Little Women (2018 film)

Little Women is a 2018 American drama film directed by Clare Niederpruem, from a screenplay by Niederpruem and Kristi Shimek. The seventh film adaptation of Louisa May Alcott's 1868 novel of the same name, it is a modern retelling of the original story and marks the 150-year anniversary of the book's release. The film stars Sarah Davenport, Allie Jennings, Lucas Grabeel, Ian Bohen, and Lea Thompson. It was released in the United States on September 28, 2018, by Pinnacle Peak.

Cast

 * Sarah Davenport as Jo March
 * Aimee Lynne Johnson as Young Jo
 * Allie Jennings as Beth March
 * Reese Oliveira as Young Beth
 * Melanie Stone as Meg March
 * Taylor Murphy as Amy March
 * Elise Jones as Young Amy
 * Lucas Grabeel as Laurie Lawrence
 * Stuart Edge as Brooke
 * Ian Bohen as Freddy Bhaer
 * Lea Thompson as Marmee March
 * Bart Johnson as Papa March
 * Adam Johnson as Duke Senior
 * Michael Flynn as Mr. Laurence

Production
In April 2017, it was announced Lea Thompson and Lucas Grabeel had joined the cast of the film, with Clare Niederpruem directing from a screenplay she wrote alongside Kristi Shimek, based upon the novel of the same name by Louisa May Alcott. Maclain Nelson and Stephen Shimek will serve as producers on the film, while Chris Donahue and Marybeth Sprows, will executive produce the film under their Main Dog Productions and Paulist Productions banners, respectively. In June 2017, Sarah Davenport and Ian Bohen joined the cast of the film.

Filming
Principal photography began in June 2017, in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Release
In June 2018, it was announced Pinnacle Peak and Pure Flix Entertainment would distribute the film. It was released in the United States on September 28, 2018.

Box office projection
In the United States and Canada, Little Women was released alongside Smallfoot, Night School and Hell Fest, and was projected to gross $3–5 million from 643 theaters in its opening weekend. It ended up grossing just $747,000, finishing 16th at the box office.

Critical response
On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 33% based on 21 reviews, with an average rating of 5/10. On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 40 out of 100, based on 11 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews". Nell Minow of RogerEbert.com gave it 3 out of 4 stars and wrote, "For devotees, the essence of the Little Women story remains, and, for newcomers, it is a sweet film that should inspire them to explore the book and the more traditional adaptations." But Elizabeth Weitzman of The Wrap gave it low marks, writing, "The girls in this contemporary retelling ... are not messy and complex human beings but Hallmark Channel characters, two-dimensional symbols of virtuous nostalgia." Faith-based reviewers were more generous. Kristin Smith of Plugged In said the film "illustrates the importance of loving one another, of practicing forgiveness and of moving forward despite difficult times." Michael Foust of Crosswalk wrote that "unlike other modern-day film adaptations that spoiled a classic, Little Women is an updated version that doesn’t ruin what made the original great. ... Here’s hoping [Niederpruem] makes many more like this one."