This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at UCF chapter.

You probably know the story of Louisa May Alcott’s beloved novel, Little Women, like the back of your hand. You’ve probably also seen the film version with Winona Ryder and a young Kirsten Dunst, whichever comes first for you. Another exciting adaptation of this timeless classic is coming out December 25 by the amazing, talented, Greta Gerwig. It stars Saoirse Ronan (Ladybird), Timothée Chalamet (Call Me By Your Name), Emma Watson (Harry Potter… duh) and Meryl Streep (the greatest actress of all time… in my opinion). Even though the trailer came out months ago, and I’ve watched it more times than I can count, here are five reasons why I’m excited for Little Women to come out.

Jo March is my spirit animal.

One of my favorite things about this story is the character of Jo March. She’s completely fearless in anything she sets her mind to. Whether that’s her writing, refusing to marry Laurie, being her own self in a society that takes your destiny away from you — Jo was definitely ahead of her time. Since writing is my passion, and I hope to be a published author someday, I look up to Jo as an inspiration to keep going, keep pushing against all odds because you never know where it may take you. Also, Saoirse Ronan, who plays Jo in the new film, is superb in anything so I’m just excited to see how she’s going to bring this character to life.

Timothée Chalamet. That’s it. That’s the reason.

If you’ve ever had a conversation with me, I’ve probably dropped Timothée Chalamet’s name a few times. I like to sprinkle it whenever necessary. In this adaption, Chalamet plays Laurie Lawrence, who takes masculinity and throws away the toxicity of it. Out of the many times I’ve seen the trailer, I’m enamored by how he takes this character and makes it into his own. In the sneak peek where Jo says “no” to Laurie’s proposal, my heart broke to see Chalamet’s face completely sink when Jo (Saoirse Ronan) yells, “it would be a disaster if we got married.” If my heart sank in this snippet of a scene, in the trailer, imagine how I’m going to leave the theater once I see the film.

Did I mention Meryl Streep?

Florals. For Spring? Groundbreaking.

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Meryl Streep being amazing again? In a film? Groundbreaking.

Do I really need to say anything else? Okay, I will. Meryl Streep plays Aunt March, the stern woman who takes rules as serious as anyone in the Civil War era. Although it won’t come as a surprise that Meryl Streep is going to be amazing in this film, I’m excited to see her portrayal of this character that doesn’t necessarily butter my croissant, if you know what I mean. Just like Jo March, I would try to go against her every rule, too.

The blazing force that is Emma Watson.

Emma Watson has been a staple in my life ever since I saw her in the Harry Potter films. She was someone I looked up to whenever I wanted to shave off my frizzy, curly hair because I just couldn’t take it anymore. She was someone I admired when I realized that yes, I am a nerd. A huge nerd, and that’s okay. So it came to no surprise that she would be in this film, let alone play the character who’s dreams are more traditional than the rest. Emma Watson plays Meg March, who declares in the film that just because she wants to get married and have kids, shouldn’t mean that her dreams are unimportant. That’s one of the underlying lessons of the film. Well, one of the underlying feminist lessons of the film and I’m so excited to see Emma Watson act in this film.

I’m a sucker for period dramas

Let’s face it. Period dramas are the sweet spot of film genres and I can’t get enough of them. The costumes, the language, everything. I’ve seen more period dramas than I’d like to admit and Little Women is one that I’ve been most excited for since it was announced. I can’t wait to see how everything is going to play out and how Greta Gerwig’s interpretation of this story is going to be different than the others that have come out.

So, there you have it. My five reasons as to why I’m excited for Little Women to finally come out in theaters. Jo March, Timothée Chalamet, Meryl Streep, Emma Watson and period dramas, what more could you want? It’s going to be an exciting Christmas this year for sure and I’m fully prepared to sit in the dark-lit theater, have my bowl of popcorn in front of me and take it all in. I hope you do, too.

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5 Reasons Why I’m Excited for ‘Little Women’

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