Louisa May Alcott – 18 Cinema Lane

When I reviewed Ainsley McGregor Mysteries: A Case for the Winemaker two months ago, I knew that article would receive views. But I had no idea how popular it would become. As of mid-December, 2024, my review of Ainsley McGregor Mysteries: A Case for the Winemaker garnered over a thousand views! To capitalize on my readers’ interest in Great American Family films, I chose to write about one of the network’s Christmas pictures. From the “word of mouth” I’ve been hearing about 2024’s various made-for-TV Christmas movies, A Little Women’s Christmas has gathered the most praise. So, I wanted to see for myself if the film was worth the hype. Based on the few movies from Great American Family I’ve seen, their pictures have been either ok or decent. The only exception has been The Abigail Mysteries, which was one of the worst films I saw last year. Where does A Little Women’s Christmas fall among this spectrum? Read my review to find out!

*A Little Women’s Christmas* poster created by Great American Family, True Brand Entertainment, Third Coast Film, Rebel Rocket Entertainment, and Empress of Soul Productions

Things I liked about the film:

The camaraderie between the March sisters: If a film’s creative team wants to tell a story involving a group of siblings, there needs to be strong camaraderie between those characters. The strength of the camaraderie depends on the strength of the acting performances. This is exactly what happened among the March sisters in A Little Women’s Christmas! When Jillian Murray, Jen Lilley, Julia Reilly, and Laura Osnes came together, the relationship between their characters felt believable. Whether the moment was heart-warming or heart-breaking, the March sisters had each other’s support and worked together when it mattered the most. These actresses allowed each character’s personality to shine through. Nurturing Meg, bubbly Amy, ambitious Jo, and kind Beth complimented one another, bringing out the best in each sister. With the combination of Jillian’s, Jen’s, Julia’s, and Laura’s acting abilities, the creative team behind A Little Women’s Christmas understood the assignment and recognized what makes Louisa’s source material so special!

The on-screen chemistry: Over the course of A Little Women’s Christmas, Jo gets to know a fellow writer from her publishing firm. This fellow writer is Fritz, portrayed by Trevor Donovan. During their interactions, Fritz is not only observant, but also has a drier sense of humor. As I mentioned earlier in this review, Jo is ambitious. However, she also tells things like it is. The combination of Fritz and Jo’s personalities created nice on-screen chemistry between Trevor and Jillian! The more time Jo and Fritz spent together, the more I felt they got along well with each other. The March sisters’ parents, Margaret and Robert, only appeared in one scene, through a video sent to the family. Despite this very brief appearance, I could sense the on-screen chemistry between Candace Kirkpatrick and James Arnold Taylor! In that one scene, the marriage between these characters felt believable. I, honestly, wish Robert and Margaret shared more scenes together!

The Little Women related Easter Eggs: IMDB claims A Little Women’s Christmas is “a contemporary retelling of Louisa May Alcott’s 1868 classic”. With this in mind, the movie’s creative team found clever ways to place Easter Eggs throughout their production! The town the March family is from is named Alcott Grove. Observant viewers and fans of the novel will point out how the town shares the last name of Little Women’s author. While Jo and Fritz pay a visit to The Mercantile Café, Jo introduces Fritz to Louisa May, the owner of the eatery. Louisa May of Alcott Grove happens to share the name of Louisa May Alcott. It was fun finding these Easter Eggs throughout the movie! The creative team’s respect for Louisa’s story was symbolized in the Easter Eggs.

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What I didn’t like about the film:

The underutilization of DJ Bob: Throughout the movie, a man named DJ Bob makes Christmas related announcements from his studio at W.A.G. Radio. While exploring the town of Alcott Grove, Jo explains to Fritz how DJ Bob has become a beloved member of the community since he came to town in his red convertible one day. But other than what I just mentioned, DJ Bob has a very minimal role in the story. Personally, I think this was a missed opportunity, as DJ Bob could have been the glue that kept this script together. Besides being a radio host, DJ Bob could have been the character other characters turn to for advice. He also could have become “Mr. Fix It”, where he helps people solve their problems.

The “it’s not what you think” cliché: Before he leaves for Alcott Grove, Fritz is instructed by Jo’s editor-in-chief, Susanna, to mentor Jo as she works on a new novel. Even though Susanna encourages Fritz to be honest with Jo about the reason for his trip, he’s concerned about pressuring Jo to the point of ruining her creative spark. As soon as this conflict was set up in A Little Women’s Christmas, it was a matter of waiting for the inevitable to happen. The conflict expectedly led to the “it’s not what you think” cliché, causing Jo to assume the worst about Fritz. While I recognize the need for a conflict in Jo’s story, that conflict paired with the aforementioned cliché made this part of the movie more predictable. It also doesn’t help how Jo developed romantic feelings for Fritz within a matter of days, becoming upset because she gave her heart to a man she barely knew.

