Customer Reviews

Little Women [VHS]

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

This BBC miniseries benefits from having the time to tell the whole of Louisa May Alcott's timeless story, without deleting the many chapters that had to be omitted in the film versions. So we have the ice-skating incident that taught Jo how truly dangerous her temper could be and how very precious Amy was to her. We also get to see Beth as more than a caricature of goodness and perfection, but as a real girl growing into womanhood with feelings, dreams and desires like the other sisters have. The class tensions that so afflict Meg and the sexual tension between Jo and Laurie is also much more fully developed. Angela Down portrays Jo well, although Katharine Hepburn still did it best in my opinion.

Little Women was my favorite book as a child and I heartily recommend this video for anyone who wants to see the whole story, in it's most faithful film adaptation.

Little Woman is one of my favorite books and I liked all of the movie adaptations I have seen, especially the 1933 and 1949 versions which I own on DVD and I also own the 1993 version on DVD but I would like to own this BBC version on DVD too and I hope that someone will decide to put it out on DVD and I would also like to see the American made for TV version that was made sometime in the 70's that stars Susan Dey, Meredith Baxter and Eve Plum get to DVD too. I have actually never seen that version but really want too and not only is it not on DVD but unfortunately I don't think it's even available on VHS tape.

This version was not accurate in its portrayal of the girls and Marmee. They were so shrill, aharp, argumentative, even in the most tender scenes. The ice-skating scene is omitted in favor of a rowing scene, and many other liberties are taken in the development of the characters. This gentle family, with their ideals and ways of communicating was the highlight of Louisa May Alcott's writing and the BBC version completely spoiled them. We almost turned it off, especially after we had watched three other wonderful versions. Did the producer's read the book, we wondered? Sadly, we could not recommend this version, unless one wants to study its flaws.

I loved this version with Merideth Baxter, Susan Dey and William Shatner, but when I tried to order it here all I keep getting are the BBC versions. So I'm right back to square one.