''Persuasion'' is a 2007 British
television film
A television film, alternatively known as a television movie, made-for-TV film/movie or TV film/movie, is a feature-length film that is produced and originally distributed by or to a television network, in contrast to theatrical films made for ...
adaptation of
Jane Austen
Jane Austen (; 16 December 1775 – 18 July 1817) was an English novelist known primarily for her six major novels, which interpret, critique, and comment upon the British landed gentry at the end of the 18th century. Austen's plots of ...
's 1817 novel ''
Persuasion
Persuasion or persuasion arts is an umbrella term for Social influence, influence. Persuasion can influence a person's Belief, beliefs, Attitude (psychology), attitudes, Intention, intentions, Motivation, motivations, or Behavior, behaviours.
...
''. It was directed by
Adrian Shergold
Adrian Shergold (born 24 March 1948 in Croydon, Surrey) is a British film and television director.
Selected filmography
*'' Danielle Cable: Eyewitness'' (2003)
*'' Dirty Filthy Love'' (2004)
*''Ahead of the Class'' (2005)
*'' Pierrepoint'' (2005)
...
, and the screenplay was written by Simon Burke.
Sally Hawkins
Sally Cecilia Hawkins (born 27 April 1976) is an English actress who began her career on stage and then moved into film. She has received several awards including a Golden Globe Award and the Berlin International Film Festival's Silver Bear fo ...
stars as the protagonist
Anne Elliot, while
Rupert Penry-Jones
Rupert William Penry-Jones (born 22 September 1970) is a British actor, known for his performances as Adam Carter in '' Spooks'', Clive Reader in ''Silk'', DI Joseph Chandler in ''Whitechapel'', and Mr Quinlan in the American horror series ''The ...
plays Captain
Frederick Wentworth. Eight years prior to the film's beginning, Anne was persuaded to reject Wentworth's proposal of marriage. Now 27 and unmarried, Anne re-encounters Wentworth, who has made his fortune in the
Napoleonic Wars
The Napoleonic Wars (1803–1815) were a series of major global conflicts pitting the French Empire and its allies, led by Napoleon I, against a fluctuating array of European states formed into various coalitions. It produced a period of Fren ...
and is looking for a wife—anyone but Anne, whom he has not forgiven for rejecting him all those years ago.
''Persuasion'' was one of three novels adapted in 2007 for
ITV
ITV or iTV may refer to:
ITV
*Independent Television (ITV), a British television network, consisting of:
** ITV (TV network), a free-to-air national commercial television network covering the United Kingdom, the Isle of Man, and the Channel Islan ...
's
Jane Austen season. It was the first of the three adaptations to begin development. The drama was co-produced by
Clerkenwell Films
Clerkenwell Films is a British film and television production company. Formed in 1998 by producer Murray Ferguson and actor John Hannah, the company has created television shows for both UK and international broadcasters and streaming platforms ...
and American studio
WGBH Boston. ''Persuasion'' premiered on 1 April 2007 in the United Kingdom and was watched by 5.4 million viewers. ''Persuasion'' received positive reviews from television critics.
Plot
The Elliot family faces financial difficulties from the imprudent spending of Sir Walter Elliot and his eldest daughter, Elizabeth. An advisor proposes the family estate of Kellynch Hall be leased to Admiral Croft, home from the
Napoleonic Wars
The Napoleonic Wars (1803–1815) were a series of major global conflicts pitting the French Empire and its allies, led by Napoleon I, against a fluctuating array of European states formed into various coalitions. It produced a period of Fren ...
, but
Anne Elliot is distraught at the prospect.
The admiral is married to the sister of Captain
Frederick Wentworth, a
naval captain to whom Anne was engaged eight years earlier. At that time, then-
Commander
Commander (commonly abbreviated as Cmdr.) is a common naval officer rank. Commander is also used as a rank or title in other formal organizations, including several police forces. In several countries this naval rank is termed frigate captain.
...
