A Dissenting Opinion: Little Women

Cover of 1896 edition of Little Women

I had a decadent Tuesday afternoon.  I went to the movies with a friend.  What a treat to be able to go to a 1PM show.  And, to top it all off, we were going to see Little Women, Greta Gerwig's recent adaptation of Louisa May Alcott's 1868/1869 book that was originally released as two volumes.

Unfortunately, my friend and I were both disappointed.  I don't think I was expecting too much.  I was too excited to be out at a mid-day movie.  But still, it's a few days later and my opinion hasn't changed.

For me, the dialogue was disjointed and often times didn't provide the necessary support for character behavior that followed.  I didn't really feel that any of the actresses transformed themselves into the characters they were portraying. I realize that's saying a lot because this was a powerful cast. Still, in my opinion, Laura Dern didn't become Marmy.  She stayed Laura Dern in a role that I didn't think was really that demanding.  I thought Emma Watson was too stiff.  Saorise Ronan did well but I think she suffered from the screenplay.   I felt Chris Cooper as Mr. Laurence had the best performance of the entire cast.

I admit to liking the film poster tag line: Own Your Story.  That resonates, particularly at the end of the film.  But that sentiment doesn't overshadow the other issues I had and I realize this puts me in the minority. Everyone seems to love the movie.  It makes me wonder: what am I missing?   Has anyone seen the movie that cares to share their opinion here?