Persuasion

In Masterpiece Theatre’s completely new production of Jane Austen’s fifth novel, Anne Elliot seems destined for spinsterhood after being persuaded to refuse the marriage proposal of dashing Captain Wentworth, eight years earlier. Enjoy the fun and suspense when chance brings the two together again. Now rich and free to choose among eligible beauties, will Wentworth propose to his first love again? And if he does, will Anne need persuasion to accept him at last? Sally Hawkins (Little Britain) stars as Anne, and Rupert Penry-Jones (Casanova) as Wentworth in this brilliant adaptation, premiering on PBS.

Written by Jane Austen
Screenplay by Simon Burke
Directed by Adrian Shergold
Produced by David Snodlin
Executive Produced by Murray Ferguson

“The film is beautiful, much more like an independent European film than the pretty, sundrenched versions we have come to associate with British costume dramas. The dark scene in which Penry-Jones gets drenched, for example, has made it.” -Daily Telegraph

“Jane Austen for grown-ups with a terrific starring performance by Sally Hawkins … while some terrific actors aid director Adrian Shergold in capturing the social niceties and hypocrisies of the time … Cinematographer David Odd captures beautifully the locations at Bath and Lyme Regis, while David Roger's production design and Andrea Galer's costumes are equally handsome. Head's witty performance as Sir Walter is memorable, as are the contributions by Stockley as empty-headed Mrs. Clay, Krige as presumptuous Lady Russell and Hale as the crybaby Mary. 'Snoops' star Penry-Jones makes a dashing and sympathetic Wentworth. The film, however, belongs to Hawkins … She makes Anne not only intelligent and wise but also beautiful, and it's impossible not to cheer her on when she decides to make a dash along Bath's Royal Crescent in order to win her love.” -Hollywood Reporter

“… a drama with real emotional depth. Sally Hawkins had the tricky job of playing Anne Elliot … It's famously hard enough to grip an audience with someone as indestructibly nice as Anne. (Even Austen said about Persuasion that 'the heroine is almost too good for me.') Here, Hawkins was faced with the added difficulty of having to spend so much time looking deeply pensive and tragic without getting on our nerves. Fortunately, she fulfilled both challenges with such unforced aplomb that we were soon cheering her on … One of the great qualities of Simon Burke's script, however, was that it didn't try to modernise anything - especially the emotional reticence of the characters. Heroically enough, it even resisted the temptation to make Anne feisty. Of course, this subtle approach added greatly to the programme's power. Less predictably, it also made Anne and Wentworth's behaviour more recognisable.” -Daily Telegraph

“All round great casting … but it's the direction that makes this the best of ITV1's newly commissioned period dramas. Cold colours, unhelpful gossip and perpetual driving rain can't quite extinguish Anne's passion, while Rupert Penry-Jones smoulders as convincingly as if steam was rising from within his frock coat … excellent dramatisation…” -Guardian

“…there was real, buttoned-up emotion slowly unbuttoning between Captain Wentworth (Rupert Penry-Jones) and Anne Elliot (Sally Hawkins). The couple apart, the star turn was from Anthony Head as Sir Walter Elliot, a snob of outstanding repellence.”-Sunday Times

"...delightful in it's nuance, relying less on dialogue and more on expresson, clearly catching the melancholy acquiescence of ite heroine Anne Elliot, played impeccably by Sally Hawkins (Little Britain.)" - Michelle Dutson, The British Canadian