As a fan of director Gillian Armstrong’s 1994 Little Women, I wasn’t sure what to expect with the new BBC Little Women that came out on Masterpiece this year. Here’s my honest review of the new series, plus how it compares to Louisa May Alcott’s original novel. Is it even possible to top the 1994 adaptation of Little Women? That was… Keep Reading

Everyone loves the 2004 BBC North and South, but it fails Gaskell’s original novel. Here’s why fans need a new definitive version. Fifteen years ago Elizabeth Gaskell’s 1885 novel North and South may have been one of the best-kept secrets of Victorian literature. But when the BBC miniseries adaptation burst onto the screen in 2004, that pretty much changed forever. The… Keep Reading

All good stories contain symbolism. Disney’s Beauty and the Beast is full of vanitas symbols that add a new depth of meaning to a tale as old as time. Since watching Disney’s gorgeous live-action adaptation of Beauty and the Beast, I’ve been musing about the use of symbols in story. Because Beauty and the Beast has some gems. Symbolism adds depth… Keep Reading