She deserved some recognition for her quiet but memorable work in this film. The speech Beth gave on her death bed was so real, so true and so emotional. What a perfect cast, well, except Older Amy who was so stiff and boring.
sharei agree, she was amazing in this. i almost want to stop watching the movie after beth dies. i don't, of course, but i just can't stand it. she's my favorite character in this movie. she gives me chills.
shareI cry every single time when I watch that scene.
shareBeth was a true angel long before she went to heaven.
Claire Danes was perfect as Beth, I always cry when she is first ill and then at her death.
I have often read that actors hate playing roles that have become deeply beloved by everyone who read a particular book---- like when Clark Gable resisted playing Rhett Butler because he knew half the world had read the book, loved Rhett and had preconceived ideas of what he would look and sound like.
It's pretty brave for an actor to tackle a role like that, and I think Claire Danes was *PERFECT* as Beth. Generations of little girls grew up reading this book and crying over poor little Beth, so she is very special to everyone who ever read the book. On top of that, she was the least fleshed-out of all the characters---- she just doesn't have a lot of action and she isn't written with much depth. At one point in the book she calls herself "stupid little Beth". It could not have been easy to bring her to the screen, and I think CD's performance is a true standout in a movie full of wonderful performances. She really does break your heart.
I love the movie and I love Beth's character as well, I am just NOT a fan of Claire Danes and think she is overrated. I do think as Beth she did very well but I don't care for her other movies she's been in, just never thought much of Claire Danes. I love Winona Ryder as Jo (my fave character) but I love the book "Little Women" and this version of the movie is a favorite of mine. Winona Ryder such an amazing actress.
shareYeah, I don't get it when people say that they don't like Danes as Beth. I thought she was great. The genius in the writing and in the performance is that for most of her scenes Beth is just...there. She's quiet and kind of in the background, which makes her that much more endearing to me, and emphasizes that we should appreciate those strong but silent people in our lives who are truly loving but not necessarily boisterous or in the limelight.
But anyway, Danes is great in everything. She's so heartbreaking when she needs to be.
I hear the drizzle of the rain. Like a memory it falls.
This is the only movie I ever liked Clare Danes in.
shareBut anyway, Danes is great in everything. She's so heartbreaking when she needs to be.
I'm still not sure of my opinion on Clair as Beth. The role must be a terribly difficult one to play, and Beth's death is the hardest and saddest I've ever encountered in literature or on film. I was named (middle) after the character...I love the name, but it has been somewhat sad to me all of my life.
shareAgreed Claire is marvellous as the tragic Beth. She really captures Beth's gentle nature and how she is at her happiest at home with her family.
Go to bed Frank or this is going to get ugly .
I love Claire's performance in this, too. Yes, she is so gentle and subtle in her intuition of her character, Beth.
But Claire is good in everything she does.
I did not particularly enjoy Claire Danes in this role. She was not terrible -- for me her performance was average. The script did not properly flesh out the character, which did not help.
When she did have screen time, she used the same expressions she uses in Homeland. The loud, gasping, wrenching cry, or the blank stare, with some smiles thrown in. She doesn't seem to have much of a range as an actress (but I am no Danes expert, just comparing those two performances).
By the time Beth died in the book, I felt I knew her character so well, and I cried and felt her loss deeply. I did not feel the same during the movie. The screenplay could have done a much better job with Beth, but even if it had, I am not sure Danes could have managed it. Maybe she would have; I just felt that in the movie, Beth was very one-dimensional. Whereas in the book, Beth, as quiet as she was, leapt off the page.