Wentworth was penniless and without a ship at the outset of a very dangerous career, and the union was discouraged by Anne's father and Lady Russell, a family friend who persuaded Anne to break off the engagement. Years later, Anne is seemingly past the age of desirability, while Wentworth has risen in the
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against F ...
and is rich in
prize money
Prize money refers in particular to naval prize money, usually arising in naval warfare, but also in other circumstances. It was a monetary reward paid in accordance with the prize law of a belligerent state to the crew of a ship belonging to ...
.
Sir Walter and Elizabeth depart for
Bath and send Anne to stay with her younger sister Mary, who is married to Charles Musgrove and lives at the Musgrove family's estate, Uppercross. Wentworth comes to visit his sister at Kellynch Hall and then makes friends with the Musgroves. Anne and Wentworth meet again, but he appears cold and distant. She is convinced that he will never forgive her, nor love her again. Her disappointment is heightened by the attention Wentworth is given by young Louisa and Henrietta Musgrove.
Wentworth declares his intention to travel to
Lyme to visit some friends, Captains Harry Harville and James Benwick, and they all decide to go. In Lyme, Benwick has been inconsolable since the death of his fiancée (Harville's sister) while he was away at the
Cape
A cape is a clothing accessory or a sleeveless outer garment which drapes the wearer's back, arms, and chest, and connects at the neck.
History
Capes were common in medieval Europe, especially when combined with a hood in the chaperon. Th ...
, and spends his days reading dark poetry and lamenting his loss. A match for him in reading and familiar with loss and disappointment, Anne is able to encourage Benwick. Although he warms in his outlook toward life and to Anne, her heart remains with Wentworth.
In a dangerous demonstration of steadfastness, Louisa jumps from the Cobb and strikes her head against the stones. Unconscious and bleeding, she is taken to Harville's home to recover. Wentworth escorts Anne and Henrietta back to Uppercross in order to inform Louisa's parents of her injury, then Anne and Wentworth bid each other a seemingly final farewell.
Anne joins her father and sister in Bath, where they have been receiving the attentions of William Elliot, a distant cousin who is the
heir presumptive
An heir presumptive is the person entitled to inherit a throne, peerage, or other hereditary honour, but whose position can be displaced by the birth of an heir apparent or a new heir presumptive with a better claim to the position in question.
...
to Sir Walter's estate and
baronet
A baronet ( or ; abbreviated Bart or Bt) or the female equivalent, a baronetess (, , or ; abbreviation Btss), is the holder of a baronetcy, a hereditary title awarded by the British Crown. The title of baronet is mentioned as early as the 14th ...
cy. He is apparently wealthy and very gracious to the Elliots, and Anne finds herself the subject of his interest, but detects a false note in his manner.
While Louisa recovers, Wentworth realises his feelings towards Anne are unchanged, but Harville informs him that an attachment is assumed between Wentworth and Louisa. Dismayed, Wentworth takes Harville's advice to leave, and visits his brother. Returning a few weeks later, he learns that Louisa and Benwick are engaged. Delighted at this turn of events, Wentworth goes to Bath under the pretext of visiting his sister.
There, Wentworth learns that William has been courting Anne. Having heard rumours of William's proposal, Admiral Croft sends Wentworth to notify Anne that if she and William wish to reside at Kellynch Hall after their wedding, he would be willing to cancel his lease. To Wentworth's surprise, Anne tells him the admiral is mistaken, as she has not consented to marry William. They are interrupted by the arrival of Lady Russell and, in the commotion of additional visitors, are unable to speak privately. Wentworth slips away and subsequently writes a note for Anne, confessing his long-held love and his desire to marry her.
Anne excuses herself from the visitors and runs after Wentworth, but cannot find him. She encounters her good friend Mrs. Smith, who informs her that William has been deceitful. He covets the baronetcy and, once married to Anne, planned to establish Mrs. Clay as his mistress. This would avert Mrs. Clay's potential marriage to Sir Walter and the possible birth of a male heir, which could have prevented William from inheriting the title. Anne then continues her search for Wentworth and comes across Harville, who gives her Wentworth's note to read.
Running along the
Royal Crescent, Anne finally finds Wentworth, and accepts his proposal. Wentworth asks if she is sure. Anne replies that she has never been more determined in her life, and kisses him.
