Little Women (2019)

Academy Awards nominations:
Best Motion Picture of The Year
Academy Awards for Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role (Saoirse Ronan)
Academy Awards for Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role (Florence Pugh)
Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay (Greta Gerwig)
Academy Award for Best Costume Design
Academy Award for Best Original Score

The screener finally dropped today...
Here is what I have left from the nominees for Best Picture...
I'll probably check it out, though I'm certainly not holding my breath...

I wouldn't even watch this if they were paying me. They'd have to cough up $100 an hour before I'd consider sitting through it. Is free entertainment even worth my time?

People are out here kneeling because Gerwig didn't land a Best Director nod for this
I honestly don't get why everyone thinks this version is some holy grail compared to the fifty other adaptations of this book we've already seen
Is it perhaps in the names?

They’re all kneeling, but I honestly have no clue who she actually outdirected among the other nominees. I read that the screenplay is solid, but does that automatically mean the direction is just as good? It’s nothing but feminist posturing.

Jose Newman32 said:The screener dropped today.

🎉🎉🎉

Noah Roberts46 said:People are out here kneeling—honestly, I just don't get it. Who else is she supposedly directing better than the actual nominees? I’ve been reading that the script is solid, sure, but does a good script automatically mean the direction is top-tier? Not necessarily. It feels like more of the same feminist posturing.

Maybe you’re kneeling—but honestly, your posts are constantly kneeling too, always groveling over political correctness and feminism.

Forget the mainstream hype and just try focusing on the actual substance for once.

Honestly, this entire sub is just absolutely reeks of desperation because you have all these die-hard fans of Quentin Tarantino, Martin Scorsese, Kevin Feige, and Christopher Nolan constantly sucking up to their mid-tier masterpieces and outdated acting performances... and then suddenly, someone decides to preemptively roll their eyes at some movie about (young) women made for (young) women before even seeing it or reading a single review. Just straight up hating from the jump. It’s honestly pathetic...

hollowowl15 said:🎉🎉🎉

Maybe they're kneeling, but your posts are constantly kneeling over political correctness and feminism.

Ignore the mainstream hype and try focusing on the actual content.

Well, I have every right to push back. ☕

It honestly just irritates me when this stuff is forced down our throats; movie quality should be the only thing that matters. Why should women or Black actors be nominated if they haven't earned it over everyone else? It’s simply not fair—it's just blatant racism and misandry.

The reason I'm even bringing this up is because Greta Gerwig recently made Lady Bird, which is a decent enough movie. It’s a fun mix of drama and comedy, but the film was put on a pedestal solely because a woman directed it and people insisted on certain nominations. Thank God there were plenty of other films like it, and most audiences agreed the hype surrounding those labels was overkill.

I see things are heading in that direction again. I'll watch the film and then give my verdict, but for now, I'm just commenting on the general vibe of the whole situation.

It’s honestly fascinating how some of these new movie campaigns work. They push this narrative that "this isn't for men," or they try to intimidate men into feeling inadequate. What the hell is that? First they try to force an audience, then they resort to threats in their ads. Imagine if a massive male-driven epic like The Irishman had a campaign saying "this isn't for women." What would that even look like? Pure hypocrisy.

Besides, I wouldn't watch movies like this regardless of who directed them or what they called them, whether it was Little Women or whatever else. But hey, if they paid me, I’d watch.

There are just so many incredible books out there—both vintage classics and modern hits—that have never even touched a screen, yet they keep choosing to remake the exact same tired stories for the hundredth time.

Everyone’s out here kneeling over everything lately, but honestly, the funniest part is watching the "progressives" tear each other apart in the process.

Back at the end of last year, the kneeling started when people claimed male audiences were intentionally boycotting the latest adaptation of Little Women. According to some "progressive" logic, a movie with a theme of "women about women for women" should have naturally drawn in massive crowds of men. In fact, they acted like men were practically obligated to show up. This was happening right when the film still needed to build some momentum at the box office, so they were all set to "progressively" blame the guys if it turned out to be a flop.

Source:
https://boundingintocomics.com/2020/...en-adaptation/

Once the movie actually started doing okay (it’s sitting at $107.3 million on a $40 million budget right now—and it’s being watched twice as much in the US as anywhere else in the world), the narrative flipped. Suddenly, everyone was arguing that Little Women didn't even need a male audience to succeed. Turns out, men make up about one-third of the audience for Little Women, which is totally normal for a movie like this.

Source:
https://www.forbes.com/sites/scottme.../#1f8e374624b5

Then, the finger-pointing shifted toward Greta Gerwig’s own feminist stances. Now they're questioning how Little Women romanticizes "white privilege" and accusing the whole thing of being nothing more than a lecture from one "privileged white woman."

Source:
https://www.nationalreview.com/2019/...ite-privilege/
https://www.thedailybeast.com/what-t...ing?ref=scroll

Great, now someone actually expects me to sit through this. I can't even bring myself to read about it—feminism, gender wars, white privilege, who’s doing what to whom... Honestly, these SJWs are just mentally ill. They're nothing but exhausting, divisive bores. It's a pathology that psychologists should be studying.

I already figured Greta Gerwig would take heat for this, even if I'm being generous. There are way too many white faces in her films. Where are the trans people? Where are the Black women or Black trans women? You need frogs and mosquitoes in there too, right? Diversity is supposed to be the norm, yet here we are. It's pathetic.

Well, I guess they can just do a race-swapped version of Little Women next year to make up for it. That seems to be the standard procedure now.

Look, I get it—it’s a sentimental, sweet movie. But Greta Gerwig went with this non-linear structure, and honestly? That's where she lost me.

I much prefer the 1994 version—it flows way better and actually has some momentum. Plus Winona 😍

hollowowl15 said:I suppose it’s a sentimental, sweet movie, though Greta Gerwig chose a non-linear structure, which left me feeling a bit lost.

I much prefer the 1994 version; it feels more fluid and dynamic. Plus Winona 😍

Let me know what you think once you're done. I might watch it. While Greta Gerwig didn't blow me away as a director, she seems quite capable, if not excellent, as a screenwriter. I haven't seen any previous adaptations, nor have I read the book.

Noah Roberts46 said:It honestly just irritates me when these things are forced upon us; at the end of the day, the quality of the film is what matters most. Why should women or people of color be nominated if they haven't actually earned it over everyone else? It simply isn't fair, and it feels like blatant racism and misandry.

I mention this because Greta Gerwig recently made a movie called Lady Bird, which is a perfectly fine film. It’s a fun blend of drama and comedy, but people seemed to praise it excessively just because a woman directed it, pushing so hard for certain nominations.

The hype wasn't because she's a woman; it's because Hollywood is trying to compensate for its double standards and the #MeToo panic by forcing one specific director into the mix among all the other nominees. It wasn't just any woman who happens to direct, but rather Gerwig, who is quite mediocre in her directing. So, it isn't about "feminist pandering" or misandry (?!)—it's actually the opposite. They are just elevating an average director so they can claim to be great feminists.

Personally, I am not a fan of Greta Gerwig, so I expect her film will be terrible. 😬

Honestly, this film is just middle-of-the-road. There isn't much point in even debating its merits when you look at the other eight nominees; it simply doesn't hold a candle to them. For instance, I really feel like The Lighthouse deserved to be ranked higher than this. If we’re talking about quality, Lady Bird is a far superior piece of filmmaking.

I thought the movie was lovely—glad it picked up so many nominations. Saoirse really excels in these kinds of roles. I enjoyed the non-linear storytelling and the costume design, too. It’s just an easy, pleasant watch... I agree it isn't exactly revolutionary or anything, nothing groundbreaking, but I liked it. Lately, I've been in the mood for stuff like this.

It’s a pretty charming little movie. Greta Gerwig always delivers. She just has that face that allows her to pull off any role. And that kid? Absolute legend. He’s definitely going to be the next big thing in Hollywood.🍿

Grace Sanders24 said:It’s a charming little film. Lady Bird is always such a solid actress; she has a face that can convey just about anything. And that kid? He’s incredible. That boy is destined to be a massive star in Hollywood, guaranteed.🍿

Timothée 😍

I'm waiting for something better than a screener before I sit down to watch it. I tend to look forward to every new project from Chalamet, and Lady Bird is quite talented as well.
To be honest, neither the book nor the previous adaptations really moved me, even if Americans insist on treating that novel like one of the greatest literary works ever written—which explains why there are so many screen versions.