The J.N. Andrews Honors Program’s most recent event was the Honors movie night. This school year, the Honors Program hosted a screening of Greta Gerwig’s 2019 film adaptation of “Little Women.” The event was held in Buller 251 at 6 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 16. Pizza, mandarins, popcorn-themed snacks and hot drinks were provided. After a quick worship thought, the movie began. Around 30 people attended.
Gerwig’s adaptation of Louisa May Alcott’s novel “Little Women” centers around the lives of the four March sisters—Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy—their friend Laurie, their mother and other characters. As the story unfolds, every character faces various challenges during the years of the Civil War, including struggles with one another, love, loyalty and hardship. It is a moving film full of childhood nostalgia, the beauty of family and the strength and perseverance residing in every woman’s heart.
Afterward, a discussion ensued that covered various aspects of the movie. One of the first conversations centered around the message Gerwig communicated through her film. It was mentioned that one of Gerwig’s messages was that one can be a feminist while still experiencing elements of stereotypical girlhood, such as having crushes on boys. Another idea that Gerwig communicated was the importance of sister relationships and how sisterhood can continue through adulthood.
Another aspect that was discussed was that the closing scenes portrayed the various roles women have, going beyond motherhood and wifehood. The film was seen as indicating that the sisters have a wide range of ideas regarding womanhood. Every sister represents a different kind of woman, but each is a valid possibility of womanhood. However, an attendee brought up the lack of intersectionality as a flaw in Gerwig’s film.
Gerwig’s film also highlights the multiple facets of women—they are more than pretty ornaments and sweet housewives. They have talents and personalities just as much as men do. This is especially visible in Jo’s attic speech to her mother, in which she says that “women have minds and souls … and talents … I am tired of people seeing women as only capable of love.”
In considering the two other films Gerwig directed, “Barbie” and “Lady Bird,” the attendees also noticed that while women were sometimes portrayed in opposition to one another, they were more often viewed as comrades and friends. Her films tend to have themes of growing up and accepting the next phase of life. They also focus on the importance of familial relationships.
The movie night, with its discussion and camaraderie as the group laughed and sighed together at various parts of the film, created a fun and intellectual atmosphere. The discussion at the end especially contributed to the atmosphere, with lots of new insights into the message of this childhood favorite. The next time you have the opportunity to attend an Honors movie night, I recommend that you take the time to sit in and learn something wonderful while watching a good film!
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