Cast
![Rupert Penry-Jones and Sally Hawkins making the 2007 movie Persuasion](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b8/Rupert_Penry-Jones_and_Sally_Hawkins_making_the_2007_movie_Persuasion.jpg)
*
Sally Hawkins
Sally Cecilia Hawkins (born 27 April 1976) is an English actress who began her career on stage and then moved into film. She has received several awards including a Golden Globe Award and the Berlin International Film Festival's Silver Bear fo ...
as
Anne Elliot
*
Rupert Penry-Jones
Rupert William Penry-Jones (born 22 September 1970) is a British actor, known for his performances as Adam Carter in '' Spooks'', Clive Reader in ''Silk'', DI Joseph Chandler in ''Whitechapel'', and Mr Quinlan in the American horror series ''The ...
as Captain
Frederick Wentworth
*
Anthony Head
Anthony Stewart Head (born 20 February 1954) is an English actor and singer. Primarily a performer in musical theatre, he rose to fame in the UK in the 1980s following his role in the Gold Blend couple television advertisements for Nescafé, w ...
as Sir Walter Elliot
*
Julia Davis
Julia Charlotte L. Davis (born 25 August 1966) is an English actress, comedian, director and writer. She is known for writing and starring in the BBC Three comedy '' Nighty Night'' (2004–2005) and the comedies ''Hunderby'' (2012–2015) and ...
as Elizabeth Elliot
*
Alice Krige
Alice Maud Krige (; born 28 June 1954) is a South African actress and producer. Her first feature film role was in ''Chariots of Fire'' (1981) as the Gilbert and Sullivan singer Sybil Gordon. She played the dual role of Eva Galli/Alma Mobley i ...
as Lady Russell
*
Tobias Menzies
Tobias Simpson Menzies (born 7 March 1974) is an English stage, television and film actor. He is known for playing Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh in the third and fourth seasons of Netflix's series ''The Crown'', for which he won the Primetime ...
as William Elliot, Anne's distant cousin
*
Michael Fenton Stevens
Michael Fenton Stevens (born 12 February 1958) is an English actor and comedian. He is best known for being a founder member of The Hee Bee Gee Bees and the voice behind the ''Spitting Image'' 1986 number 1 hit "The Chicken Song". He also starred ...
as Mr. Shepherd
*
Mary Stockley as Mrs. Clay
*
Joseph Mawle
Joseph Daniel Turner Mawle (born 21 March 1974) is an English actor. Mawle is best known for his roles as Benjen Stark in ''Game of Thrones'', Detective Inspector Jedediah Shine in '' Ripper Street'', Firebrace in '' Birdsong'', Jesus Christ in ...
as Captain Harry Harville
*
Finlay Robertson
Finlay Robertson (born 2 May 1975) is a British actor.
Life and career
Robertson was born in the Netherlands to Scottish parents, and grew up in England. He studied History at Cambridge University.
Robertson has more than 40 screen credits, ...
as Captain James Benwick
*
Nicholas Farrell
Nicholas C. Frost (born 1955), known professionally as Nicholas Farrell, is an English stage, film and television actor.
Education
Farrell was educated at Fryerns Grammar and Technical School in Basildon, Essex, followed by the University of ...
as Mr. Musgrove
*
Amanda Hale
Amanda Hale (born 2 October 1982) is a British actress.
Early life
Hale is one of four children born to Irish immigrant parents in northwest London. Her cousin is scientist Martin Glennie. She had been due to go to Oxford University to study ...
as Mary Musgrove, Anne's sister
*
Sam Hazeldine
Samuel Hazeldine (born 29 March 1972) is an English actor working in film, television and theatre.
He is the son of actors James Hazeldine. and Rebecca Moore.
Early life
Sam Hazeldine was born in Hammersmith, London. He is the son of actors ...
as Charles Musgrove
*
Jennifer Higham
Jennifer Higham (born 26 August 1984 in England) is a British actress who has played numerous roles in theatre, television and film.
