In the midst of a hectic exam week, finding the time to sit down and watch a movie so I could review it was nothing more than a task on my lengthy to-do list. As I settled onto my couch to watch the newest adaptation of Little Women, I had a million other more important thoughts racing around in my brain. However a mere fifteen minutes into the movie, all my stress had been forgotten.

The timeless story follows the four March sisters as they walk through the early parts of their lives together and learn to cope with change, grief, and other unavoidable aspects of life. However, this version was a bit different from its predecessors as it jumped back and forth between two timelines until the first caught up with the second. It was also unusual as it was set in the present day, rather than the 1860s.

Nonetheless, Little Women maintained the same charming and heartwarming, yet tragic, storyline. It was beautiful on its own, not requiring any prior knowledge of the classic to fully understand and appreciate it. The movie was chock full of valuable life lessons; however, it was not to the point of being cheesy or annoying. It was simply a captivating story of life, love, and loss.

The March sisters always have been and always will be incredibly engaging and lovable characters. They are intensely relatable as they each have many flaws but learn to grow from them over the course of the movie. Their allure was only enhanced by the talented actors cast to play them.

Sarah Davenport, who played Jo, perfected the scenes in which Jo’s fiery temper took over and captured the character’s essence in every movement and spoken line. Elise Jones (Amy) accurately communicated the young and impressionable spirit of her character that makes her simultaneously aggravating and adorable. Melanie Stone’s subtle facial expressions conveyed Meg’s emotions and desires without even needing to say a word, yet each of her lines was also laced with simple emotion.

However, Allie Jennings’s depiction of Beth was the most stunning and accurate of all the sisters. Her flawless portrayal caused already devastating scenes to be that much more heart-wrenching. Her wide-eyed expressions and voice filled with wonder stole the show. She was completely impossible to not love.

Aside from the acting, the entire movie was poetic and eye-catching. The sets and scenery were so aesthetically pleasing that each shot could have been on a poster. Fairy lights and tapestries decorated the March house complementing its coziness. Furthermore, the script was full of thoughtful and memorable quotes that made me pause to think about them.

Every piece of the movie came together to create an exquisite masterpiece. I was brought to tears on many different occasions, yet found myself smiling uncontrollably the next second. The love stories mingled in were enthralling but didn’t take from the overall theme of family and sisterhood.

My only complaint would be that the 24-hour rental period doesn’t leave me much time to watch the movie again.