Persuasion (2007) (TV)

Director:

Adrian Shergold

Writers:

Jane Austen (novel)
Simon Burke (screenplay)

Release Date:

13 January 2008 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Romance

Tagline:

A new adaptation of Jane Austen's classic

Plot:

Royal Navy captain Wentworth was haughtily turned down eight years ago as suitor of pompous baronet Sir Walter Elliot's daughter Anne...

Plot Keywords:

Love | Navy | Captain | Poetry | Duty

Awards:

3 wins & 5 nominations

Cast

Sally Hawkins	...	Anne Elliot
Alice Krige	...	Lady Russell
Rupert Penry-Jones	...	Captain Wentworth
Anthony Head	...	Sir Walter Elliot
Julia Davis	...	Elizabeth Elliot
Michael Fenton Stevens	...	Mr. Shepherd (as Michael Fenton-Stevens)
Mary Stockley	...	Mrs. Clay
Peter Wight	...	Admiral Croft
Marion Bailey	...	Mrs. Croft
Amanda Hale	...	Mary Musgrove
Jennifer Higham	...	Louisa Musgrove
Rosamund Stephen	...	Henrietta Musgrove
Stella Gonet	...	Mrs. Musgrove
Sam Hazeldine	...	Charles Musgrove
Louis Shergold	...	Little Charles
Nicholas Farrell	...	Mr. Musgrove
Joseph Mawle	...	Harry Harville
Finlay Robertson	...	James Benwick
Tobias Menzies	...	William Elliot
Brian Knight	...	Inn Keeper
Maisie Dimbleby	...	Mrs. Smith
Sarah Buckland	...	Nurse Rooke
Tilly Tremayne	...	Viscountess Dalrymple
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Cara Bamford	...	Mrs. Wallis (uncredited)
Timothy Hallett	...	Little Walter (uncredited)
Alexander Hathaway	...	Fashionable Gent (uncredited)

Directed by
Adrian Shergold

Writing credits
Jane Austen		(novel)
Simon Burke		(screenplay)

Produced by
Rebecca Eaton	....	executive producer: WGBH
Murray Ferguson	....	executive producer
Yvonne Isimeme Ibazebo	....	line producer
David Snodin	....	producer

Original Music by
Martin Phipps

Cinematography by
David Odd		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Kristina Hetherington

Casting by
Julia Duff

Production Design by
David Roger

Art Direction by
Nicki McCallum

Costume Design by
Andrea Galer

Makeup Department
Pamela Haddock	....	makeup designer
Teresa Kelly	....	makeup artist
Tony Lilley	....	makeup artist
Amanda Warburton	....	makeup artist
Jacqueline Russon	....	hair stylist (uncredited)

Production Management
Hannah Cooper	....	unit manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Vicki Allen	....	second assistant director
John Burrans	....	third assistant director
Finn McGrath	....	first assistant director

Art Department
Tony Bandy	....	dressing props
Bradley Godwin	....	dressing props
Tayyaba Irtizaali	....	stand-by art director
Josh Jones	....	stand-by carpenter
Jo Kornstein	....	property buyer
Alexandra Merchant	....	assistant art director
Erik Peterson	....	stand-by props
Ron Sutcliffe	....	stand-by props (as Ronnie Sutcliffe)
Zoe Wight	....	assistant buyer
Neil Wood	....	property master

Sound Department
Alistair Crocker	....	production sound mixer
Phil Freudenfeld	....	sound effects editor
Peter Gates	....	dialogue editor
James Harbour	....	sound maintenance
Ben Norrington	....	supervising sound editor
Adrian Rhodes	....	sound mixer
Rob Saunders	....	sound trainee

Stunts
Gareth Milne	....	stunt coordinator

Camera and Electrical Department
Eddie Armstrong	....	gaffer (as Edward Armstrong)
John Cooling	....	stand-by rigger (as John 'Buzz' Cooling)
Chris Davies	....	best boy
Peter Howard	....	focus puller (as Peter 'Skip' Howard)
Chris Samworth	....	clapper loader
Tony Sankey	....	grip
Francis Sparey	....	electrician
Francis Sparey	....	lighting truck
Rick Tombs	....	electrician
Rick Tombs	....	genny op
Anna Valdez-Hanks	....	camera trainee (as Anna Valdez Hanks)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Lucy Denny	....	costume assistant
Nadine Powell	....	assistant costume designer
Sarah Touaibi	....	costume supervisor
Justine Warhurst	....	costume assistant
Gerald Moulin	....	costume assistant (uncredited)

