In this 1994 adaptation of Louisa May Alcott's classic from director Gillian Armstrong (My Brilliant Career, The Last Days of Chez Nous), the March sisters confront growing pains, financial shortages, family tragedies and romantic rivalries in mid-19th-century Massachusetts. Jo (Ryder, in an Oscar-nominated performance) struggles for independence and sometimes clashes with her beloved mother (Sarandon) and her sisters Meg, Amy and Beth.