Higham attended Misbourne School in Great Missenden, Buckinghamshire. She has appeared in '' Doctors'', '' Cro ...
as Louisa Musgrove
* Rosamund Stephen as Henrietta Musgrove
*
Peter Wight as Admiral Croft
*
Marion Bailey
Marion Bailey (born 5 May 1951) is an English actress. She is best known for her work with her partner, filmmaker Mike Leigh, including the films '' Meantime'' (1983), ''All or Nothing'' (2002), ''Vera Drake'' (2004), ''Mr. Turner'' (2014), fo ...
as Mrs. Croft, Frederick's sister
* Maisie Dimbleby as Mrs. Smith
* Sarah Buckland as Nurse Rooke
* Tilly Tremayne as Vicountess Dalrymple
Production
Conception and adaptation
On 10 November 2005, ''
The Guardian
''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...
's'' Julia Day reported ITV controller of drama, Nick Elliott, had ordered three new adaptations of ''
Mansfield Park
''Mansfield Park'' is the third published novel by Jane Austen, first published in 1814 by Thomas Egerton. A second edition was published in 1816 by John Murray, still within Austen's lifetime. The novel did not receive any public reviews unt ...
'', ''
Northanger Abbey
''Northanger Abbey'' () is a coming-of-age
Coming of age is a young person's transition from being a child to being an adult. The specific age at which this transition takes place varies between societies, as does the nature of the ...
'' and ''
Persuasion
Persuasion or persuasion arts is an umbrella term for Social influence, influence. Persuasion can influence a person's Belief, beliefs, Attitude (psychology), attitudes, Intention, intentions, Motivation, motivations, or Behavior, behaviours.
...
''.
Elliot commented that the adaptations would be "important remakes for the new generation".
He explained "About every 10 years, all the great stories need retelling. These films will be very much 2007 films... we've asked and pushed the production team to make them young."
Screenwriter Simon Burke created the convention of a diary to aide the audience in understanding the intense feelings of loss the outwardly reserved Anne Elliot was going through. Using small parts of Austen's narration, he placed it in the hand of Anne. After much reading and research, Hawkins came to view the character of Anne Elliot as a view of Jane Austen herself.
With Hawkins over-voicing the diary entries the person of Jane Austen is brought to life. This, coupled with director Adrian Shergold having Anne occasionally
break the Fourth wall
The fourth wall is a performance convention in which an invisible, imaginary wall separates actors from the audience. While the audience can see through this ''wall'', the convention assumes the actors act as if they cannot. From the 16th cen ...
lent a sense of intimacy between the audience and the lead character, and with Jane Austen.
Elliott revealed that he had deliberately shied away from ordering adaptations of ''
Pride and Prejudice
''Pride and Prejudice'' is an 1813 novel of manners by Jane Austen. The novel follows the character development of Elizabeth Bennet, the dynamic protagonist of the book who learns about the repercussions of hasty judgments and comes to appreci ...
'' and ''
Sense and Sensibility
''Sense and Sensibility'' is a novel by Jane Austen, published in 1811. It was published anonymously; ''By A Lady'' appears on the title page where the author's name might have been. It tells the story of the Dashwood sisters, Elinor (age 19) a ...
'' to focus on Austen's lesser known works.
Each of the three productions created during the
Jane Austen Season were made by a different company, cast and director, so they each had "a distinct look".
Casting
Karen Price from the ''
Western Mail'' reported ITV had promised the "cream of British acting talent", while they were casting the three adaptations.
Actress
Sally Hawkins
Sally Cecilia Hawkins (born 27 April 1976) is an English actress who began her career on stage and then moved into film. She has received several awards including a Golden Globe Award and the Berlin International Film Festival's Silver Bear fo ...
was asked to play ''Persuasion's'' protagonist Anne Elliot.
Hawkins was familiar with Austen from school, and though flattered to be asked to play the role, she was initially hesitant about returning to Austen.
"I re-read the books and fell in love with Jane Austen completely... I had been slightly dismissive, and the fact that I was dismissive is shameful to me now. It's like being dismissive of Dickens or Beckett. Her work had never really come into my world before and I'm so glad it has." Having re-read all of Austen's works, she researched deeper, reading the author's personal letters and biographies.
Speaking to ''
The Independent
''The Independent'' is a British online newspaper. It was established in 1986 as a national morning printed paper. Nicknamed the ''Indy'', it began as a broadsheet and changed to tabloid format in 2003. The last printed edition was publis ...
