ARTNEWSPRESS: The stars of Little Women share what they learned from Greta Gerwig’s adaptation and how they made the March family so close knit.
Little Women has been adapted nearly as many times as Pride and Prejudice, but Greta Gerwig’s latest adaptation brings something new to the table. When the film opens on December 25, audiences will see each of the March sisters in a new light, as well as the nature of their narrative itself. The March family – including Saoirse Ronan, Eliza Scanlen, Florence Pugh and Laura Dern – spoke to Screen Rant about the ways in which Gerwig’s script changed their perspective on the Louisa May Alcott classic.
Ladies, I am absolutely in love with Little Women. I have been since I was child, but I felt like Greta Gerwig’s version really opened up new doors and explored preconceptions that I hadn’t thought about before. So was there anything in her version that changed your perspective about Little Women?
Florence Pugh: Yeah, totally. Even though it’s in the book, I’ve never seen Amy like that before. I’ve never understood her like that before. She was given an opportunity, to I suppose, be liked – which does not happen.
Laura Dern: I’ve never taken away that of the being ‘the other’ if you’re an artist; if you’re longing to know yourself [like] the female and male characters in this story. Her writing about feeling displaced and trying to find home inside yourself; it was gorgeous how Greta made that clear in this version.
Eliza Scanlen: We’ve been saying today that Greta has very much rooted in art and money, and that’s at its crux what it’s about. And while there are some abstract themes, and it’s very much the sacredness of sisterhood and family, it’s also about something very real and something that exists still today. And that’s why it’s still so relevant.
But yeah, there’s the stakes are high, and that makes for a great film.
I also love the very precise and yet natural feeling of the dialogue, where you were all overlapping, and it felt like you really were a family. How did you guys work to achieve that balance?
Saoirse Ronan: We just drilled it, because it’s all written. None of that is improv at all. And Greta had written it in the style of like a play, where you’ve got dashes. So as the dash comes up on my line, Eliza comes in with her line. It was musical, and we really had to get to know each instrument that we were playing and know exactly when to come in. And when you got it, it was like a drug, like, you would get such a buzz out of it. Because there were so many moving parts that had to come in straight on cue. And when that came together, it was like magic.
Now, if you had to do a musical chairs situation, where everyone plays a different character in Little Women, who would you play? And you can be a man too.
Saoirse Ronan: Oh, you can be a man?
Florence Pugh: I want to be John Brooke! I just love the way that he’s a bit like Laurie. He’s totally in love with that family, as well.
Saoirse Ronan: I would be Mr. Dashboard. “No, no, no. Here’s your story.” I’d be Mr. Dashwood, but I’d play him exactly like Tracy Letts.
Eliza Scanlen: I just want to be Tracy Letts.
Saoirse Ronan: I just want to be Tracy Letts, actually.
Laura, you could play anybody. But who would you play most beautifully?
Florence Pugh: Hannah.
Laura Dern: Hannah! I loved her. I think nobody can play Hannah like [Jayne Houdyshell], though. She was incredible.
Saoirse Ronan: What about one of Beth’s dolls?
Eliza Scanlen: I’d be Joanna. She’s spoiled rotten.
https://screenrant.com
TATIANA HULLENDER
