A Little Women’s Christmas

Story

In this Christmas-themed, faith-based reimagining of Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women, Jo March (Jillian Murray) is a successful children’s author struggling to branch into young adult fiction. When her first YA manuscript is rejected by her publisher, she is given just 2 weeks to come up with a new idea. Jo decides to spend Christmas in her hometown, in the hope that spending time with her beloved sisters, Meg (Jen Lilley), Beth (Laura Osnes) and Amy (Julia Reilly), will help her find inspiration.

Jo doesn’t know that her publisher has sent editor Fritz (Trevor Donovan) to keep an eye on her progress. When Fritz runs into Jo unexpectedly at a coffee shop, he panics and doesn’t tell her he has been sent to keep her on track.

As Jo searches for ideas, she finds herself inspired by the love she shares with her sisters and the faith that anchors her family and community. When an unexpected romance blossoms with Fritz and his dishonesty is revealed, Jo must rely on the support of her sisters to heal her broken heart and decide whether she can trust him again.

Themes

Religion and faith; military families; Christmas

Violence

There’s no violence in A Little Women’s Christmas.

Sexual references

A Little Women’s Christmas has some sexual references. For example:

A character proposes to Amy, and they kiss.
Jo and Fritz kiss once on the check and then kiss on the lips several times.
Jo, Meg, Beth and Amy often giggle and gossip about men.

Alcohol, drugs and other substances

There’s no use of substances in A Little Women’s Christmas.

Nudity and sexual activity

A Little Women’s Christmas has some nudity and sexual activity. For example, Meg and her husband kiss passionately when they’re reunited.

Product placement

The following products are displayed or used in A Little Women’s Christmas:

Religious imagery, including crosses and nativity scenes, is featured throughout. Characters quote the Bible several times.
Characters drive a Tesla.
Apple products feature heavily. Specifically, MacBooks are often placed in the centre of a scene, and characters are shown in close up, speaking on iPhones and using iPads.
The church band uses a TAMA drum kit.

Coarse language

A Little Women’s Christmas has some very mild name-calling and insults, including ‘idiot’.

Ideas to discuss with your children

A Little Women’s Christmas is a romantic and religious Christmas movie that emphasises family connection. If you’re willing to overlook some cheesy dialogue and production that feels unpolished and disjointed at times, there’s a charming holiday story at the movie’s heart.

A Little Women's Christmas has no significant violent or scary scenes, but it isn’t suitable for children aged under 5 years because it will lack interest for them. We recommend parental guidance for children aged 5-8 years because of the movie’s mild themes and a possible lack of interest.

These are the main messages from A Little Women’s Christmas:

Family is the greatest gift of all.
Nothing can keep you from what you want to do.

Values in A Little Women’s Christmas that you could reinforce with your children include family, sibling connection, community support, love, charity and perseverance.

A Little Women’s Christmas could also give you the chance to talk with your children about real-life issues and questions like these:

A character has low self-worth because he feels that his girlfriend is better than him. Are there are other ways he could feel good about himself?
Several characters are dishonest and lie to their loved ones out of shame or embarrassment. Although there are no negative consequences in the movie, this isn’t always the case in real life. You could talk about the consequences of lying.
Several characters are either veterans or serving in the US military, and this is presented in a slightly glorified way. It’s worth being aware of the movie’s subtle American patriotism.
The conflict between the US and the ‘Middle East’ is brought up several times. You could talk about how this is now considered outdated language and discuss respectful alternatives.