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| Photo courtesy of: Dione Sheehan (from left to right: Charlize Hutch, Laura Osnes, Jillian Murray, Jen Lilley, Dione Sheehan, and Julia Reilly) |
The new Great American Family Christmas movie “A Little Women’s Christmas” is a contemporary retelling of Louisa May Alcott's 1868 classic, Little Women, originally set in New England during the Civil War. The novel is a coming-of-age story of the four main characters, the March sisters, Jo, Meg, Beth, and Amy, who grew up together and learned from their mistakes and achievements.
This all-new modernized holiday story, “A Little Women’s Christmas,” was filmed in Tennessee and follows author Jo March (Jillian Murray) as she returns home to celebrate Christmas with her adult sisters Meg (Jen Lilley), Beth (Laura Osnes), and Amy (Julia Grace Reilly). The film also stars Trevor Donovan, Jesse Hutch and his real-life daughter, Charlize, Kyle Kupecky, and legendary singer, Gladys Knight.
I am delighted to share with you all today my interview with Dione Sheehan, the creator and co-writer of “A Little Women’s Christmas.”
INTERVIEW
Dione Sheehan
“A Little Women’s Christmas”
creator and co-writer
Net, It’s a Wonderful Movie: Welcome, Dione, to It’s a Wonderful Movie, where we discuss family-friendly & faith-based movies on TV. It is so nice to chat with you today as I am most excited for your upcoming Christmas movie on Great American Family! Please briefly share with us the storyline behind “A Little Women’s Christmas.”
Dione Sheehan: “A Little Women’s Christmas” reimagines Louisa May Alcott’s beloved classic story by taking the four March sisters and dropping them into a modern Christmas rom-com. Now grown up and scattered across the country, Jo, Meg, Beth, and Amy return to their Tennessee hometown to celebrate the holiday season, bringing with them secrets and surprises.
Net, It’s a Wonderful Movie: What initially inspired you to write this story?
Dione Sheehan: I began writing the script for “A Little Women’s Christmas” during my sophomore year of college at Stanford University. I was enrolled in a screenwriting class and all students were tasked with writing an entire script in one month – a very exciting but, at the time, daunting assignment. I immediately decided that I would write a holiday romcom because that was the type of content I consumed the most… and who doesn’t love a feel-good Christmas story?!
As I began planning out my script, I thought it would be fun to play with the idea of sisters coming home for the holidays as they each navigate their own romances. I sat down to watch the 1994 Little Women movie as inspiration (because, in my mind, it’s a Christmas movie) and, about halfway through, the lightbulb went off… What if my story wasn’t just about random sisters? What if it was about the actual March sisters? The concept gave me goosebumps. Like so many other women, I grew up alongside Jo, Meg, Beth, and Amy, and these characters have felt like my very own sisters for as long as I can remember. The opportunity to once again dive back into the world of the March sisters and imagine new storylines for my beloved friends was everything I’d ever dreamed of. So I reconceptualized my story as “A Little Women’s Christmas.”
Net, It’s a Wonderful Movie: This is the most frequently asked question I have received from my followers about “A Little Women’s Christmas.”…
Of course, Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott, is genuinely a beloved classic for readers, generation after generation. The novel is filled with many delightful stories of the March sisters; however, there are a few things I believe many readers would change if they could, but the main one is dear Beth.
Since you were essentially able, Dione, to recreate anything you like with these characters in your modernized story, does Beth suffer the same ill-fate as the novel, or will we see a brighter side of Beth, portrayed by Laura Osnes, in “A Little Women’s Christmas”?
Dione Sheehan: I love that fans care so much about our dear Beth, and I am delighted to assure everyone that the most kind-hearted March sister is alive and well in “A Little Women’s Christmas.” To be honest, I never once considered excluding Beth from my story or having her succumb to sickness and/or death. I wanted “A Little Women’s Christmas” to be inspirational and uplifting and, in some ways, idealized; it was never my intention to retell the original story but rather to re-imagine it in a lighthearted Christmas type of way.
I hope fans love the new journey I’ve created for Beth March. I promise she is happy, healthy, and perhaps even on the brink of finding love…
Net, It’s a Wonderful Movie: What was your reaction when you first learned Great American Family wanted to turn your story into a movie?
Dione Sheehan: I was overjoyed! The process of getting a script picked up is arduous and long. I wrote eight drafts of the script and pitched it to numerous producers over the course of five years before finally landing a deal with TrueBrand Entertainment and Great American Family.
I’m so excited to finally get to share my story with the world and I have no doubt in my mind that GAF is the perfect home for “A Little Women’s Christmas.”
Net, It’s a Wonderful Movie: What was it like visiting the set during filming and meeting the cast? (And, I must say, what an incredible all-star cast… you must still be pinching yourself to see if it is true!)
Dione Sheehan: It was surreal! I still remember the moment I saw Jillian Murray, Jen Lilley, Laura Osnes, and Julia Reilly walking down the hallway in costume for the first time… It was like my kindred spirits had arrived!
Also, fun fact, Jen Lilley was actually on my original vision board for the story back in college. I thought she would be the perfect “Meg” and she most certainly is!
Net, It’s a Wonderful Movie: Which of the March Sisters do you feel you are most like?