's'' Amy Raphael, Hawkins explained "Jane was an incredible woman. She was only in her early forties when she died. I became convinced that ''Persuasion'' was about her own love life; Anne Elliot took the wrong advice and left the man who turned out to be the love of her life. She is the type of woman you'd like to be: reserved, refined, funny. I totally fell in love with her."
On 17 September 2006, the ''Western Mails Nathan Bevan revealed that ''
Spooks'' actor
Rupert Penry-Jones
Rupert William Penry-Jones (born 22 September 1970) is a British actor, known for his performances as Adam Carter in '' Spooks'', Clive Reader in ''Silk'', DI Joseph Chandler in ''Whitechapel'', and Mr Quinlan in the American horror series ''The ...
had joined the cast as Captain Wentworth. The role was Penry-Jones' first lead part in a
costume drama
A historical drama (also period drama, costume drama, and period piece) is a work set in a past time period, usually used in the context of film and television. Historical drama includes historical fiction and romances, adventure films, and swas ...
. He remarked, "In modern drama everything is so overt. In period drama it's all held in. You have to find ways to show the feelings straining beneath the surface." The actor added that he enjoyed playing Wentworth "because, beyond his social grace and charm, there's a bitterness and sadness because the love of his life, Anne Elliot, rejected him." Five days later, it was announced that
Julia Davis
Julia Charlotte L. Davis (born 25 August 1966) is an English actress, comedian, director and writer. She is known for writing and starring in the BBC Three comedy '' Nighty Night'' (2004–2005) and the comedies ''Hunderby'' (2012–2015) and ...
and
Anthony Head
Anthony Stewart Head (born 20 February 1954) is an English actor and singer. Primarily a performer in musical theatre, he rose to fame in the UK in the 1980s following his role in the Gold Blend couple television advertisements for Nescafé, w ...
would be appearing as Elizabeth Elliot and Sir Walter Elliot respectively.
Costumes
The costume designer for ''Persuasion'' was
Andrea Galer. Galer made Anne's outfits simple and basic because she does not join in Bath society.
The designer explained "I wanted her to look in tune with nature. Because we were shooting in winter, I could go for faded autumnal colours for her. She gets Wentworth back just by her stillness and I wanted to reflect that in her wardrobe."
Galer designed a jacket for Hawkins to wear as Anne using a 19th-century shawl, which she mounted and patched together with a cross stitch.
She used hand loom fabric from India and the Sri Lanakan crafted Beeralu lace to decorate some of the garments.
In 2008, costumes from ''Persuasion'' went on display at the
Jane Austen Centre in Bath. The exhibition included creations worn by Anne, Lady Russell and the Musgrove sisters. Four years later, many of the costumes from ''Persuasion'' and ''
Miss Austen Regrets
''Miss Austen Regrets'' is a 2007 biographical drama television film directed by Jeremy Lovering and written by Gwyneth Hughes. It stars Olivia Williams as Jane Austen, with Imogen Poots, Greta Scacchi, Hugh Bonneville, Adrian Edmondson and Ja ...
'' were sold in an online auction organised by the Jane Austen Centre.
Galer admitted that while it was difficult to part with them, it was time to move on and she hoped they had been bought because of their association with the Austen films.
Galer commented "It was difficult to do but I did it. I suppose the one outfit that did sell that I would've been happy if it hadn't was the Harris tweed jacket and dress worn by Sally Hawkins when she played Anne Elliot in ''Persuasion''."
Filming
''Persuasion'' was the first of the three adaptations to begin development. For director, ITV hired Adrian Shergold, known for working on "gritty" films such as ''
Pierrepoint'' (2005). Producer David Snodin explained, "Bringing Adrian on board is a statement in itself because he is not known for doing conventional versions of the classics. It is a lot to do with the way he likes the camera to move – it's right in on people's faces – and he is creating something much more contemporary than you'd expect."
Shergold agreed to direct ''Persuasion'' only after learning Hawkins was playing Anne Elliot. He said, "She inhabits every inch of the characters she plays."
The film was scored by
Martin Phipps
Martin Phipps (born 1 August 1968) is a British composer, who has worked on numerous film and television projects.
