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2 • May 13 - 19, 2018 • Brainerd Dispatch By K.A. Taylor TV Media A brief channel surf quickly re- veals that women on televi- sion are still all too often depicted as jealous, fighting frenemies. Of- ten generic and one-dimensional, these portrayals detrimentally serve to convince the world — and more importantly, young women — that to be feminine is to lack rationality and depth. Fortunately for anyone looking for a more uplifting depiction of young womanhood, PBS has teamed up with the BBC to bring to life a new miniseries adaptation of Louisa May Alcott's classic nov- el "Little Women." How fascinat- ing it is to consider that a series based on a 150-year-old novel could deliver a more honest and complex representation of wom- en's relationships than we see in so much modern-day fare. The lat- est "Masterpiece Classic" offer- ing, "Little Women" premieres Sunday, May 13, on PBS. "Little Women" stays loyal to Alcott's work, while interjecting ample doses of humor and em- powerment. Set amidst the Ameri- can Civil War, the story provides a glimpse into the lives of the four March sisters as they grow from girls to young women under the watchful, loving care of their mother. The family, once well-to- do, now lives in poverty. Relocated to a new portion of a Massachu- setts community, these little wom- en find themselves not just penni- less but also fatherless, as the pa- triarch has been called off to war. Left to fend for themselves, the March women are eager to prove that they're more than capable of doing so. Each sister is undeniably a March, yet entirely unique. Meg March (Willa Fitzgerald, "Scream: The TV Series") is the eldest of the four and quite naturally adapts to a matriarchal type of role, quite satisfied with the prospect of a do- mestic life. Second eldest, Jo (Maya Hawke, "Ladyworld," 2018), is full of bold ambition, of- ten labeled a tomboy due to her interests and hopes to be a pub- lished writer one day. Beth (Annes Elwy, "Philip K. Dick's Electric Dreams"), the third daughter, is quite shy and has a penchant for music. The youngest March, Amy (Kathryn Newton, "Lady Bird," 2017), is the most artistic, though easily swayed into a state of vani- ty. Initially, these four girls may seem fairly set in their ways, some- what stereotypical and quite con- trary to one another. As the girls develop, however, it becomes clear that there are multiple dimensions to all of their personalities, and as- sumed predictability is quickly dis- carded. The casting of "Little Women's" leading ladies in this latest adap- tation blends fresh, new faces with a healthy dose of well-estab- lished talent. If newcomer Hawke seems familiar, it may be in large part due to the success of her par- ents. The actress is the daughter of Uma Thurman ("Kill Bill: Vol. 1," 2003) and Ethan Hawke ("Training Day," 2001), two beloved actors whose passion for the craft seems to be hereditary. Hawke has a lot of hopes for this interpretation of Jo, which she expressed during a news release interview for "Masterpiece." She longs for audiences to notice Jo's imperfections and notes that she did her best to express "the parts of [Jo] that she would feel insecure about" and to "illuminate her less perfect qualities," trying to stray from the perfectionist persona for which the character is typically known. The two elder March ladies of the miniseries are portrayed by theatrical and cinematic favorites. Matriach Marmee is played by the acclaimed Emily Watson ("The Book Thief," 2013), who began her career heavily invested in feature film roles, but who has been rack- ing up more and more TV series parts since 2011. Surpassing all of these talented ladies, however, is the legendary Angela Lansbury ("Murder She Wrote"), who steps into the fiercely critical shoes of Aunt March. Since 1868, when "Little Wom- en" was published, the story has endured countless adaptions in various formats. Be it film, televi- sion, musicals, operas, stage plays, web videos or audio dramas, it's clear that the authenticity felt in this novel translates well to all mediums. The story was first adapted for the silver screen in si- lent format in 1917, with the most recent big-screen adaptation cur- rently in production. When it comes to television, BBC has de- veloped four miniseries of "Little Women," the first airing in the 1950s as a live production. Anyone with siblings, but especially those of us who are sisters and have sis- ters, find deep familiarity with the relationships and conflicts depict- ed, so it's no surprise that Alcott's work continues to remain relevant and reproduced. Driven by authenticity and truth to the period within which the tale is set, "Little Women" promises to be a well-loved representation of the classic novel. The cast, crew and director have painstakingly worked to recreate Alcott's world, placing emphasis on natural beau- ty and individuality over spectacle. In a promotional interview for the miniseries, director Vanessa Cas- will expressed how important it was to "[tell] a truthful story" — one that would "empower the women in it by not making them dollies, by making them just pure and beautiful." With women continuing to push for their unique voices and stories to be heard, perhaps there is no better time than now for a retell- ing of Alcott's beloved novel. Em- brace feminine strength and growth when "Little Women" pre- mieres Sunday, May 13, on PBS. Splendid sisters PBS breathes new life into Louisa May Alcott's 'Little Women' Cover Story this week Maya Hawke as seen in "Little Women" Conan This weekend is the 80th birthday of Superman. Now that he's 80, Superman is rendered helpless by Kryptonite and his email password. SpaceX is planning to build a Mars rocket right here in Los Angeles. The voyage to Mars will take nine months, but eight of those months will be spent just getting out of L.A. This morning, Twitter went down for almost an hour. As a result, President Trump was forced to open a window and start yelling at people on the street. Scientists have developed a robot that can assemble a chair from Ikea almost as fast as a human. Sadly, in the process of assembling it, the robot has a huge fight with his wife. President Trump's new nominee to head NASA is a Republican congressman with no science background. Or, as that's called in the Trump administration: "Overqualified." The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon Congratulations to John Stamos and his wife, who had a baby boy this weekend! And somehow, the baby has already aged more than John Stamos. I saw that "Survivor" is coming back for a 37th season. I think they're starting to run out of locations — they just announced that the next season is being held at Costco on a Saturday. I saw that this week, the Vatican is offering a class on exorcisms. It's the only class where the guy in front of you cheats off your paper by turning his head around 180 degrees. This week, the Senate confirmed Trump's pick to lead NASA, Jim Bridenstine. Yeah, "Bridenstine." It sounds less like a NASA official and more like a wedding show on TLC. Late Laughs 001720941r1 Match of the Month For more information about Kinship Partners, please call (218)-829-4606 or visit our website at www.kinshippartners.org Be a Friend. Be a Mentor. Photography donated by Mike Aulie at Sothers Studio Why not start your own friendship journey? Kinship Partners is pleased to honor Andrew and Marcy Knosalla and Brodie Cyrus as its newest Match of the Month. Brodie said that he loves to play games with Andrew and Marcy. 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