Jo (played by Jillian Murray) - smart, independent, passionate, creative
Meg (played by Jen Lilley) - well-mannered, mature, motherly
Beth (played by Laura Osnes) - sweet, soft-spoken, musically gifted
Amy (played by Julia Grace Reilly) – self-centered, spontaneous, artistic
Dione Sheehan: I love this question even though it’s so hard to answer! I’d say I am a mix of both Jo and Beth.
Like Jo, I am relentless in the pursuit of my dreams. I often know what I want and go after my goals with fierce passion and purpose because I believe we’re each here on earth for a unique reason. But like Beth, I can sometimes be introverted and quiet. I enjoy alone time and need moments of serenity to recenter myself. I also like cheering for others and don’t necessarily want to be the center of attention. Unfortunately though, I am not musically talented!
Net, It’s a Wonderful Movie: Since you now have your own Christmas movie… I must ask, do you have any favorite Christmas Movies that you enjoy watching traditionally every year?
Dione Sheehan: Yes! I love all of these, even though the last few might not technically be considered Christmas movies…
Little Women (1994 version)
Home Alone
The 12 Dogs of Christmas
Love’s Christmas Journey
The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe
Eight Below
Net, It’s a Wonderful Movie: As viewers gather around the TV to watch your movie, what do you hope they will take away from watching “A Little Women’s Christmas” on Great American Family this Christmas Season?
Dione Sheehan: I hope that, first and foremost, people are reminded of why they love the original Little Women story. The brilliance of Louisa May Alcott transcends time and her ability to craft four dynamic female characters who simultaneously spotlight strengths and weaknesses in each other is truly remarkable.
I hope also that people realize kindred spirits live on. Our beloved imaginary characters are never lost or forgotten; they reside deep in our hearts and can be accessed at any moment.
Finally, I hope people experience true joy when they watch “A Little Women’s Christmas.” This story comes straight from my heart and is a precious gem in a broken world.
Net, It’s a Wonderful Movie: What other creative projects will you be working on next?
Dione Sheehan: I’m thrilled to announce that I am currently writing and producing a brand new reality show called Flipping Farms. This series follows a father-daughter duo as they buy farms in an effort to renovate and flip the entire property. It’s been the adventure of a lifetime! This show will be releasing on major streaming platforms in early 2025, so stay tuned!
In addition to my film projects, I also have two novels in the works. One is a young adult romance and the other is a very special Christmas novella which I will be announcing soon.
Net, It’s a Wonderful Movie: How can people get in touch with you and support you?
Dione Sheehan: Anyone can get in touch with me via my Instagram account @dione.sheehan. I love connecting with fans and fellow writers, so please do reach out!
The best way to support any writer is to watch their work! I am so grateful to everyone who plans on watching “A Little Women’s Christmas” and I hope people will tune into “Flipping Farms” in early 2025.
Net, It’s a Wonderful Movie: Is there anything else you’d like to share with my readers?
Dione Sheehan: I want to invite everyone to approach “A Little Women’s Christmas” with an open mind. As I’ve already mentioned, this is not meant to be a literal retelling of the original story; rather, I specifically chose to re-imagine the story in a modern Christmas way. So I hope fans love this movie for what it is (independent of the novel) and create space for fresh storylines which reacquaint us with the beloved March sisters in a whole new way.
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A warm thank you to Dione for reaching out to do this interview with me for my It's a Wonderful Movie followers. Hearing and sharing her insights into the writing and filmmaking process was a joy. I appreciate Dione for taking the time to share with us behind-the-scenes details of “A Little Women’s Christmas” and the immense enjoyment she took in the creation process of this film.
Briefly, I must share... the two March sisters that Dione chose that she is most alike are precisely the two I would choose for myself. Like Jo, I love being creative, and like Beth, music has always been my passion!
Many of us who read this book as young women or saw the movies, saw parts of ourselves in these sisters. I would love to hear from you ladies who visit here, too! Which March sister or sisters are you most like?
Likely, it goes without saying that I am always excited to share Great American Family's Christmas TV movies, romantic comedies, and various projects; however, “A Little Women’s Christmas” is one of the most anticipated Christmas movies for viewers this season on the network, so I was especially delighted to give everyone this extra look into this upcoming premiere.
“A Little Women’s Christmas” stars Trevor Donovan, Jillian Murray, Jen Lilley, Laura Osnes, Julia Reilly, Jesse Hutch, a special appearance by Gladys Knight, and more!
I hope many of you who visit here will enjoy this new Christmas movie premiere!
Likely, it goes without saying that I am always excited to share Great American Family's Christmas TV movies, romantic comedies, and various projects; however, “A Little Women’s Christmas” is one of the most anticipated Christmas movies for viewers this season on the network, so I was especially delighted to give everyone this extra look into this upcoming premiere.
“A Little Women’s Christmas” stars Trevor Donovan, Jillian Murray, Jen Lilley, Laura Osnes, Julia Reilly, Jesse Hutch, a special appearance by Gladys Knight, and more!
Watch the Premiere of
“A Little Women’s Christmas”
Saturday, November 23, 2024
on Great American Family
I hope many of you who visit here will enjoy this new Christmas movie premiere!
God's Blessings to you all,
Net
