BEFORE: The scene shifts to America tonight, but the theme remains sort of the same - young women growing up and finding their place in society. Also, Gabriel Byrne carries over, which was unplanned but certainly welcomed.
THE PLOT: The March sisters live and grow in post-Civil War America.
AFTER: There's actually a lot in common with "Vanity Fair", so good planning on my part, or at least good luck. The main characters here are not rich, but they're not really poor either, just getting by in a (post-)war economy. And as they mature we see their first social engagements and dalliances with the opposite sex, so there are bound to be a few missteps. And of course there are life's little joys and tragedies that occur along the way.
But where "Vanity Fair" seemed to take something of a mad delight in tearing couples apart, or letting confusion cast doubt onto the validity of relationships, this story seems more interested in getting the right couples together - eventually. A family friend could feel particularly close to one of the March girls, but perhaps she doesn't feel the same way about him, or perhaps the timing's not right. Not to worry, there will be other chances, or at least other sisters.
Set at a very particular time in U.S. history, at the cusp of feminism, when women were perhaps first thought of as equals, although still not allowed to vote or own land. (Some "new World" indeed.) One sister finds success as a writer, but only by publishing under a man's name. And women were still presented to society as debutantes, but here also portrayed as having choices about whom to marry (although apparently not "whether" to marry).
I never read this book - come to think of it, I haven't read most of the books featured so far in this year's literary chain, except for "The Three Musketeers" and "Mutiny on the Bounty". So I'm really playing catch-up in more ways than one, and probably saving time as well, because each book would probably require more of my time than a two-hour film does.
Starring Winona Ryder (last seen in "The Crucible"), Susan Sarandon (last seen in "The Front Page"), Christian Bale (last seen in "Reign of Fire"), Trini Alvarado, Claire Danes (last seen in the 1998 "Les Miserables"), Kirsten Dunst (last seen in "Marie Antoinette"), Samantha Mathis (last seen in "Broken Arrow"), Eric Stoltz (last seen in "Memphis Belle"), Mary Wickes, with a cameo from John Neville (last seen in "The Fifth Element").
RATING: 5 out of 10 cups of punch
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