Life and career
He is the son of Sue Pears and Jack Phipps, an arts administrator who had previously founded a management agen ...
.
Promotion and broadcast
ITV launched a nationwide campaign to promote its Jane Austen Season.
The campaign included three television adverts and cinema, outdoor and press adverts.
ITV Creative made the 20, 30 and 60 second promotional trailers, which began airing on ITV channels from 25 February 2007.
The following day, adverts began appearing in selected national press publications.
The outdoor and press adverts were created by
M&C Saatchi
M&C Saatchi Group () is an international communications network headquartered in London, formed in May 1995. With more than 2,400 staff, the network spans 23 countries with major hubs in the UK, Europe, US, Middle East & Africa, Asia and Austral ...
, while
MindShare
Mind share relates to the development of consumer awareness or popularity, and is one of the main objectives of advertising and promotion. When people think of examples of a product type or category, they usually think of a limited number of bran ...
carried out the
media buying
Media buying refers to the procurement of advertising on mediums such as a television, newspapers, commercial radio, magazines, websites, mobile apps, over-the-top media services, out-of-home advertising etc. It also includes price negotiation an ...
.
''Persuasion'' was the third of the Austen adaptations to be shown in the UK.
It was broadcast on
ITV
ITV or iTV may refer to:
ITV
*Independent Television (ITV), a British television network, consisting of:
** ITV (TV network), a free-to-air national commercial television network covering the United Kingdom, the Isle of Man, and the Channel Islan ...
at 9:00 pm on 1 April 2007.
The drama aired on the
TVOntario
TVO Media Education Group (often abbreviated as TVO and stylized on-air as tvo) is a publicly funded English-language educational television network and media organization serving the Canadian province of Ontario. It is operated by the Ontario ...
channel in Canada on 30 December 2007. ''Persuasion'' was shown on 13 January 2008 on the US channel
PBS
The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is an American public broadcasting, public broadcaster and Non-commercial activity, non-commercial, Terrestrial television, free-to-air television network based in Arlington, Virginia. PBS is a publicly fu ...
as part of their Austen ''
Masterpiece Theatre
''Masterpiece'' (formerly known as ''Masterpiece Theatre'') is a drama anthology television series produced by WGBH Boston. It premiered on Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) on January 10, 1971. The series has presented numerous acclaimed Briti ...
'' series. On 8 June, the film was broadcast on Australia's
ABC1
ABC TV, formerly known as ABC1, is an Australian national public television network. It is owned and operated by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, and is the flagship ABC Television network. The headquarters of the ABC TV channel an ...
channel.
Reception
![Royal Crescent - geograph](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6a/Royal_Crescent_-_geograph.org.uk_-_243464.jpg)
''Persuasion'' was well received by audiences, attracting 6.2 million viewers and a 26.1% audience share upon its initial broadcast in the United Kingdom.
939,000 Australian viewers watched the drama when it aired on ABC1 in June 2008. Four newspaper publications selected the drama as their "Pick of the Day." The period drama has an 80% approval rating on
Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is an American review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee, and Stephen Wang ...
.
Critics compared the production with previous renditions of ''Persuasion'' and with other productions of well known Austen works. The ''
Daily Post'' chose ''Persuasion'' as "the best of the three offerings in this series." However, Matthew Gilbert of ''
The Boston Globe
''The Boston Globe'' is an American daily newspaper founded and based in Boston, Massachusetts. The newspaper has won a total of 27 Pulitzer Prizes, and has a total circulation of close to 300,000 print and digital subscribers. ''The Boston Glob ...
'' opined that the adaptation "pale
in comparison with the extraordinary
1995 version."
David Wiegand of the ''
San Francisco Chronicle
The ''San Francisco Chronicle'' is a newspaper serving primarily the San Francisco Bay Area of Northern California. It was founded in 1865 as ''The Daily Dramatic Chronicle'' by teenage brothers Charles de Young and M. H. de Young, Michael H. de ...
'' expressed strong dissatisfaction with the adaptation, especially when compared to the 1995 ''
Pride and Prejudice
''Pride and Prejudice'' is an 1813 novel of manners by Jane Austen. The novel follows the character development of Elizabeth Bennet, the dynamic protagonist of the book who learns about the repercussions of hasty judgments and comes to appreci ...
