While there are many reasons I look forward to the holidays, one is that perennially, they are a time when new movies are released.
This past Christmas, since it was just the three of us, I took my wife and mother to see the recently released Little Women.
I must confess, being a guy, I never read Louisa May Alcott’s classic novel that depicts the fictional life of her alter ego, Jo March and her three sisters. But I came away from the film intrigued not just with the story itself but with the author, Alcott who was clearly ahead of her time in so many ways.
Following some research, I learned that Alcott who was born in Germantown, PA in 1832 spent most of her life in Boston and Concord, MA where she was educated by her father, A. Bronson Alcott a teacher/philosopher and her mother Abigail May.
I was intrigued to learn that the Alcott family were friends with Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry David Thoreau and Nathaniel Hawthorne all of whom had an influence on Louisa and her writings.
If you find yourself in New England, Alcott’s childhood home, Orchard House in Concord, MA is open to the public daily for tours. In the meanwhile, if you’re interest in a good movie about one of our nation’s literary hero’s I highly encourage you to go see Little Women.
In addition to Greta Gerwig who wrote and directed the movie, Saoirse Ronan, Emma Watson, Meryl Streep and Laura Dern all could receive Oscar nominations for their performances.
Enjoy the movie and Happy New Year!