Persuasion 

Eight years earlier, Anne Elliot, the daughter of a financially troubled aristocratic family, was persuaded to break off her engagement to Frederick Wentworth, a young seaman, who, though ... See full summary »

Director:

Roger Michell

Writers:

Jane Austen (novel), Nick Dear (screenplay)

Stars:

Amanda Root, Ciarán Hinds, Susan Fleetwood

7 wins & 2 nominations.

Cast

Episode cast overview, first billed only:
Amanda Root	...	Anne Elliot
Ciarán Hinds	...	Captain Frederick Wentworth
Susan Fleetwood	...	Lady Russell
Corin Redgrave	...	Sir Walter Elliot
Fiona Shaw	...	Mrs. Croft
John Woodvine	...	Admiral Croft
Phoebe Nicholls	...	Elizabeth Elliot
Samuel West	...	Mr. Elliot
Sophie Thompson	...	Mary Musgrove
Judy Cornwell	...	Mrs. Musgrove
Simon Russell Beale	...	Charles Musgrove
Felicity Dean	...	Mrs. Clay
Roger Hammond	...	Mr. Musgrove
Emma Roberts	...	Louisa Musgrove
Victoria Hamilton	...	Henrietta Musgrove

Storyline

Eight years earlier, Anne Elliot, the daughter of a financially troubled aristocratic family, was persuaded to break off her engagement to Frederick Wentworth, a young seaman, who, though promising, had poor family connections. When her father rents out the family estate to Admiral Croft, Anne is thrown into company with Frederick, because his sister is Mrs. Croft. Frederick is now a rich and successful Captain, and a highly eligible bachelor. Whom will he marry? One of Anne's sister's husband's sisters? Or will he and Anne rekindle the old flame?

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Plot Keywords:

captain | accident | napoleonic wars | marriage | admiral | 

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Genres:

Drama

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG for brief mild language

Details

Official Sites:

Sony Pictures Classics

Country:

UK USA France

Language:

English

Release Date:

16 April 1995 (UK)

Also Known As:

Persuasão

Filming Locations:

Sydney Place, Bath, Somerset, England, UK

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$30,986, 1 October 1995

Gross USA:

$5,269,757

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$5,269,757

Company Credits

Production Co:

BBC Films, Millésime Productions, WGBH

Technical Specs

Runtime:

107 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Amanda Root originally was wanted by Ang Lee and Emma Thompson for the role of Marianne Dashwood in their adaptation of another Jane Austen film, Sense and Sensibility (1995), and she performed the role at a read-through of an early draft of the script before she was cast in Persuasion.

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Goofs

At the dinner at the Musgrove's, the Musgrove girls read from the Navy List that the Laconia is a 74 gun frigate. Frigates of that era had at a maximum around 44 guns. A ship with 74 guns would have been a "ship of the line".

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Quotes

Anne Elliot: My instinct tells me, he is charming and clever but I have seen no burst of feeling, warmth of fury or delight

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Connections

Version of Persuasion (2007)

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Soundtracks

Prelude in B
Composed by Frédéric Chopin (as Chopin)
Performed by Susan Tomes

User Reviews

Beautiful and understated

This is a very well put together, and yet very fragile movie that shows its budget constraints all too well. Beautifully acted and written, the direction unfortunately reveals the boxy nature of a TV screen. But despite the lack of impressive cinematography, the scenes are set up extremely well. The use of staging and visual metaphor are jaw-droppingly fantastic. Austen's relatively simple potboiler has been turned into a work of visual art that reveals the director's love for the material.

The music is done perfectly - it doesn't overpower or ever impose interpretation, instead it is just enough to maintain focus on the story. And I love the understated nature of the characters. It is easy to spot the hypocrites, but you can see why they are the way they are. It would be very easy to make Mr. Eliot into a simpering, unctious idiot - instead, he is played as a gentleman. It makes Anne a better character, and it makes the movie a better experience.