Disciplines
Screenwriting
Abstract (300 words maximum)
Little Women, written by Louisa May Alcott, details the lives of the four March sisters - Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy. The story has been adapted into feature films multiple times, including an adaptation in 1918, 1933, 1949, 1994, and most recently in 2019. The 1994 film was written by Robin Swicord and directed by Gillian Armstrong, and the 2019 film was written by Greta Gerwig and Sarah Polley, and directed by Greta Gerwig. Both films were nominated for multiple Academy Awards. This study will compare and contrast the structure of both films, as well as the characters and their individual arcs. With 25 years between the adaptations, the characters and storylines were given a refresh. Gerwig and Armstrong tell the story of the March sisters in very individual ways, and Gerwig even chooses to “reshuffle” the story rather than keeping things chronological. The focus of this analysis will be on plot structure and character development, as well as the arc of Jo March, the leading sister.
Academic department under which the project should be listed
RCHSS - English
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Primary Investigator (PI) Name
Anna Weinstein
Included in
Little Women: A Screenplay Analysis
Little Women, written by Louisa May Alcott, details the lives of the four March sisters - Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy. The story has been adapted into feature films multiple times, including an adaptation in 1918, 1933, 1949, 1994, and most recently in 2019. The 1994 film was written by Robin Swicord and directed by Gillian Armstrong, and the 2019 film was written by Greta Gerwig and Sarah Polley, and directed by Greta Gerwig. Both films were nominated for multiple Academy Awards. This study will compare and contrast the structure of both films, as well as the characters and their individual arcs. With 25 years between the adaptations, the characters and storylines were given a refresh. Gerwig and Armstrong tell the story of the March sisters in very individual ways, and Gerwig even chooses to “reshuffle” the story rather than keeping things chronological. The focus of this analysis will be on plot structure and character development, as well as the arc of Jo March, the leading sister.