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Director Greta Gerwig takes on “Little Women,” the coming of age story of the four March sisters in the aftermath of the American Civil War.
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The trailer for “Little Women” is finally here.
And Jo is taking center stage.
“Women have minds and they have souls, as well as just hearts,†main heroine Jo, played by Saoirse Ronan, says with passion in the trailer. “And they’ve got ambition, and they’ve got talent, as well as just beauty. I’m so sick of people saying that love is just all a woman is fit for, I’m so sick of it!â€
Director Greta Gerwig’s take on Louisa May Alcott’s classic tale, which reunites her with Ronan, her “Lady Bird” leading lady, rounds out the March sisters with Emma Watson as Meg, Florence Pugh as Amy, and Eliza Scanlen as Beth.
Laura Dern stars as Marmee and Meryl Streep plays the sisters’ forbidding, rich Aunt March.
The film also serves up a smoldering reunion between Ronan and her “Lady Bird” co-star Timothée Chalamet. He stars as Laurie, Jo’s best friend and closest confidant.
“We wanted (the film) to feel light on its feet,” Gerwig told People Tuesday. “And even though it does take place in the 19th century, we in no way wanted it to feel like it was something that was past. We wanted it to feel like it was present right now.â€
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Laurie is the literal boy next door who develops an “intense friendship” with Jo. Don’t get too excited, people, their characters’ friendship never becomes romantic, despite Laurie’s marriage proposal. His proposal is denied, a twist on what took place when Chalamet played boyfriend Kyle Scheible in “Lady Bird.”
“I loved that in ‘Lady Bird,’ (Chalamet) was the one that broke my heart, but I got to break his heart in ‘Little Women,’ †Ronan previously told Vanity Fair.
Don’t expect a period piece with these characters, despite the frocks.
“They were just people. They were not in a period piece, they were just living,†Gerwig told Vanity Fair. “They were the most modern people who had ever existed, up till that point.”
“Little Women” hits theaters Dec. 25.
We’re more than halfway through 2019, and as we look back on the year in books and literature, one thing is immediately evident: There’s no shortage of good things to read. Whether you’re a fan of literary fiction, meaningful YA, charming rom-coms or thought-provoking nonfiction, we’ve got a title for you. Here are USA TODAY’s best-reviewed books of the year so far, starting with “The Lager Queen of Minnesota,” by J. Ryan Stradal (star ratings are out of four stars) · ★★★★ · “This hopped-up story will make your smile with its droll humor, and its poignant moments will stop you to reread and confirm that they are really that good. In beer-geek slang, Stradal’s novel is ‘crushable’ – easygoing, well-balanced, super-drinkable with tons of flavor … and will make you go back for more.” Read the review.
Contributing: Andrea Mandell