Little Women (1994)
90%RT Audience Score: 84%
Awards & Nominations: Won 1 Oscar
78 wins & 231 nominations total
Thanks to a powerhouse lineup of talented actresses, Gillian Armstrong’s take on Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women proves that a timeless story can succeed no matter how many times it’s told.
Little Women is like a warm hug from your grandma, if your grandma was played by Winona Ryder and had a bunch of sisters. This movie has it all: heart, humor, and a cast that will make you want to call up your own siblings and tell them how much you love them. It’s a classic story that’s been retold time and time again, but this version stands out as a true gem. So grab some popcorn, gather your friends, and settle in for a cozy night with Little Women.
Production Company(ies)
Distributor
Columbia Pictures, Columbia Tristar
Release Type
Filming Location(s)
Concord, Massachusetts, USA
MPAA / Certificate
Rated PG for thematic elements and brief smoking.
Year of Release
1994
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Color:Color
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Sound mix:Dolby Atmos Dolby Digital
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Aspect ratio:1.85 : 1
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Runtime:1h 58m
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Language(s):English, French
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Country of origin:United States
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Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Dec 21, 1994 Original
Release Date (Streaming): Sep 5, 2000
Genre(s)
Drama
Keyword(s)
starring Winona Ryder, Gabriel Byrne, Trini Alvarado, Samantha Mathis, Kirsten Dunst, Claire Danes, directed by Gillian Armstrong, written by Robin Swicord, drama, box office performance, budget, reviewed by Kevin Jackson, David Ansen, Lisa Schwarzbaum, Todd McCarthy, Geoff Andrew, Nell Minow, Mal Vincent, Carson Timar, Allyson Johnson, Kristy Strouse, Shannon Campe, PG, Louisa May Alcott, March sisters, growing pains, financial shortages, family tragedies, romantic rivalries, mid-19th-century Massachusetts, independence, beloved mother, cranky Aunt March, impulsive neighbor Laurie, kindly linguistics professor Friedrich Bhaer, Denise Di Novi, Columbia Pictures, Columbia Tristar, Surround
Worldwide gross: $216,601,214
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $250,272,856
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 583
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 27,292,569
US/Canada gross: $108,101,214
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): $124,906,038
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 608
US/Canada opening weekend: $16,755,310
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): $19,359,999
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): 673
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): $40,000,000
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): $46,218,182
Production budget ranking: 849
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): $24,888,491
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): $179,166,184
ROI to date (est.): 252%
ROI ranking: 528
Gabriel Byrne – Friedrich Bhaer
Trini Alvarado – Meg March
Samantha Mathis – Older Amy March
Kirsten Dunst – Younger Amy March
Claire Danes – Beth March
Director(s)
Gillian Armstrong
Writer(s)
Robin Swicord
Producer(s)
Denise Di Novi
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
Won 1 Oscar
78 wins & 231 nominations total
Academy Awards
All Critics (42) | Top Critics (15) | Fresh (39) | Rotten (3)
By and large it’s immensely well done.
May 23, 2019
Kevin Jackson
Independent (UK)
TOP CRITIC
Alcott’s sense, sensibility and sentiment find new life in this handcrafted valentine.
February 21, 2018
David Ansen
Newsweek
TOP CRITIC
If you can’t get the man (or boy) in your life to budge, have a girls’ night out with Little Women, and leave ’em guessing at what you enjoyed so much.
September 7, 2011 | Rating: A
Lisa Schwarzbaum
Entertainment Weekly
TOP CRITIC
An outstanding version of Louisa May Alcott’s perennial, one that surpasses even the best previous rendition, George Cukor’s 1933 outing starring Katharine Hepburn.
May 27, 2008
Todd McCarthy
Variety
TOP CRITIC
Be prepared, however, for a large beaker of the milk of human kindness.
February 9, 2006
Geoff Andrew
Time Out
TOP CRITIC
Devoted and lovely retelling of the classic story.
August 7, 2003 | Rating: 4/5
Nell Minow
Movie Mom
TOP CRITIC
All the reasons that Louisa May Alcott’s book has survived for more than 125 years and remains a best seller are preserved in this film version.
March 1, 2022 | Rating: 3.5/4
Mal Vincent
The Virginian-Pilot
There is plenty to love in 1994s Little Women, and at worst the flaws hold it back from being a masterpiece, subjecting it to the title of being really good.
February 12, 2022
Carson Timar
Filmotomy
None [of the adaptations] have quite captured the spirit as well as the 1994 version starring Winona Ryder…
December 22, 2021
Allyson Johnson
Cambridge Day
The film has a star-studded cast that each bring their own sense of humanity and take on femininity to the role. Watching Little Women is sort of like coming home.
February 6, 2020
Kristy Strouse
In Their Own League
It’s a bittersweet reminder to cherish our time together.
January 18, 2020
Shannon Campe
The Spool
Despite the limitations placed by its literary source, the film possesses a real charm. [Full Review in Spanish]
November 19, 2019 | Rating: 3/5
Fotogramas Staff
Fotogramas…
Plot
In the years after the Civil War, Jo March (Saoirse Ronan) lives in New York City and makes her living as a writer, while her sister Amy March (Florence Pugh) studies painting in Paris. Amy has a chance encounter with Theodore “Laurie” Laurence (Timothée Chalamet), a childhood crush who proposed to Jo, but was ultimately rejected. Their oldest sibling, Meg March (Emma Watson), is married to a schoolteacher, while shy sister Beth (Eliza Scanlen) develops a devastating illness that brings the family back together.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
The cast of Little Women includes Winona Ryder, Gabriel Byrne, Kirsten Dunst, Claire Danes, and Susan Sarandon, among others.
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