By Shane Conto
What has becoming the norm when it comes to cinema today? The days of consistent original content has ceased and the days of remakes and adaptations have risen. Too many of those adaptations or remakes do nothing original with themselves and you wonder what was the point? That is why it is so special when a film comes by with a fresh take that feels relevant to the time that it releases. Greta Gerwig’s Little Women is one such adaptation that is worth you time at the cinema. Here are all the categories to look out for this awards season for Little Women:
Original Score: Alexandre Desplat
If you could name one composer who has truly connected with the Academy over the past few years with his impressive range in scores and films he supports, who would it be? It would be Alexandre Desplat. With his work with The Grand Budapest Hotel and The Shape of Water, he created unique and quirky scores that expertly match the tone and feel of those film. Desplat is able to accomplish this once again with his work on Little Women. The most impressive aspect of this particular score is the range in feelings they are able to capture. The somber piano at times of hardship and the uplifting and jaunting strings and keys for times of love and fun really capture the feelings of the characters. Another award worthy effort from a master composer.
Costume Design: Jacqueline Durran
What is the Academy’s favorite genre to nominate for costume designs? Period pieces for sure! So much needs to go into making sure that costumes meet the actual time period that the film takes place. Anachronisms can be very distracting for an audience, especially those with a keen eye. Little Women really needs the clothes to work perfectly as the class struggles throughout the film are really captured through the divide in how people are dressed. When ever one of the young March women wants to fit into the higher-class society, they must match the beautiful colors and showy frills of their wealthier companion’s attire. Jacqueline Durran is able to meet all of these story expectations and more with her impressive work.
Adapted Screenplay: Greta Gerwig
How do you take a text from 1868 and make it relevant to 2019? That is exactly what Greta Gerwig is able to accomplish with Little Women. Gerwig is able to touch subtly upon important themes like war, classism, and sisterhood which are all relevant in our culture today. The class struggles in our nation and the supportive relationships among women dealing with sexual harassment shine through in this adaption that finds the pulse of today. Along with these themes, Gerwig is able to structure this story with some impressive non-linear story-telling. One particular sequence centered around one of the March sisters is beautiful and heartbreaking all at the same time. The story unfolds like a character-driven mystery as the audience gets lost in the lives of these little women. Each character is given a chance to shine in this wonderful script which is all the more impressive due to the large ensemble that fills it.
Supporting Actor: Timothee Chamalet
Who is quickly becoming, or honestly has already, become the next big actor in Hollywood for awards bait movies? I would say a Best Actor nomination at the ripe age of 22 years old has placed Timothee Chamalet in the best position to be just that. Chalamet has already given great performances in Call Me By Your Name and Beautiful Boy. His role in Little Women is so important because the story calls for an actor who can match the energy and charisma of Saoirse Ronan. Chalamet is able to meet this need and then some. His performance is filled with energy and personality making Laurie one of the most memorable characters in the whole film. The fact that he catches the eye of multiple March sisters is not surprising based on the charisma that he brings. But his performance does not end at his charm. One particularly powerful scene between Laurie and Jo (Ronan) is one of the emotional anchors of this film. In a crowded field of supporting actors, Chalamet is really able to shine among the best.
Supporting Actress: Florence Pugh, Meryl Streep, Eliza Scanlen
What other category could be so stacked and filled to the brim as Best Supporting Actress with so many impressive female performances in Little Women. All of the acting is top notch in this film, which is surely one of its greatest strengths, but there are a few supporting female performances just above the rest. Florence Pugh has had a great year for herself with performances in Fighting with my Family and Midsommar. Her performance in Little Women has been the icing on the cake. Pugh’s performance as Amy musters a range of emotions from immature and overly dramatic outbursts (some of the best laughs in the film) to surprisingly subtle and powerful emotional restraint. Another one of the March sisters gets to shine and that is young Beth, portrayed with great heart by Eliza Scanlen. Her nervousness and kind-heartedness shine through in the most authentic ways through her performance. One particular moment of joy seeps through and is quickly covered in her shy demeanor and Scanlen portrays this with the care of a veteran actress. Then there is Streep. What else can be said about Meryl Streep? Even if she wasn’t cantankerous and hilarious in this film while being so bitingly judgmental, she would probably get nominated just for appearing anyway.
Actress: Saoirse Ronan
Who is one of the greatest young actresses in the world who already wowed the Academy and audiences alike for years? Saoirse Ronan, that’s who! I may be extremely biased as Ronan is definitely my favorite actress but her performance as Jo March in Little Women is truly the heart and soul of the film. Ronan has a relentless energy about her as she is the wild spirit of the family. Along with Chalamet, they light a spark that elevates an old story to something truly compelling. She captures the spirit of an artist while balancing the struggles of a young person coming to grips with the end of their childish innocence. Jo is a character that shows a full range of emotions and Ronan is able to hit every beat. Whether it is her acting against her young peers like Chalamet, Pugh, Watson, or Scanlen, or against great veterans like Laura Dern, Chris Cooper, or Streep, she stands up and really delivers. Ronan carries this film the whole way with the support of this great ensemble and she should be honored for that.
Director: Greta Gerwig
What is more fun than a husband-wife narrative going into awards season? Noah Baumbach has his Marriage Story, which is getting all kinds of buzz but Greta Gerwig deserves the same accolades for her incredible work with Little Women. Lady Bird now appears to be just the jumping off point for Gerwig’s career as a director after another great effort. Gerwig takes her own adapted screenplay and is able to work this non-linear story for all of the emotional potential throughout. When the film is youthful and fun, Gerwig meets the story with a joyous and energetic tone. But more impressively, she is able to shift into a meaningful and emotive tone when the tragic moments of this story call for it. The pacing is top-notch as I never once felt bored as you feel every growing pain and fruitful lesson of these four sisters and the important people that fill out their lives.
Best Picture:
What else can be said after all of this praise? Little Women is one of the most balanced films you will see all year. The wide bed of emotions you will feel may surprise you. You may also be surprised by the energy and meaning that an old and retold story can have. Every performance and every effort behind the camera make Little Women a must see feature of the holiday and award season.