New on DVD: 'Little Women' is the family love story we need right now

One family's tale of love and heartbreak through rifts and illness tops the new DVD releases for Tuesday. "Little Women": The March sisters have gone their separate ways: Jo (Saoirse Ronan) to college in New York, Amy (Florence Pugh) to Europe with Aunt March (Meryl Streep), Meg (Emma Watson) to domestic life with a husband and children, and Beth (Eliza Scanlen) home with Marmee (Laura Dern). But when Beth falls ill again, we visit the former lives of the family all together, as writer-director Greta Gerwig dazzles with a nonlinear adaptation of Louisa May Alcott's beloved novel. From start to radical finish, Gerwig provides an astonishingly refreshing take on a well-worn story both via script and direction, and each cast member's performance teems with life. Ronan's Jo is not only the feminist writer trailblazer we know and love, but a full expresser of the loneliness to which the path often leads; Pugh's Amy brilliantly takes on a feminism of her own via economic power. Despite all this, distressingly, the only Academy Award the film brought home was best costume design (though well deserved — designer Jacqueline Durran had the actors put together their own takes on the clothes, prompting layers of sweater envy for days). But as we all weather this current storm, "Little Women" is a life-affirming film with which to hunker down. ALSO NEW ON DVD TUESDAY "Cats": A clowder of Jellicle cats decide which one will venture to the Heaviside Layer and return to start a new life in this CGI musical directed by Tom Hooper and based on the stage musical by Andrew Lloyd Webber. Look for it on DVD and Blu-ray April 7. "Dolittle": A quirky doctor who talks with animals (Robert Downey Jr.) races to help save Queen Victoria (Jessie Buckley) from a serious illness. Look for it on DVD and Blu-ray April 7. "Escape from Pretoria": In apartheid South Africa, two political prisoners (Daniel Radcliffe and Daniel Webber) attempt to break out of the infamous prison. "Madam Secretary: The Final Season": The hit CBS show starring Tea Leoni as Secretary of State Elizabeth McCord comes to an end. "Slings & Arrows: The Complete Collection": This 2003-06 Canadian dramedy follows the lives of a flawed theater troupe. Stars Paul Gross, Stephen Ouimette and Mark McKinney. "Strike": In this stop-motion animated British film, a mole's goal to become a soccer player coincides with a mission to save his community. "Swift": Young swift Manou embarks on a journey to find himself after learning he was adopted in this computer-animated film. Features voice talents of Kate Winslet, Willem Dafoe and Josh Keaton. "The Cold Blue": The HBO documentary explores World War II's Eighth Air Force's perilous missions. "The Night Clerk": A hotel clerk (Tye Sheridan) witnesses a murder and ends up as a suspect in the investigation. OUT ON DIGITAL HD TUESDAY "The Last Full Measure": Airman William H. Pitsenbarger (Jeremy Irvine) is awarded the country's highest military honor posthumously. Look for it on DVD and Blu-ray April 21. "Like a Boss": Two best friends who own a beauty company (Rose Byrne and Tiffany Haddish) consider a buyout offer from an enigmatic industry leader (Salma Hayek). Out on DVD and Blu-ray April 21. OUT ON DIGITAL HD FRIDAY "Sea Fever": A trapped-at-sea crew attempts to ward off a deadly parasite. Stars Connie Nielsen, Hermione Corfield and Dougray Scott. "We Summon the Darkness": Three heavy metal-loving women (Alexandra Daddario, Maddie Hasson and Amy Forsyth) face a killing spree after bringing back musicians to an isolated house. Also stars Johnny Knoxville, Keean Johnson and Logan Miller. ——— Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.