A confusing ending: For this part of my review, I will spoil A Little Women’s Christmas. If you haven’t seen this movie and are planning on watching it, please skip ahead to the part of my review titled “My overall impression”.

In A Little Women’s Christmas, Jo aspires to write her first young adult novel. But during her return to Alcott Grove, she’s constantly searching for inspiration. Using Fritz’s advice, Jo eventually chooses to base her story on her relationship with her sisters, reflecting on their lives together. One of the last scenes in the movie shows Jo writing the first chapter of her novel, which she titles Little Women. With a title like A Little Women’s Christmas, along with the Little Women related Easter Eggs, I assumed the film’s creative team acknowledged Louisa May Alcott’s story existed in the world of Alcott Grove. But with Jo naming her book, Little Women, I was left confused, wondering if the world of A Little Women’s Christmas was meant to be an alternate universe where Louisa and her story never existed?

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My overall impression:

Out of Great American Family’s movies I’ve seen, most of their productions have been ok or decent. A Little Women’s Christmas falls in the latter category. The 2024 picture was fine, wholesome, and pleasant. It was nice to see the creative team behind A Little Women’s Christmas show respect for the source material. From the camaraderie between the March sisters to the Little Women related Easter Eggs, fans of Louisa May Alcott’s story will find enjoyment in this film! Though there were aspects of the movie I liked, A Little Women’s Christmas did have its flaws. The inclusion of the “it’s not what you think” cliché contributed to part of the story being predictable. I also found the film’s ending confusing. But as I said before, this Great American Family production was fine as well as pleasant. If you’re interested in watching Christmas offerings from this network, I would recommend A Little Women’s Christmas!

Overall score: 7-7.1 out of 10

Have you seen A Little Women’s Christmas? Are there any Great American Family films you’d like me to check out? Tell me in the comment section!

Have fun at the movies!

Sally Silverscreen

Last June, I published a list of the top ten movies I’d love to review someday. Since publishing that list, I have written about some of the films I talked about! Now that it is “Christmas in July”, it seemed like the perfect time to write about the top ten Christmas movies I’d love to review in the future! The films on my list were distributed through various studios and movie companies, varying in accessibility. But this time, I’ll be listing the movies based on the year they were released. While there are plenty of Hallmark productions I either have never seen or haven’t seen in years, I tried not to include too many Hallmark titles on this list. That’s because I could create a top ten list entirely comprised of Hallmark films. So, while Santa is checking which films are worthy of his nice list, let’s look at the top ten Christmas movies I’d love to review!

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10. Holiday Inn (1942)

There are few very Christmas movies I’ve been recommended by my readers. 1942’s Holiday Inn is one of those films. I will admit I have heard of this movie over the years, but never checked it out. Now that I think of it, I’ve reviewed only a handful of Christmas movie musicals. Holiday Inn would definitely make up for that. Plus, it would give me an excuse to seek out more of Fred Astaire’s projects from his filmography. There is a part of the story that takes place during Thanksgiving, from what I’ve heard. So, I might review Holiday Inn around Thanksgiving!

9. Emmet Otter’s Jug-Band Christmas (1977)

I brought up Emmet Otter’s Jug-Band Christmas in a past Word on the Street story. But while creating this list, I realized how I still haven’t seen this movie. I have written about some animated films on my blog. However, few of those films were animated through puppetry. This would make the 1977 film a more unique picture to write about. Back in January, I saw and reviewed The Great Muppet Caper, a film I genuinely enjoyed. Since Emmet Otter’s Jug-Band Christmas is a Jim Henson production, it makes me wonder if I’ll like this movie as much as The Great Muppet Caper?

8. Bush Christmas (1983) and Miracle Down Under (1987)

I stumbled upon Miracle Down Under (also known as Bushfire Moon or The Christmas Visitor) while searching for movies to review. When looking for more information on the 1987 film, I discovered the 1983 movie, Bush Christmas. Thinking about the Christmas productions I’ve seen, I tend to think of these stories taking place somewhere in the United States. If a Christmas film is set outside the United States, the location is typically Canada or Europe. Australia is a country rarely included in the Christmas movie landscape. Therefore, Miracle Down Under and Bush Christmas offers a yuletide perspective that is unique from other Christmas titles! This shared connection makes these movies perfect choices for a double feature!