Editorial Department
Simon Brook	....	on-line editor
Patrick Doherty	....	assistant editor
Kevin Horsewood	....	colorist

Other crew
Andy Baker	....	development executive
Pete Beighton	....	rushes runner
Helen Boyd	....	floor runner
Ella Brookes	....	production runner
Maxine Davis	....	production accountant
Fiona Francombe	....	location manager
Petra Fried	....	development executive
Jane Gibson	....	choreographer
Jacqueline Graham	....	assistant production accountant
Monique Mussell	....	production coordinator
Jennie Scanlon	....	production secretary
Janice Schumm	....	script supervisor
Lee Smith	....	location assistant
Tom Unwin	....	floor runner

Production Companies

• Clerkenwell Films
• WGBH (in association with) (as WGBH Boston)

Distributors

• FS Film Oy (2008) (Finland) (DVD)
• Independent Television (ITV) (2007) (UK) (TV)
• LaLa TV (2008) (Japan) (TV)
• Masterpiece Theatre (2008) (USA) (TV)
• Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) (2008) (USA) (TV) (original airing)
• Yleisradio (YLE) (2007) (Finland) (TV)

Other Companies

• De Lane Lea  sound post-production

Also Known As:

Runtime:

120 min (including commercials) | 93 min (excluding commercials)

Country:

UK | USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Certification:

Singapore:PG | Australia:G | Finland:K-3 | New Zealand:G

Filming Locations:

Assembly Rooms, Bath, Somerset, England, UK

Company:

Clerkenwell Films

Trivia:

The green striped gown with velvet Spencer jacket Julia Davis (Elizabeth Elliot) wears at Kellynch Hall is the same costume Anna Chancellor (Caroline Bingley) wears at Netherfield Hall in "Pride and Prejudice" (1995). However, the bottom portion of the gown, cut on the bias, has been removed for the later film. This gown also appears in "Vanity Fair" (1998) worn by Vicki Pepperdine (Ann Dobbin) in the park scenes, and by an extra at the London party where Annabella Milbanke meets Byron in Byron (2003) (TV). The Spencer also appears, without the striped gown, in "Little Dorrit" (2008), worn by Emma Pierson as Fanny Dorrit.

Goofs:

Anachronisms: When Anne is running through the streets of Bath, right before she bumps into Charles and Captain Wentworth, a hydro pole and a radio tower can be seen in the background.

Quotes:

Captain Wentworth:I have loved none but you. You alone have brought me to Bath. For you alone I think and plan. Have you not seen this?

Movie Connections:

Featured in "The Story of the Costume Drama: Affairs of the Heart (#1.3)" (2008)

Soundtrack:

Piano Sonata No. 14 in C-sharp minor (Moonlight Sonata)

Sombre in tone

Adrian Shergold's adaptation of Persuasion was the last in the ITV Jane Austen Season, and it ended on a high note. Very different style from the previous two, and is rather sombre in tone, as befits the story and characters in the novel. There is a voice over so as to enable the audience to get closer to the character of Anne Elliot played very well by Sally Hawkins. Rupert Penry-Jones is very good as Captain Wentworth, whose interaction with Anne is concise and to the point. They are not strangers, but they are estranged. Adrian Shergold employs a lot of hand held camera, and uses a lot of close ups in order for the audience to recognise the relationships between characters and their feelings. Quite often Sally Hawkins looks at the camera, and I felt this worked very well. My only slight annoyance with this adaptation was the director's unwillingness to have two people who are talking in the shot at the same time. Preferring to move from a close up of one to a close up of the other (shot reverse shot as it were) continuously. This works well occasionally, but when it is as often as it is in this adaption you become very aware of the camera and its movements, which detracts from the story and the conversation itself. This is my only slight problem with this adaptation. The supporting cast was brilliant, with Amanda Hale brilliantly playing Anne moronic younger sister. Alice Krige was great as Lady Russell, and Anthony Head as Sir Walter Elliot. This is to mention only a few. To say that ITV's Austen Season did not start well would be an understatement. However, with last weeks brilliant Northanger Abbey and this weeks Persuasion they have finished on a high. Each had its own tone and style, and forgetting Mansfield Park, they worked rather well. I would recommend this film to both fans of the book and newcomers to Austen's work. I have deliberately refrained from comparisons between this and the 1995 version, both are very good and this one has some very inventive camera work.