Persuasion (1995)

"Two thumbs up!  Siskel & Ebert
"...charm and real punch...  Peter Stack, San Francisco Chronicle
"Takes your breath away! A dazzling five-star feast.  Daphne Davis, Movies & Videos
"The best picture of the year.  Time Magazine

Editor's Note A lavish BBC production of Jane Austen's 1818 love story of an English officer pursuing the woman he loves through youthful rejection, long estrangement, and eventual, glorious reconciliation.

	Amanda Root
	Ciaran Hinds
	Corin Redgrave
	Fiona Shaw
	Phoebe Nicholls
	Samuel West
	Susan Fleetwood
	Jane Austen - Based on Novel By
	Roger Michell - Director
	John Daly - Director of Photography
	Jeremy Sams - Musical Score
	Fiona Finlay - Producer
	Nick Dear - Screenplay

A prodigal baronet, the widowed Sir Walter Elliot lives with his daughters Anne and Elizabeth at Kellynch Hall. Anne, the younger of Elliot's unmarried offspring, is a comely, dutiful woman but a deeply melancholy soul. She's been heartbroken ever since Lady Russell, a trusted family friend, persuaded Anne to refuse the marriage proposal of naval officer Frederick Wentworth on account of his lack of fortune. | Finding himself on the brink of financial ruin, Sir Walter Elliot rents out Kellynch Hall while he and the girls vacation at Bath. An ironic twist of fate brings the now wealthy Captain Wentworth and his relatives to the Elliot estate as seasonal tenants. So, Anne's beloved Frederick Wentworth enters her world once more. But there's no certainty love will bloom again. Premiere
"...An engaging adaptation..." 04/01/1996 p.130

Rolling Stone
"...Gorgeously directed, written and acted....A sharply witty, touching and vital romance..." 10/19/1995 p.158

Entertainment Weekly
"...Witty and suspenseful, this PERSUASION is enthralling." -- Rating: A- 10/20/1995 pp.48-9

Variety
"...[The film] carries a genuinely heady adrenaline rush....Root is terrific..." 05/29/1995

Los Angeles Times
"...Literate, sophisticated, bitingly funny, it's a Cinderella romance so delicious you want it never to end..." 10/06/1995 p.F1

Chicago Sun-Times
"...Michell's direction is] like a matter-of-fact record of the events under study. In that he reflects Austen's tone. The details are right..." 10/27/1995 p.34

USA Today 6 of 10
...the unknown cast combines with naturally lit interiors and overall lack of cosmetic prettification to convince us that we really are snooping on the early 19th century. - Mike Clark

ReelViews 8 of 10
...cinematic faithfulness to classic novels is not a dead art. Not only does Persuasion remain true to Austen's story, but Nick Dear's script, as brought to the screen by director Roger Michell, conveys a sense of atmosphere and "feeling" that a less-adept adaptation might lose... Persuasion has far greater depth than any dime store soap opera. The movie offers not only keen insights on the lasting, and agonizing, effects of love, but explores the theme of consequences... Its faithfulness to the source material results in a few slow spots, but Persuasion is nevertheless fine entertainment. And, at a time when most love stories involve copious displays of skin, it's a rare pleasure to see so much emotion brought to the screen by a single kiss. - James Berardinelli

Box Office Magazine 7 of 10
Royal Shakespearean actress Root gives a commanding performance in her debut film role as the timid Anne. Likewise, Corin Redgrave is scorchingly snide as her widowed father, and Kevin Costner lookalike Hinds soulfully portrays a man spurned by love. This is a movie that should be seen more than once, due to the richness of the film and colorful historical period. The use of operatic and classical scoring, gorgeous visuals of the English countryside, elaborate costumes and vivid portrayal of the English aristocracy, with all its pretensions and biases, lend authenticity to the film... Persuasion is a truly enjoyable film that captures the time period in an amusing, revealing manner... - Pat Kramer

Washington Post 8 of 10
There's a wonderful, unhurried delicacy about Persuasion, Roger Michell's adaptation of Jane Austen's final novel. It's as if everyone concerned with the production knows that, if given time and patience, Austen's genius will emerge. Thanks to assured performances, exacting direction and, of course, inspired writing, it does, in subtle, glorious ways... What's great about Persuasion is that the central love affair is not the only course. There's a bevy of side dishes to savor, which would take at least two viewings to completely savor. - Desson Howe