Persuasion is a 1995 period drama film directed by Roger Michell and based on Jane Austen's 1817 novel of the same name. In her theatrical film debut, Amanda Root stars as protagonist Anne Elliot, while Ciarán Hinds plays her romantic interest, Captain Frederick Wentworth. The film is set in early 19th-century England, eight years after Anne was persuaded by others to reject Wentworth's proposal of marriage. Persuasion follows the two as they become reacquainted with each other while supporting characters threaten to interfere.
The novel was adapted by Nick Dear, who considered the story more mature than Austen's other novels, characterising it as one of realism and truthfulness, particularly in telling the story of two people separated and then reunited. As Austen's style conveys Anne's thoughts internally, Dear and Root felt compelled to express the character's emotions using less dialogue. Director Roger Michell avoided what he felt was the polished, artificial feel of other 19th-century depictions, and discouraged his actors from wearing make-up or appearing too hygienic. Costume designer Alexandra Byrne produced clothing that appeared "lived-in", which won her a BAFTA. Persuasion was shot in chronological order, allowing Root to portray more easily Anne's development from being downtrodden to happy and blossoming. It was filmed during a period of popularity for Austen's works.
Originally the BBC was the sole production company of Persuasion until it partnered with the American WGBH Boston and the French Millesime. This gave the production a larger budget and allowed it to be filmed at locations featured in the novel, including Lyme Regis and Bath. Persuasion aired on 16 April 1995 on BBC Two. Sony Pictures Classics released the film in American cinemas on 27 September 1995, as Austen's increasing popularity became apparent to Hollywood. Persuasions cinematic release attracted the attention of film critics, and it received generally positive reviews, with many praising Root's performance. Film scholars have observed significant changes from the source material, as well as class and gender themes.
Plot
A naval ship carries Admiral Croft, while a horse and buggy carries Mr Shepherd and his widowed daughter Mrs Clay to Kellynch Hall. The two of them are then accosted by creditors over the debts owed by the residence's owner, Sir Walter Elliot, while Croft discusses the end of the Napoleonic Wars with fellow Royal Navy officers.
Sir Walter, a vain baronet, is faced with financial ruin unless he retrenches. Though he initially opposes the idea, he eventually agrees to temporarily move to Bath while the hall is let; the idea came from Shepherd, the Elliots' friend and neighbour Lady Russell, and Sir Walter's second eldest daughter, Anne.
Anne is upset that the new Kellynch Hall tenant is Admiral Croft, whose brother-in-law is Frederick Wentworth—a naval captain. Nine years earlier, Lady Russell persuaded Anne to decline his marriage proposal due to his lack of prospects and connections. Wentworth is now wealthy from serving in the Wars, and has returned to England, presumably to find a wife.
Later, Anne expresses to Lady Russell her unhappiness at her family's current financial predicament, and regrets rejecting the captain's marriage proposal. While the family goes to Bath, Anne visits her other sister Mary, a hypochondriac who married into an influential farming family living at the estate of Uppercross. Anne patiently listens to the many various complaints confided in her by each of the Musgrove family: Mary's husband Charles, sisters-in-law Louisa and Henrietta, and parents-in-law Mr and Mrs Musgrove.
Captain Wentworth comes to dine with the Musgroves, but Anne avoids going by volunteering to nurse Mary's injured son. The following morning at breakfast, Anne and Mary are briefly visited by Wentworth, the first time he and Anne have met since her rejection. Anne later hears that Wentworth thought her so altered that he "would not have known [her] again".
Wentworth, along with his sister and brother-in-law, becomes a regular guest at Uppercross. His manners are relaxed and charming, but he avoids direct contact with Anne. Louisa and Henrietta openly flirt with Wentworth, unaware of his and Anne's past relationship. This causes upset with Henrietta's suitor, Henry Hayter. During a walk to his hometown of Winthrop, the couple reconnect and Anne overhears Wentworth praising Louisa's strength of will. He also learns that Anne had received a marriage offer from Charles, which she rejected, apparently once again due to the advice of Lady Russell. Charles then wed Mary.
Anne, Wentworth, and the younger Musgroves travel to Lyme to visit Wentworth's old naval friends, Captain Harville and Captain Benwick. Benwick, whose fiancée, Phoebe Harville, died only a few months earlier is deep in mourning, but finds solace in poetry. Anne spends her time talking to him and cheering him somewhat, though she expresses concern about his deep depression. On the last day, a handsome stranger crosses their path and seems taken with Anne. They later discover the man is William Elliot, their estranged cousin and heir to Kellynch Hall. During a final walk along the sea shore, Louisa jumps from a high stone staircase, expecting Wentworth to catch her. She suffers a serious head injury. Anne remains calm and takes charge during the chaos. Louisa is taken to the Harvilles' house to await a local surgeon. Despite Wentworth's wish that Anne stay to nurse Louisa, both yield to Mary's protest and the captain takes Henrietta and Anne to Uppercross to raise the alarm before returning to Lyme himself. Anne leaves for Bath shortly after receiving the news that Louisa will survive her injuries.