7. Mrs. Santa Claus (1996)

As I was writing this list, I remembered how I’ve seen few of Angela Lansbury’s live-action projects from her filmography. Yes, I’ve seen my fair share of Murder, She Wrote episodes. But I’m talking about Angela’s live-action films. I have come across the poster for Mrs. Santa Claus on multiple occasions. Yet, I have never seen this movie. Because of this, I didn’t know that a) the 1996 film is a musical and b) it is a historical fiction story. When I talked about Holiday Inn, I mentioned reviewing only a handful of Christmas movie musicals on my blog. Not only would Mrs. Santa Claus make up for that, but it would also give me an opportunity to talk about a movie that seems underrated in the world of Christmas cinema.

6. Little Men (1998)

For years, I knew there was a continuation to Louisa May Alcott’s classic story, Little Women. I also knew this continuation was given a film adaptation. But the aforementioned continuation, Little Men, is one I haven’t seen or read. With that said, I was unaware the 1998 movie was a Christmas production. While creating my list, I noticed how a lot of the movies were made-for-TV or straight-to-video/streaming presentations. As Little Men was theatrically released, I thought it would add some variety to my list. Maybe I’ll write a double feature review for Little Men and Little Women. Question is, which version of Louisa’s story would pair well with the 1998 movie?

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5. Three Days (2001)

Three Days is similar to the 1999 film, If You Believe; these are Christmas movies that don’t rely on the tropes and cliches found in typical Christmas projects. In the 2001 story, a workaholic man is taking his life and wife for granted. After his wife dies, the man is given a second chance to re-live the previous three days of his life, in order to save his wife and turn his life around. I haven’t seen this movie in years, but I do remember liking it. As of the publication of this list, though, the only place Three Days is available is through the streaming service, Disney+. I hope Freeform (formerly known as ABC Family) airs this film again during their annual ‘25 Days of Christmas’ line-up. That way, I could talk about a film that is, in my opinion, one of the most underrated in Christmas movie history.

4. The Night Before The Night Before Christmas (2010)

The Night Before The Night Before Christmas is one of the first movies I was ever recommended by one of my readers. Since then, I have been trying to find the perfect opportunity to review the film. But as far as I know, the 2010 presentation isn’t airing on any of Hallmark’s networks during their ‘Christmas in July’ line-ups. So, I hope the film airs sometime during the Christmas season. I have found DVD copies of The Night Before The Night Before Christmas. Therefore, if Hallmark doesn’t air the movie again, I still have a chance to write about this production.

3. An Old Fashioned Christmas (2010)

I included this movie in my list of the top ten movies I’d love to review. In that list, I mentioned how I have come across a few DVD copies of An Old Fashioned Christmas. But these DVDs were included in Christmas movie box sets, which tend to be expensive. While this statement is still true, the movie has been uploaded on Youtube, as of mid-July, 2023. Now I might be able to review the film sooner than I expected! Similar to The Night Before The Night Before Christmas, An Old Fashioned Christmas isn’t airing during Hallmark’s ‘Christmas in July’ line-ups. So, I hope the 2010 movie makes an appearance during this year’s Christmas season.

2. Christmas with Tucker (2013)

Christmas with Tucker is a prequel to the 2009 Hallmark Hall of Fame movie, A Dog Named Christmas. I have seen the latter film, which I remember liking. However, it’s been several years since I’ve seen the Hallmark Hall of Fame presentation. Since I also haven’t seen Christmas with Tucker, I don’t know how the 2013 movie and the 2009 movie connect with each other. I might review these films in a future double feature in order to solve that mystery.

1. An American Girl Story: Maryellen 1955 – Extraordinary Christmas (2016)

Years ago, I wrote an editorial about how Jiggy Nye was not an effective villain in Felicity: An American Girl Adventure. Since publishing that editorial, I have not reviewed any of American Girl’s films. I did see some of their films, but An American Girl Story: Maryellen 1955 – Extraordinary Christmas was not one of them. When this film was released, it was only available on Amazon Prime. But American Girl’s Amazon Prime exclusive movies, including An American Girl Story: Maryellen 1955 – Extraordinary Christmas, were recently removed from the streaming service for reasons unknown. For the time being, this film is considered “lost media”. But I hope it either is re-released on DVD or available on another streaming service.