Little Women 2025
By Kit Macdonald
George Cukor's brilliant 1933 film is the first adaptation of the much-loved 1868 novel of the same name by Louisa May Alcott. Katahrine Hepburn stars as Jo March, one of four sisters, the others being Meg, Beth and Amy. Set during the American Civil War, the movie follows the four sisters as they grow from adolescence into adulthood under the care of their strong, principled mother, Marmee.
The film's core themes and messages – family solidarity, resilience and moral growth – resonated exquisitely with the national mood of a United States that was in the grip of the Great Depression when Little Women came out. Several other adaptations of the book followed, but Cukor's – with its Oscar-winning screenplay, vivid cinematography and set design, awe-inspiring ensemble cast and deep charm and emotional richness – surely remains the best.