Anne's family coolly welcome her. Sir Walter and eldest daughter, Elizabeth, reveal they have repaired their relationship with Mr Elliot. Much to Lady Russell's pleasure, the charming Mr. Elliot begins pursuing Anne, who remains uncertain of his true character. She is thrilled to discover the Crofts have arrived at Bath. The Admiral brings surprising news: Louisa has recovered and become engaged to Captain Benwick. Wentworth arrives in Bath and encounters Anne on several occasions. Though their conversations are brief, and usually interrupted, she begins to suspect that his feelings are returning. The Musgroves, along with Harville, arrive in Bath to buy wedding clothes for the sisters, bringing the pair together more often. While Anne struggles with how to communicate her continuing attachment to the captain, everyone expects her to wed Mr Elliot.
Visiting her old friend, Mrs. Smith, Anne learns that Mr. Elliot is bankrupt and is only interested in marrying her to help ensure his inheritance from her father. Anne also is told that Mr. Elliot wishes to keep the baronet from possibly marrying Mrs Clay to produce a male heir.
During a morning at the Musgroves' inn, Anne and Captain Harville discuss the constancy of love. Wentworth, sitting nearby and writing a letter, overhears them. Before leaving, he pointedly leaves a note for Anne. He declares that he has never stopped loving her and once again proposes marriage. Anne quickly finds him waiting outside. That night at a party, Wentworth arrives to announce Anne has accepted his proposal, much to Mr. Elliot's consternation. Later, Wentworth and Anne, now married, are seen aboard a navy warship, happy to be together.
Cast
Amanda Root as Anne Elliot Ciarán Hinds as Captain Frederick Wentworth Susan Fleetwood as Lady Russell Corin Redgrave as Sir Walter Elliot Fiona Shaw as Mrs. Croft John Woodvine as Admiral Croft Phoebe Nicholls as Elizabeth Elliot Samuel West as Mr. Elliot Sophie Thompson as Mary Musgrove Judy Cornwell as Mrs. Musgrove Simon Russell Beale as Charles Musgrove Felicity Dean as Mrs. Clay Roger Hammond as Mr. Musgrove Emma Roberts as Louisa Musgrove Victoria Hamilton as Henrietta Musgrove Robert Glenister as Captain Harville Richard McCabe as Captain Benwick Helen Schlesinger as Mrs. Smith Jane Wood as Nurse Rooke David Collings as Mr. Shepherd Darlene Johnson as Lady Dalrymple Ken Shorter as Lady Dalrymple's Butler Cinnamon Faye as Miss Carteret Isaac Maxwell-Hunt as Henry Hayter Roger Llewellyn as Sir Henry Willoughby Sally George as Mrs. Harville Rosa Mannion as the concert singer
Production
Conception and adaptation
The filming of Persuasion coincided with a sudden resurgence of Jane Austen adaptations, as it was one of six such productions released during the mid-1990s. The media dubbed the phenomenon "Austenmania". While it was common for a successful adaptation to lead to the production of others, this surge in Austen's popularity involved many simultaneous projects—Persuasions production, for instance, coincided with the TV serial Pride and Prejudice and the feature film Sense and Sensibility. Despite the surge, film scholar Andrew Higson and others argue that there is little evidence that the various producers—who were employed by different companies—communicated when conceiving their adaptations.
The idea for a film version of the 1817 Austen novel Persuasion began with the English producer Fiona Finlay, who had wanted to create an adaptation for several years. The novel had last been adapted by ITV in a 1971 serial starring Ann Firbank. Finlay felt that the "very romantic" story was one "everyone can relate to. There's something very touching about long-lost love". She approached the writer Nick Dear about adapting it for television; Finlay had enjoyed his contributions to theatre, particularly his play about William Hogarth, The Art of Success. Dear first suggested they try one of Austen's other works—either Sense and Sensibility or Pride and Prejudice—but agreed to adapt Persuasion after reading it. Dear considered the novel—the author's last completed work—a more mature story than the others.
Dear later wrote that Persuasion was superficially "a love story in the Cinderella mould" but it was also one of "realism and truthfulness", particularly in telling the story of two people separated and then reunited. He spent two years working on a script, and found this task difficult for several reasons. First, he needed to find a structure that would be faithful to the novel. Second, his protagonist barely spoke for the first half, and "therefore can't motor the action along as a central character conventionally does". Adapting Austen's wit was another challenge; much could not be used "because it's almost all in the author's voice telling us about characters, with a certain wit or lightness that came from the characters themselves. It's a craft job, interpreting the novel for oneself and then finding a film language for it".
An experienced theatre and television serial director, Roger Michell was chosen to direct Persuasion, in what was to be his first feature film. As a young child, Michell had been an admirer of Austen's, which set him apart from his male classmates. "I was the only boy in my class who took Austen as a special paper", he said. His attraction to Persuasion was based on his belief that it was Austen's most emotional and poignant novel, as well as her most autobiographical. He described the work as an "erotic love story which is full of sexual yearning". While directing, Michell sought to emphasise contrasts in Austen's story, seen for instance between "the chilly formality of Kellynch Hall and the warm, wet feel of Uppercross". The Royal Navy was another point of interest, as officers like Wentworth would often have returned to society wealthy and full of stories. The director wished to depict the integration of cultures, as naval officers came back with "an informality of behaviour and language which was in marked contrast to what was there before".
Casting