll take that if I can´t get the opera). In fact I think it´s better because it is more loyal to the books. 

I like that Jo struggles with her temper in this film. I´d like to see an adaptation where Marmee speaks to Jo about her own struggles with her temper like she does in the  books and  I would love to see an adaptation that shows how Fritz calm nature also calms Jo´s temper, same ways as Beth´s calm nature did. Fritz also becomes more impulsive / takes changes when he is with Jo. That has never been explored in films (which is why I love the musical). 

Louisa May Alcott wasn´t against marriage but girls marrying too young or because of money. Is the film going to follow the book and show how Jo actually becomes a feminist?

Because Jo is not a feminist from the start. In the books when Laurie forged letters to Meg and pretended to be Mr. Brooke Jo had difficulties to identify to the pain that Meg was feeling. Her reactions showed much more masculine trajectory. She makes fun of Amy´s feminine ways as much as she makes fun of her boyish ways. I will be thrilled if this film adapts chapter "calls". Jo making fun of the aunts and putting herself above them. That is why Amy got to go to Europe.  All characters have flaws and that moralistic babble that many people criticise in Little Women are the lessons that the sisters go through when they learn more about themselves and form their identity. 

Jo criticises Meg for marrying and I love that little snippet with Meg saying that her dreams are different but just as important. Could this  foreshadow the way Jo has completely demonised the idea of marriage like she did in the books. Jo was afraid of falling in love and part of the demonising marriage was Jo´s own refusal and fear to let go of her childhood. Just like Laurie proposed to Jo so that he wouldn´t have to grow and take responsibilities of himself. Big part of Jo wanting to be a boy as a teen was also about showing off.  In the terms of Jo becoming a feminist  Laurie trying to force a role upon her that is traditionally more feminine breaks Jo´s idealisation of the masculine as she has come to know it. Both Laurie and Fritz are stepping stones in the terms of Jo´s feminist awakening.

Being a caretaker for Beth and learning lessons from her sisters make Jo appreciate the feminine labour. Loosing Beth is a big part of Jo´s growth because Beth saw Jo as a full-person and celebrated her unconventional ways. 

There are scenes of Jo and Beth by the seaside. The film is going to handle the relationship between the two. I know I am going to cry. 

What Fritz offers is a relationship that does not demand Jo to change and most importantly he doesn´t want Jo to be traditionally feminine. He loves her as an unconventional woman (or in subtext as gender fluid) Fritz himself is thoroughly unconventional.  I hope the film does not butcher them. 

Edit. After writing this I spoiled myself entirely and read parts of the script online. This film has potential to become my favorite Little Women adaptation of all times. 

Check out my other Little Women articles:

Little Women 1970 Amy and Laurie Romance
Little Women 1933 
Little Women and tender masculinity Quest of Friedrich Bhaer (and why my inner Jo loves him) 

Little Men and Tender Parenthood 
​Little Women Equal marriage lost in translation 
Little Women symbolism of the umbrella 
Thoughts on #TeamLaurie and #TeamBhaer