Set against the backdrop of a country divided, the story follows the four March sisters on their journey from childhood to adulthood while their father is away at war.<\/p>\n Under the guidance of their mother Marmee<\/strong>, the girls navigate what it means to be a young woman: from gender roles to sibling rivalry<\/strong>, first love, loss and marriage<\/strong>. Accompanied by the charming boy next door Laurie Laurence, their cantankerous wealthy Aunt March<\/strong> and benevolent neighbor Mr. Laurence,\u00a0Little Women\u00a0<\/em>is a coming-of-age story that is as relevant and engaging today as it was on its original publication in 1868.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cMASTERPIECE: LITTLE WOMEN<\/em><\/strong>\u201d will be available on DVD and Blu-ray\u00a0May 22, 2018<\/strong>. The run time of the program is approximately\u00a0180 minutes<\/strong>.\u00a0The program will also be available for digital download.<\/p>\n \u201cLittle Women\u00a0<\/em>is one of the most-loved novels in the English language, and with good reason,\u201d says writer and executive producer Heidi Thomas. \u201cIts humanity, humor, and tenderness never date, and as a study of love, grief, and growing up it has no equal. There could be no better time to revisit the story of a family striving for happiness in an uncertain world.\u201d<\/p>\n Heading the cast are Academy Award\u00ae nominee Emily Watson<\/strong> (The Theory of Everything<\/em>,\u00a0Hilary and Jackie<\/em>) as Marmee, the devoted mother of the four adolescent March girls; Michael Gambon<\/strong> (Churchill’s Secret<\/em>,\u00a0Page Eight<\/em>) as Mr. Laurence; and Academy Award\u00ae winner Angela Lansbury<\/strong> (Murder, She Wrote<\/em>,\u00a0The Manchurian Candidate<\/em>) as the March family matriarch, Aunt March.<\/p>\n Click\u00a0<\/em>Here<\/em><\/a>\u00a0to View a Preview of the Program\u00a0<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n The March sisters\u2014the \u201clittle women\u201d of the title\u2014feature newcomer Maya Hawke as the willful and adventurous Jo; Willa Fitzgerald (Scream: The TV Series<\/em>) as the eldest and most virtuous, Meg; Annes Elwy (King Arthur: Excalibur Rising<\/em>) as the shy sister, Beth; and Kathryn Newton (Big Little Lies<\/em>) as Amy, the youngest of the family.<\/p>\n Also appearing are Jonah Hauer-King<\/strong> (Howards End<\/em>) as Laurie, the loveable boy next door; Dylan Baker<\/strong> (The Good Wife<\/em>) as Mr. March, who is serving as a chaplain with the Union Army; Julian Morris (Mark Felt<\/em>) as John Brooke, Laurie\u2019s cultured and handsome tutor; and Mark Stanley (Star Wars: The Force Awakens<\/em>) as the charming Professor Bhaer.<\/p>\n A celebration of family as much as it is a recognition of the challenges of growing up and forging an individual identity<\/strong>, the program\u00a0<\/em>remains relevant due to the universal themes at its core. Backed by a nearly all-female creative team, Thomas\u2019 adaptation doesn\u2019t shy away from tackling the darker, more complex emotions the March family experiences.<\/strong> Drawing from a novel that was well ahead of its time the show\u00a0<\/em>speaks to current issues as much as it does to the issues women faced at the turn of the 20th century.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n Devotees of the original novel will relish the book\u2019s indelible scenes in this MASTERPIECE production: the cruel fate of Jo\u2019s manuscript, Amy\u2019s accident on the ice, Meg\u2019s first ball, Beth and the forbidden piano, the pickled limes affair<\/strong>, and many other cherished episodes in a journey to a bygone time.<\/p>\n Although modern society would be disorienting in the extreme to the March sisters, Thomas notes that even today \u201cgirls are still confused about their desires and their desirability<\/strong>, and the passage from innocence to experience is more turbulent than ever.\u201d\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cWe need hope, and we need empathy,\u201d<\/strong> she adds. \u201cWe need laughter, and we need catharsis<\/strong>, we need joy and inspiration.\u00a0LITTLE WOMEN<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0<\/em>gives us all of these things.\u201d<\/p>\n PBS Distribution<\/strong> is sponsoring a giveaway on Mommy Ramblings! 5 Lucky Blog Readers will each win their own Masterpiece: Little Women<\/em><\/strong> DVD<\/strong><\/a>! Thank you to PBS Distribution for the review copy and for sponsoring this amazing giveaway on Mommy Ramblings! Open to US residents.<\/p>\n Masterpiece: Little Women<\/strong><\/em> DVD Giveaway for 5 Winners on Mommy Ramblings Rules:<\/strong><\/p>\n Enter for your chance to win using the Rafflecopter widget below. Good Luck!!!<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.mommyramblings.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/Little-Women.jpg?resize=499%2C499\")
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