Little Women (1994) - Unrequited Love Scene (5/10) | Movieclips

Little Women - Unrequited Love: Laurie (Christian Bale) confesses his love to Jo (Winona Ryder), but receives an unexpected reaction.

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FILM DESCRIPTION:
In this 1994 adaptation of Louisa May Alcott's classic, the March sisters confront growing pains, financial shortages, family tragedies and romantic rivalries in mid-19th-century Massachusetts. Jo (Winona Ryder) struggles for independence and sometimes clashes with her beloved mother and her sisters Meg, Amy and Beth. She also contends with their cranky Aunt March, their impulsive neighbor Laurie (Christian Bale) and kindly linguistics professor Friedrich Bhaer (Gabriel Byrne).

CREDITS:
TM & © Sony (1994)
Cast: Christian Bale, Winona Ryder
Director: Gillian Armstrong
Screenwriter: Robin Swicord

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[angelinahope]

Personally, I like 1994 and 2019's interpretation of this scene: one involves whispers and one-sided caresses in the forest, and the other has yelling on a hillside. It's perfect 😂

[florist]

When Christian Bale claims that it's reasonable to marry him, you agree.

[XGoldenPhoenixX]

“Neither of us can keep our temper!” ”I can!! Unless provoked” hahaha

[nightflight]

Careful, Jo! This guy could be a psycho.

[simplysammy]

Christian Bale is just so good. So subtle and beautiful. The hurt and pain after the rejection is so well portrayed. He owns every character he plays. Leaving his own inimitable touch to it! So nuanced and subtle, as it should be.

[MatteaEmily]

can we talk about how they're just whispering in a forest

[viciousLUA]

Christian Bale is so dreamy here... the way he looks straight into her eyes while professing his love 💕

[sally-cinnamon]

"Dear jo, i swear i'll be a saint. I will let you win every argument"- idk but it's so sweet and the line tells about his unconditional love so well ❤️

[friendlyworm]

then marries her little sister like a freak

[aryannemcneff]

“you can’t even propose without quarreling”
the laugh is so pure yet bittersweet🥺

[jenhubbard]

The difference in script here between the 1994 proposal and the 2019 proposal is so interesting to me. In this, Laurie ends his speech with "And I'll be hanged if I stand by and watch" where as, in the 2019 version, it is the opposite: "And I will watch." I think the latter is more mature, more accurate, and more devastating than the former. In the 2019 version, he loves her so much that he is willing to put her needs first, he is willing to take the rejection, he is willing to watch her fall in love because he knows that's what she deserves. And he does all this because of how much he loves Jo. In this 1994 version, he comes across as petulant and bitter, which turns a complex relationship into a black and white transaction. It gives the viewer permission to let Laurie fall in love with Amy because you see he is too immature and boyish to love Jo. But in 2019, the audience knows he still loves Jo and our willingness to let him love Amy is much more begrudging, but so much more powerful because we all know the reality of loving more than one person in different ways. Anyway, thanks for reading my TED Talk about one (1) line in Little Women.

[FrankieTanner]

Christian Bale's confession at 1:01 is just breathtaking. I think it should be everyone's goal to have someone admit their feelings in this passionate, whispering manner!

[SK-fydl]

I also tried rationalizing Jo's marriage to Professor Bhaer, that he was her intellectual match who supported her writing. But then I read Louisa May Alcott's letter where she said she made Jo end up with Professor Bhaer to troll readers. Alcott wanted Jo to be single, but her publisher forced her to make Jo marry. Therefore, out of rebellion, Alcott made Jo marry a comical figure old enough to be her dad. The book would have been so much better if Jo never married.

[ziggystatdust]

"You won't have to write, unless yo want to" probably what sealed Jo's decision.

[parsley_]

Jo will always be “the one that got away.” Laurie is spellbound by her entire being. This is the epitome of unrequited love and it’s utterly heartbreaking. The acting in the 1994 film is superb.

[teejay]

😭 she's spouting all this stuff that she's not cultured or fancy enough for his tastes and he's just like 'I want YOU".

[Danusha_Goska]

Christian Bale is so good here. He wrings everything from this scene

[coffeetea]

huge shout out to Louisa May for showing us that a man and a woman can still love one another, have a meaningful connection yet remain best friends. Jo could see that she and Laurie would never work out depsite how much she loves him. And Laurie getting his heart broken was the thing he needed to grow up and be a man. He became a wonderful husband to Amy because he learnt how to finally love and Jo found the partner of her heart in Friedrich.

[avengerwidow]

this scene always breaks my heart bc the hurt and disappointment of laurie's face is so great. god how i wish they ended up together!!

[kaitlynlesso]

The way he says “I want you” just melts my heart!!! Christian Bale is an amazing actor!!!