'' series and the 1996 production of ''
Emma''.
The performance by Hawkins was well received by most. ''
Variety
Variety may refer to:
Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats
* Variety (radio)
* Variety show, in theater and television
Films
* ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont
* ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...
'' noted ''Persuasion'' "offers an appealing heroine, with Hawkins proving especially vulnerable as the passive Anne, who again risks letting a lifetime of happiness slip away from her." Conversely, the ''
Irish Independent
The ''Irish Independent'' is an Irish daily newspaper and online publication which is owned by Independent News & Media (INM), a subsidiary of Mediahuis.
The newspaper version often includes glossy magazines.
Traditionally a broadsheet new ...
''s John Boland called Hawkins the "crucial flaw" of the production. Boland continued, "She looked suitably guarded and gauche at the outset but then chose, and was allowed, to become increasingly gormless, so that long before the end you were left wondering what on earth Captain Wentworth had ever seen in this open-mouthed, inarticulate eejit. It was the worst piece of miscasting since
Tom Cruise
Thomas Cruise Mapother IV (born July 3, 1962), known professionally as Tom Cruise, is an American actor and producer. One of the world's highest-paid actors, he has received various accolades, including an Honorary Palme d'Or and three Gol ...
was asked to impersonate an icy hit-man in ''
Collateral
Collateral may refer to:
Business and finance
* Collateral (finance), a borrower's pledge of specific property to a lender, to secure repayment of a loan
* Marketing collateral, in marketing and sales
Arts, entertainment, and media
* ''Collate ...
''." ''
The Age
''The Age'' is a daily newspaper in Melbourne, Australia, that has been published since 1854. Owned and published by Nine Entertainment, ''The Age'' primarily serves Victoria (Australia), Victoria, but copies also sell in Tasmania, the Austral ...
'' thought Penry-Jones too handsome for the role of Captain Wentworth.
''
The Independent
''The Independent'' is a British online newspaper. It was established in 1986 as a national morning printed paper. Nicknamed the ''Indy'', it began as a broadsheet and changed to tabloid format in 2003. The last printed edition was publis ...
'' reported that
Janeites were "horrified by the inappropriate kissing" in the adaptation.
Awards and nominations
''Persuasion'' garnered a nomination for Best Drama at the 2007
Prix Italia
The Prix Italia is an international Television, Radio-broadcasting and Web award. It was established in 1948 by RAI – Radiotelevisione Italiana (in 1948, RAI had the denomination RAI – Radio Audizioni Italiane) in Capri and is honoured with the ...
. For her portrayal of Anne Elliot, Hawkins was named Best Actress at the
Royal Television Society Awards
The Royal Television Society (RTS) is a British-based educational charity for the discussion, and analysis of television in all its forms, past, present, and future. It is the oldest television society in the world. It currently has fourteen r ...
and she won the Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Film award at the
Monte-Carlo Television Festival
The Monte-Carlo Television Festival is held every year in June in the Monaco, Principality of Monaco at the Grimaldi Forum, under the Honorary Presidency of H.S.H. Albert II, Prince of Monaco, Prince Albert II of Monaco.
The opening ceremony ...
. Davis and Krige also received nominations in the same category, while Head and Penry-Jones were both nominated for Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Film. At the 2007 RTS Craft & Design Awards, Kevin Horsewood won the Best Visual Effects – Picture Enhancement award. Shergold earned a nomination in the Director of Fiction/Entertainment category at the 2008
British Academy Television Craft Awards.
References
External links
*
''Persuasion''at
PBS
The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is an American public broadcasting, public broadcaster and Non-commercial activity, non-commercial, Terrestrial television, free-to-air television network based in Arlington, Virginia. PBS is a publicly fu ...
{{DEFAULTSORT:Persuasion
2007 television films
2007 films
British television films
Films based on Persuasion (novel)
ITV television dramas
Television series set in the 19th century
Television shows based on works by Jane Austen
Television series by Clerkenwell Films
Films directed by Adrian Shergold
2000s English-language films