I loved this movie so much when I first saw it - I was seriously crying when it wasn't released on video! Thank goodness it's still shown on TV every now and then. This was just a great movie. The story is so sweet (although yes, a little corny). It made me laugh and cry and even worry about how it was all going to end. All of the actors are wonderful. Cari Shayne must be exactly what Louisa May Alcott envisioned, as she is perfect in the role of Edith. Meredith Baxter is lovely, and I was really impressed by an actress named Brigitta Dau, who played Amy - I hope to see more of her in the future. Adorable Tom Conti and gorgeous Thomas Gibson are terrific in their parts - simply perfect casting all around.
As to the story itself - I've read the book, and I have to say the movie is ten times better. The book is awful. If you think the movie is corny, don't TOUCH the book! Yes it's Louisa May Alcott, but honestly, any teenage girl could write a book like that. It's so boring and cheesy, and the over-romanticized plot goes beyond sweet to out-and-out creepy. The movie wisely does not follow the book exactly. It keeps the same theme and story, but instead of all the one-dimensional characters reciting corny lines, they are drawn out more and sound more like real people. And, if sometimes they do seem a little flat (specifically Ida and Edith) just think about what they had to work with. A wonderful adaptation of a not-so-wonderful book.
