Greta Gerwig's 'Little Women' is getting Oscar buzz after its first screening, especially for Saoirse Ronan

• Greta Gerwig's "Little Women" debuted to critics on Wednesday and earned high praise, with some saying it has a shot at several Oscars. 
• The cast - which includes stars like Saoirse Ronan, Emma Watson, Timothee Chalamet, Meryl Streep, and more - also charmed critics. Ronan in particular generated Oscar buzz for her role as Jo March. 
• Business Insider rounded up what the first audience of "Little Women" had to say about the latest take on Louisa May Alcott's novel.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Greta Gerwig's 2019 interpretation of "Little Women" has been highly anticipated ever since news of the star-studded cast rolled out, and it did not disappoint critics at its debut.

Gerwig, who was nominated for several writing and directing awards for her coming-of-age drama "Lady Bird" in 2017, is not the first to adapt Louisa May Alcott's 1868 novel for the screen. But her version manages to make the well-loved story feel new again, according to critics who attended the first screening Wednesday at the Directors Guild.

New York Times writer Kyle Buchanan said Gerwig's decision to start the movie's plot more than halfway through the book's storyline is a "fresh approach" to the source material, though a bit hard to follow. 

The Hollywood Reporter's Scott Feinberg cast some doubt on whether the film is Oscar-worthy, noting lack of critical acclaim for prior adaptations, although "Little Women" has picked up some love in the past. 

In 1933, a version won best adapted screenplay and was nominated for two other Oscars, Feinberg wrote. A 1949 adaptation won an Oscar for art direction and set direction in color, and in 1994 Winona Ryder was nominated for best actress for her portrayal of Jo March.

Feinberg and other critics pointed out that "Little Women" is a pleasantly optimistic addition to the Oscar lineup. That was also true of the last three best picture winners, The Ringer's Sean Fennessey said in a tweet. 

The film's cast - which includes Saoirse Ronan, Florence Pugh, Emma Watson, and Eliza Scanlen as the four March sisters as well as Timothee Chalamet, Laura Dern, and Meryl Streep - also received rave reviews out of the gate.

Jenelle Riley, the deputy awards and features editor at Variety, said Ronan, who plays Jo this time around, will likely lock down her fourth Academy Award nomination.

Pugh, who played Dani in "Midsommar" and is Amy March in "Little Women," also had viewers buzzing about her performance. 

"Florence Pugh is outstanding, and doesn't just steal, but snatch every viewer's eyes in each scene she inhabits," Awards Circuit editor Clayton Davis said in a tweet.

Here's what critics had to say about Gerwig and her cast in the latest depiction of Alcott's classic: