Were you Persuaded?

Ack!  I don't know how it's been two months since I posted.  (Actually, it was the holidays, and a relapse of that darn Lyme disease, and having some work done on my house...)

There's so much I want to tell you, but I have to start with PBS's Persuasion last night.  What did you think?

I have to say, I can't imagine anything more fun than a whole series of Austen films on Sunday nights for months to come.  (In case you didn't know, I'm a complete Austen nerd.  As if the book and blogs don't give that away.) So, kudos to Masterpiece for giving us this Austen celebration in the midst of a particularly barren tv season.

I really wanted to love this new adaptation, but didn't.  I was watching with a bad headache, so perhaps that's partially to blame, but I think my biggest complaint was simply how rushed everything was.  There were big pieces of the story that were only hinted at as a result.  I think the thing is, I love the one with Amanda Root and Ciaran Hinds so much, it would have taken a lot to shift my loyalties.

I'm particularly difficult to please when it comes to Austen, I guess.  And I think it may not be possible to do justice to Persuasion in an hour and twenty minutes.  Kudos to them for filming so much in Bath, rather than finding another location to substitute.  I liked Rupert Penry-Jones, and thought the cast was fine (if Mary was a bit annoying I thought it was an interesting portrayal of her ridiculous self), I just would have liked more of a chance to get to know them as their characters.

On the other hand, I heard from a friend who's new to Austen that they were moved by it, which made me happy.  The whole series could help attract a new generation of Austen fans to her writing.  As Martha would say, that's a Good Thing.

How about you -- were you Persuaded?  Check out Ms. Place's review on the PBS blog Remotely Connected.

Looking forward to next week and Northanger Abbey.

Sally Hawkins as Anne Elliot. ©Nick Briggs/Clerkenwell Films for Masterpiece™

Comments

[David H]

I felt the same way--it was too quick. I couldn't believe they'd only made it ninety minutes long. You need at least two hours for a Jane Austen to be adequately represented.

[Kelly Fineman]

I thought all the literal running part was ridiculous. Particularly when Anne was running and following Wentworth, only he'd managed to outpace her by (apparently) casually strolling. And I really disliked that they moved the "loving longest when hope is gone" conversation to far earlier in the film, and made it between Anne and Benwick.

But I am in love with Rupert Penry-Jones as Wentworth, and feel that my quarrels are with the script and the director's choices, and not with any of the actors.

[Lora Lynn]

I doubt we purists would ever be totally satisfied with a movie version of Austen. She didn't write her books to be adapted, obviously. I thought it was a pleasant enough watch, but I thought the ending was ridiculous. It became like Jane Austen does The Bourne Ultimatum.

[Sharon]

Ditto - liked the actor who played Wentworth. All the running was ridiculous...but the drawn out kiss was just stupid - Wentworth w-a-i-t-i-n-g while her lips quivered very oddly. :)

I admit to being a Larry McMurtry fan, so I had to choose between the first night of Comanche Moon and Persuasion. I opted for Comanche Moon, assuming Persuasion would be on several nights. When I switched to Persuasion during a network commercial, I could tell Persuasion would be complete in one viewing, so I stuck with it. Sharon

[Gina Dalfonzo]

The running part did get to be a little much. Anne Elliot as Tom Cruise in "The Firm." :-) The adaptation was a little bare-bones and the characters were a little too fond of stating or asking the obvious. ("Is she married?" Um, hello, you just heard them say "MISS Elliot!") But there were some good things in it. I thought the actress who played Mary was good as well. Love her first scene where she's moaning, "I'm soooooo ill . . ." or whatever it was.

I was a little jarred to hear Anne playing the Moonlight Sonata, but I looked up the dates and had to acknowledge that, yes, it would have been possible. Austen and Beethoven are so very different (though I love them both) that it's hard to think of them as belonging to the same time period!

[Gina Dalfonzo]

And having read that over, I think I'm a little too fond of saying "a little." :-)

[Lauren at Faith Fuel]

It was good. Not great. Not as good as the film with Ciaran Hinds starring as Captain Wentworth. I thought the character development in last night's adaptation was weak. I could not connect with this version of Captain Wentworth, and could not see what motivated him, really. The previous dark haired Ciaran Hinds with his blazing eyes and strong set of his chin said so much more than last night's version of Captain Wentworth. (From my blog)

[Karen]

Okay, I'll admit this up front - I have not seen it yet. It is on the DVR, patiently waiting for the time when I can give it my undivided attention.

That said...I will try not to be predisposed to dislike it. I, like many of us reading this blog, am an Austen purist, and am attached to "my" versions of the movies we have come to love (and are used to).

Rushing these stories, leaving big bits out (and aren't *all* the bits very important to those of us who love these stories? None of them can be cut! Oh the horror!) that will make the story confusing, or at least porous, to the first-timer...all of these things almost seem blasphemous to us, the Loyal Fans(tm).

But really...does it matter? Won't a new generation of Austen lovers fall in love with these films the way we fell in love with ours? I hope so, for everyone's sake. The more Austen in the world, the better for all of us.

[Barbara H.]

"Rushed" was my summation of it as well. This Captain Wentworth was handsome enough but just didn't seem like a naval captain to me. I also didn't like Anne's comment about her sex loving longest when hope is gone being moved. Like you, I loved the 1995 version.

But, as you said, hopefully this series will bring in a new generation of Austen fans.

I'm sorry about the Lyme disease.

[Arti]

Despite the fact that I had to switch back and forth between Persuasion and the Golden Globe results, I still enjoyed it. I was particularly surprised to see so much of Bath there, brought back fond memories. Will definitely see it again, this time without interruption.

[Seastar]

What bugged me the most was the Letter scene that didn't happen. Wentworth never overheard Anne telling Harville about how women love longest when there is no hope. Wentworth writes a letter at the end and it is handed to her while she is running through the streets of Bath but it doesn't even come close to the emotional scene that the book builds up to.

[Jennifer Meadows]

As a newbie to most things Austen, I loved it last night! The running part and the kiss both got on my nerves, but the rest made me all mushy.

Am I the only one that thinks the actress who played Mary reminded them of Molly Shannon?

Ok, a question then, if I were to watch the "best" version of Persuasion, which should it be?

P.S. Wentworth was dreamy!

[Felicia]

I, like you wanted to love it... but did not. I can not be persuaded! I feel that if you did not know the book, you would have been lost. But yet knowing the book and hearing all the quotes at the wrong times, omitting "the look" and not being able to hear ALL of the the most wonderful love letter ever written was very annoying. The Amanda Root/ Ciaran Hind version is still the best!

[Bonnie buckingham]

Well, I thought it was going to be the
older version, so today I have it ON HOLD
at the library. I think the character development was weak , but certainly Capt.
Wentworth was handsome. Very short which is
probably what modern audiences want?
My daughter who is 10 is going to listen
to the book on audio AND watch the older version. Wonder which one she will like.
She has good taste ~~ her name is Emma!

Bonnie

[Bonnie buckingham]

Well, I thought it was going to be the
older version, so today I have it ON HOLD
at the library. I think the character development was weak , but certainly Capt.
Wentworth was handsome. Very short which is
probably what modern audiences want?
My daughter who is 10 is going to listen
to the book on audio AND watch the older version. Wonder which one she will like.
She has good taste ~~ her name is Emma!

Bonnie

[Brittanie]

I wanted to love it too esp. since it is my first movie version but it did feel rushed and sometimes I had a hard time understanding what was going on. I was very happy I have read the book. I can't wait for next week to see how they do :)

[Marcia]

I thought it was pretty awful. I had no sympathy for Anne. Besides that terrible tight bun and strange wisps, she just seemed weak and insecure and pathetic. I really liked the Wentworth actor, but there was no chemistry there because I didn't even really like Anne. (And this is one of my favorite Austen books--I do love the character of Anne) I thought it was terrible casting and that final kiss had me and my friends laughing at how gross it was, not feeling one bit romantic. I was very disappointed.

[Nikki]

I am a new Austen fan. I have seen the Colin Firth movie of Pride and Predjudice. Being a newbie,the movie was wonderful to me. I just ordered all the books, so I might feel differently after I read them and watch the older versions of the movies. I like reading all of an author's works at one time for some reason. I am starting on Jane for 2008. I am very excited and love this period, so maybe with these thoughts, PBS was trying to "hook" some new fans to become avid fans as yourselves. Here's to exciting reading ahead!

[Nelle]

I too was very disppointed about the "loving longest" scene being placed where it was. That whole scene with Wentworth listen and his letter is my favorite part of the book! I was getting really nervous that they were going to skip the letter all together. I can kind of understand some of the shortened parts and needing to make the story work better for TV, but still. . . I did enjoy the little bits here and there that were snuck in from the book that a first time viewer/reader may not notice such as Sir Walter and his love of mirrors and looking at himself. I know Wentworth's present at the very end wasn't in the book, but I thought that was a nice touch to wrap things up a bit.

[Pam]

I just found your blog and I love it! I agree with you, I wanted to love this new version, but I didn't. This story has so much to offer modern audiences, but this version missed all of the depth. And how could any lover of Austen change the dialogue so that one character's words are spoken by another character totally out of context? I do give Masterpiece credit for trying and I look forward to the next show.

[Doug]

Jennifer (Meadows),

Wow, am I glad that someone else thought that Mary *must be* Molly Shannon! At least I am not going crazy! I kept doing a double-take, but then I thought, "No, that can't be her. Can it?"

[Mary]

Very rushed - I felt out of breath at the end from all the racing about. I still love the Root/Hinds version.I rather liked the wobbly camera work. Capt. Wentworth was broody and emo and hot. As long as his letter says "You pierce my soul" I am pretty satisfied but it would have been nice to have more of the details. Still, I'd rather watch a just OK version of Austen than a magnificent version of anything else.

[Susanna]

I feel the same way about the new adaptation of Persuasion as I do about the new Pride and Prejudice movie--good films, but they fall way short of the previous adaptations. My main complaint with Persuasion was the rushed feeling. I didn't feel like I got to know Anne and was unable to appreciate the strength of her character. This actress didn't have the presence of Amanda Root, in my opinion. Amanda Root was able to communicate so much with her eyes. I also thought that Lady Russell was much more formiable in the 1995 version and I liked the portrayal of Anne's relationships with the Musgroves and the Admiral and his wife in the previous adaptation as well. In the '95 version, Amanda Root and Ciaran Hinds did a fabulous job of portraying a deep and mature love for one another. To have Anne running down the street--and that kiss--ugh. Those two scenes were so ridiculous that it took away from the glorious ending of Anne and Captain Wentworth coming together. I'm looking forward to Northanger Abbey--I do not have a well loved adaptation to compare it to!

[Gina Dalfonzo]

So, how about "Northanger Abbey" last night? I really enjoyed it! :-)

[Jennifer Meadows]

Per your (all of you) recommendation, I checked out the 95 version of Persuasion and I have come to the conclusion that the only thing I would change from that version is to put the new Capt. Wentworth into it. The screenplay was far superior and it seemed to flow much more parallel to the book. That letter just turned me to pudding!

[Holly]

I'm so glad I'm not the only one who didn't like this film. I was incredibly disappointed with this version of Persuasion. I love the character of Anne Elliot because even with her heartbreak and her difficult family, she was strong. This Anne was plain, weak and weepy. I couldn't see her as someone whom Captain Wentworth could have loved, let alone been angry at. The big bosom-heaving kiss at the end was funny, not romantic and certainly not appropriate to the time. All the running back and forth that she did was a waste of time and then to have her stand all out of breath and lip wiggly was pathetic, not romantic.

I absolutely adore the 1995 version of Persuasion with Ciaran Hinds and Amanda Root. So, much richer and fuller of an adaptation. Anne starts out a little worn and plain, but by the end of the film she's stunning. As she blossoms and comes into her own, you see it happen on screen and it made the film so much better. I did prefer Anthony Head's Sir Walter in this new version, because he captured the utter meanness of the man, not simply his vanity. But, overall, this film is a waste of my time.

[momsiecal]

I've seen Persuasion with Ciaran and Amanda, and I really loved that one...Persuasion very quickly became a favourite of mine (knocking PP and SS off the pedestal!)..

Then I decided to watch the Rupert and Sally version...apart from the actors being more pleasing to the eye, the story, although enjoyable was a little bit too skewed for me and some parts, just down right ridiculous...

So Ciaran and Amanda still rules...for me, that is...