But despite the challenges faced with turning this book into a major motion picture, Winona Ryder helped immensely to turn it into a generation-spanning success for a wide array of audiences.
It’s no wonder the performance got Ryder her second Oscar nomination for the second year in a row.
As Josephine “Jo” March, the March sister who has aspirations of grandeur to become an author, a young Winona Ryder captures the wit and warmth of the character in equal measure, embodying the liveliness and sincerity that made the character come to life on the page.
But whether it’s good or not-very-good, at least we have the comfort of knowing this ’90s adaptation is nearby.