Persuasion

Year of release : 1995

Run time : 1h47m

Genre : Romance / Costume Drama

The BBC television movie is based on Jane Austen's 1817 novel of the same name.

The movie opens with admiral Croft's ship coming to shore. We then see mister Shepherd and his daughter, mrs. Clay visiting Kellynch Hall.

As sir Walter Elliot is visited by creditors, as he lives a lavish life, mr. Shepherd, lady Russell, and Elliot's second eldest daughter, Anne, propose he moves to Bath while they let the house.

Anne finds out her father's tenants are admiral Croft and his wife, the brother in law of her flame, Frederick Wentworth, a naval captain, who pursued Anne about 8 years before, but she refused at lady Russell's advice . Captain Wentworth is rich now, and is looking for a wife, according to the admiral.

While mister Elliot and his daughter move to Bath with mrs. Clay, Anne is sent to her hypochondriac sister, Mary, who complains to her about everything, and so do the other members of her extended Musgrove family.

Captain Wentworth visits the Musgroves, and Anne finds the perfect opportunity to avoid him, by tending to Mary's injured son. Mary doesn't seem to care much about her children, and considering how sick she always says she is, she is always in perfect health when she has to visit someone!

The next morning, Captain Wentworth visits them at breakfast, and Anne can't avoid him now. She later hears Wentworth thought her so changed (altered) he wouldn't have recognized her,which hits her like an arrow through the heart!

Captain Wentworth, with his sister and his brother in law, become regulars at Uppercross, the Musgroves estate. Wentworth seems to be the Musgroves' daughters' love interest ,flirting with them, as he ignores Anne. In one of their strolls, he notices Anne is tired, so he asks his sister and brother in law to take her home in their carriage. So maybe, he only pretends to ignore her, he doesn't really.

Telling the Musgroves he has to travel to Lyme to visit one of his naval friends, captain Wentworth has to take most of the family with him, as they all want to go,including the always "sick" Mary, although she says she hates the sea.

In Lyme, Anne spends her time with captain Benwick who lost his fiance only a few months before, and is still in mourning. Anne seems to have another suitor in a stranger who seems interested in her, she later finds is their cousin, and Kellynch Hall heir, William Elliot.

While still in Lyme , Louisa has the amazing idea of jumping from a high stone staircase, falling and hitting her head. Although Wentworth wants Anne to stay and nurse her until the doctor comes, they give in, and take the other sister to Uppercross, while Mary takes care of Louisa.

Although the odds seem against Wentworth and Anne being together, as he doesn't seem interested in her (at one point he is even engaged to Louisa), and she seems to have other suitors, maybe things aren't as they seem.

I personally enjoyed the movie, it seemed to have been taylored after the book, even our leads seemed to have been taken out of the book itself (to me).

Anne, who in the book is all a thought around captain Wentworth, regretting her decision, and loving him in secret, always helping her ridiculous family who doesn't care for her.

Captain Wentworth, who seems to not even notice her, but is actually very aware of her presence.

Anne's annoying and unlikeable family, the forever sick Mary, her father and sister, who move to Bath, and completely disconsider Anne (especially her sister who says to mrs. Clay, Anne is nothing to her!) .Her father and sister are ridiculous in their spending beyond their means, and spending their time talking about other people's looks and clothes!

 

The actors were great. Amanda Root, who plays Anne, in her theatrical debut, was exactly the way she was portrayed in the book. You can read on her face what she goes through inside, the way in the book we know all the inner turmoil of our heroine, from the writer.

Ciaran Hinds plays a wonderful captain Wentworth.

Sophie Thompson was great playing the ever sick and moody sister of Anne, Mary. She is also a regular in Jane Austen movies, as I recall seeing her in Emma with Gwyneth Paltrow, too, in which she gave an amazing performance.

The movie received positive reviews, the critics praising Amanda Root's performance. The movie won a BAFTA for Best Costume Design (among many others).

The soundtrack was good, the creators using some of Chopin's and Bach's works.

You can watch the movie here, for free :

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NKdcX6jId-M&ab_channel=BastianLeeJones

Rating : Worth a watch !