This film is very different in style from the 1994 version. It is not told chronologically, but instead uses effective flashbacks and cuts to tell the story and get at the heart of the sisters' relationships and motivations. The film is very beautiful, both in the soundtrack and cinematography. The casting was good, and there was definitely a lot to love.
First, I appreciated the time they spent with Amy. Many readers hate her from the get go, as she burns Jo's book and fights with her the most. They just can't get over this. However, giving Amy time as an adult to develop as her own character was redemptive, and I liked that.
I also liked the recognition that women should be able to follow their own unique dreams. When Jo wants Meg to become an actress and not get married, Meg explains that just because her dreams are different doesn't make them unimportant. I think that this is a really great thing to point out, and it shows how the book recognizes the different paths women can and should be able to choose. However, this leads us into the movie's greatest downfall.
There is a conflict in Jo's strong-willed character in the movie when she choses to marry Professor Bhaer. In the movie, it is presented as though Jo had no choice but to make her character in her story marry someone. Bhaer's character is not developed and has no redeeming qualities. He's just the most available guy, so she writes him in because she has to. This is meant to display the injustice of publishing companies etc. However, this undermines Jo's feminist arc. While in the book there is a reason for Jo to choose marriage, in this film it's almost as though she's forced into it. If Bhaer's character had been developed, Jo's choice would have made sense. In the film though, he just tells her that her writing is bad for no reason, and never redeems himself into a worthy partner.
Another issue I had with the film was that Jo regretted turning Laurie down. This kind of takes away the redemption that Amy was given, because it appears that Jo and Laurie should have gotten together but Amy got to him before Jo could, just like she did with going to Europe. It also adds to the unreasonableness of Jo marrying Bhaer, because he's kind of just a last resort rather than someone it makes sense for her to be with.
Despite these issues, I still enjoyed the film quite a bit!
