BBC Little Women, episode 3

[osprey_archer]

The BBC Little Women continued mediocre through the end. Marmee had one shining moment of actual Marmee-ness when she helped Meg through the birth of her twins; however, she then fled the room and collapsed into tears when Beth told her that she was dying, which sort of canceled that out. Marmee is supposed to be the pillar of the family and I just can’t be having with this weeping willow interpretation.

Also, this production bases Mr. March on Bronson Alcott too much: Bronson never in his life did anything as useful or selfless as becoming a Civil War chaplain.

I also really disliked their interpretation of Laurie, particularly in the last two episodes (which is, after all, two-thirds of the miniseries): his friendship with Jo seems to consist entirely of Laurie relentlessly scooting closer on the couch while Jo interposes a sofa pillow between them in an attempt to keep him from confessing his love yet again. Where are the good times they have together? All Laurie ever does is make a nuisance of himself.

You would think this would at least leave the field clear for Jo & Professor Bhaer, and their interpretation of Bhaer is in fact pretty sympathetic - although I think it’s cheating a bit to have him complain about the trashiness of sensation papers when he doesn’t even know that Jo writes for them, and recant instantly once he discovers that she does. But it doesn’t get much time; and neither does Amy’s romance with Laurie, or even Beth’s death (although there is a very nice seaside scene with Jo & Beth). Where did all the time go? Did Laurie’s endless love confessions suck it all up?

Unless the character is Lord Peter Wimsey, it is never necessary to have a character fruitlessly confess his love four times. And anyway Lord Peter’s love confessions illuminate different aspects of his relationship with Harriet (and also Harriet’s charging feelings) whereas Laurie’s confession scenes are all identical: he scoots closer to Jo, Jo begs him not to bring this up again, Laurie leans in and insists on confessing his love yet again, Jo refuses him, tears, anger, etc.

Also, Amy is quite reformed by the end - or at least has shown no further inclination to slink about performing evil. Quite frankly I would like to see her performing evil on this version of Laurie: it might improve him. Certainly it might have improved the series.

Comments

[kore]

she then fled the room and collapsed into tears when Beth told her that she was dying

WAT

Also, this production bases Mr. March on Bronson Alcott too much: Bronson never in his life did anything as useful or selfless as becoming a Civil War chaplain.

BRB LOLLING MY ASS OFF, sorry, I loathe Bronson Alcott completely. He would never do something so helpful and non-Bronson-centered!

I think it’s cheating a bit to have him complain about the trashiness of sensation papers when he doesn’t even know that Jo writes for them, and recant instantly once he discovers that she does

....that scene does sound like fanfic, hah.

Also, Amy is quite reformed by the end - or at least has shown no further inclination to slink about performing evil.

She is BIDING HER TIME. Watching that pillow. And waiting.

[osprey_archer]

They have a scene where Jo chastises Bronson Mr. March for not supporting the family better, because he's been working on his book for twenty years. This seems simultaneously too harsh to Mr. March, who actually has a job, and too lenient for Bronson, who also never did anything as potentially lucrative as even trying to write a book.

Maybe Amy is plotting to smother Laurie in his sleep after a suitable interval has passed and then merry widow it up. Certainly we don't hear any hint of book!Amy & Laurie's plan to use their money for philanthropy. Evil Amy wouldn't allow it.

[kore]

This seems simultaneously too harsh to Mr. March, who actually has a job, and too lenient for Bronson, who also never did anything as potentially lucrative as even trying to write a book.

AND he got famous off his daughter, and loved it, and tried to tell her what to write, and expected the women in his life to support him. //seethes at Bronson

Maybe Amy is plotting to smother Laurie in his sleep after a suitable interval has passed and then merry widow it up. Certainly we don't hear any hint of book!Amy & Laurie's plan to use their money for philanthropy. Evil Amy wouldn't allow it.

I love how Evil Amy is straight outta one of Alcott's thriller gothics. "Beneath the golden curls, the rosy cheeks, lay....CORRUPTION! DECEIT!"

[osprey_archer]

I remain deeply bitter about the fact that Louisa died three days after Bronson, so she never really got a chance to live a life free from her father's influence. This is like the one thing that is not actually Bronson's fault, but I blame him anyway.

Maybe Evil Amy just gets better at hiding her horribleness as she grows older? She realizes that slinking clues everyone into the fact that you're Evil, and resolves never to slink again.

[kore]

I remain deeply bitter about the fact that Louisa died three days after Bronson, so she never really got a chance to live a life free from her father's influence. This is like the one thing that is not actually Bronson's fault, but I blame him anyway.

OMG, ME TOO. It's like he pulled her away with him! which of course totally did not happen, BUT STILL. I am so resentful.

Maybe Evil Amy just gets better at hiding her horribleness as she grows older?

Behind a sweet and loving facade! -- Did they ever film one of Lou's Gothics? Was it The Inheritance?

[osprey_archer]

I looked it up, and yes, there is a film version of The Inheritance, which was filmed the year the novel was first published, in 1997. I guess Alcott put it in a drawer after she had her Professor Bhaer moment and turned against sensation fiction.

[silverusagi]

his friendship with Jo seems to consist entirely of Laurie relentlessly scooting closer on the couch while Jo interposes a sofa pillow between them in an attempt to keep him from confessing his love yet again.

Yeah, pretty much.

[osprey_archer]

They ought to at least have good times when they're young! This adaptation seems to move to sofa pillow stage as fast as it can without anything before to explain why Laurie is so convinced that he and Jo are Made to Be.

[evelyn_b]

Awwww, poor Laurie! He should mix it up with some puns or a quote from a sensation novel or something. AS IT HAPPENS, I just started reading Little Women yesterday - for the first time since I was ten, maybe? It's a mixed bag, but Laurie is the cutest. I can understand how the shippers of 1868 got so fanatical, because all the Jo-Laurie interactions so far have been maximally adorable. They are all adorable and it's nice that they like their mother so much I guess (I'm not keen on their mother).

I'd misremembered the March's poverty as being a direct result of Mr. March's selfless Civil War service, but as it turns out, there's a Bronsonesque detail early on: apparently Mr. March "tried to help a friend" and subsequently lost a ton of property, whoops. :(

I don't like Marmee, but I agree that she's not going to flee the room when her teenage daughter tells her she's dying, good heavens. I'll be very surprised if that happens in the book.

Anyway, Bronson Alcott is the worst.

[osprey_archer]

Someone could make a Little Women that focuses more on Marmee's negative traits (they could get some mileage out of the tendency to moralize at the drop of a hat) and still make her recognizable Marmee... but I am not convinced that Marmee has ever fled a room in her entire life, so this version is very much not that.

I feel that Bronson Alcott was usually the friend being helped rather than the one helping a friend, but if he ever did get his hands on any appreciable sum of money I would absolutely believe that he would fritter it all away in bad investments. Oh Bronson. Why was he like this?