I absolutely love the show Little Men! It is without a doubt one of my favorite shows of all time and has been since the first day I watched it. I fell in love with it and made sure to watch every episode; however, I made the mistake of not taping the episodes...one that I regret terribly now. I was extremely disappointed that the show was cancelled as it was such a good, family-oriented program. I miss it terribly and wish the reruns would air. You never had need to worry about what was going to happen in the next scene or whether or not you would approve of the content. It was good, wholesome family entertainment full of adventure, romance, and even a touch of humor. I personally love period pieces, including Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman, Road to Avonlea, & Little House on the Prairie, and I think this show does a fairly good job of portraying it. Perhaps the hairstyles are a little inaccurate for the 19th century, but I think it's a nice change and the actors all depict the time in a believable fashion.
I was thrilled to discover that the episodes were being released on DVD and immediately purchased them. I just wish they'd come out faster. I have seen all 8 of the episodes that are out so many times that I have the lines, blocking, gestures, and expressions memorized. The fact of the matter is that if you're looking for good family entertainment, this is one show that you will be sure to find it in.
I will readily admit that the show is drastically different from the Louisa May Alcott books, as well as the movie Little Women. Tomboyish Jo has now become gorgeous and very much a perfectionist...the latter definitely being an attribute that I can relate to---perhaps one of the reasons I love her character. Michelle Rene Thomas does an incredible job in my opinion of portraying Jo...making the emotion very realistic, not to mention the fact that she is stunning. She has quickly become one of my favorite actresses of all time. I personally like the character, Nick, portrayed by Spencer Rochfort; I think he does the personality justice and seems to fit right into the show...of course, there never was such a character in the novels, but I approve of the storyline. The kids are great actors as well and all do an amazing job of making such a story come to life. The facial expressions each actor has to offer are worth a thousand words; you can tell exactly what they are thinking and how they are feeling regardless if any words are actually coming out of their mouths.
And I can understand why the writers chose to make such drastic changes to the novels. They obviously wanted the show to possess a sense of individuality, and it does. By bringing in additional characters and making the children slightly older than in the books, I believe the meaning behind the show becomes so much deeper. It's full of values, morals, and lessons...all things that we can apply to our daily lives. There are so many different things that can be learned from this show in my opinion, such as the meaning of family and love, as well as the strength of integrity, courage, and faith. There is no question that Michelle Rene Thomas portrays a very strong and courageous woman, willing to fight and do anything to succeed and make her dreams a reality...something that each of us truly wants to achieve in a lifetime.
So overall, if you take anything out of this, know that this is one show that you can watch with your family and fully enjoy. It may not be the exact copy of the novel, but I like what the writers, producers, and directors have done with the storyline and characters. Each actor in this show has so much talent and brings to life such a great story, one that I love dearly and am sure that many others will. I love Little Men!
