A beautiful, touching adaption of a classic

Little Women has been in my collection ever since it was released on DVD. It is a timeless tale of the March family, brought closer together by their father off fighting in the Civil War. Jo, Beth, Amy and Meg are unusual for their time: they are liberal. Jo is a writer and an amateur actress and would "kill to go to Harvard." Amy is an artist who later studies in Europe. Meg stays close to home, as does Beth, the angelic, sickly saint, always concerned with the welfare of the poor and disadvantaged, thinking of others first and herself last.

The movie is loaded with star power, including a young Kirsten Dunst fresh from Interview with the Vampire, Winona Ryder, Claire Danes, Christian Bale, Gabriel Byrne and Susan Sarandon.

The cinematography is beautiful in Little Women, although only a few scenes were shot in Massachusetts, the majority of the film actually being shot in British Colombia. The costumes, habits of the time (corsets, sleeping with rags in the hair to keep curls in, baked potatoes as pocket warmers) and houses take us back to a distant time when life was simpler in some ways. The story of the "little women" is a timeless classic that teaches love, tolerance, and the importance of following dreams.

The DVD comes packed with a making-of documentary, commentary by director Gillian Armstrong, deleted scenes with director's commentary, isolated music score (the soundtrack to Little Women is simply gorgeous and worthy of many listens), a costume and production design gallery, two trivia games and a historical timeline. It is the ultimate DVD packaging of one of my favourite novels from childhood (next to Anne of Green Gables of course).