The movie that jump-started the contemporary fascination with all things Jane Austen was an unlikely smash hit. Roger Mitchell's dramatization of Austen's final novel was originally made for BBC television, and he himself had no previous experience directing movies. The story itself is also not a slam dunk: unlike other Austen stories about the flirtations of attractive young people, Persuasion is about second looks and last chances: Anne Elliot (Shakespearean actor Amanda Root) turned down a proposal of marriage from humble-but-honest Frederick Wentworth (Ciarán Hinds) years ago, and now regrets letting her status-conscious family influence her decision. Now, years later, Wentworth reappears in her still-single life -- but this time as a wealthy Navy captain wooing her sister-in-law. Shot in natural light with deglamorized costumes, the unpretentious staging allows sensitive actors like Root and Hinds to shine with all sorts of deliciously unspoken torments and exaltations. This retelling not only made Hinds a refined sex symbol, but opened the way to a cinematic Austen boom including Emma (1996), Pride and Prejudice (2005), and Sense and Sensibility (1995). Anglophiles will also enjoy notable locations like Lyme and Bath shown in sigh-inducing vistas.
By Violet LeVoit
Persuasion
Brief Synopsis
After turning down a previous marriage proposal years earlier, a young woman is thrown into company with her former beau.
Cast & Crew
Read More
Roger Michell
Director
Ken Shorter
David Plummer
Roger Hammond
Jane Wood
Samuel West
Film Details
MPAA Rating
Genre
Romance
Adaptation
Drama
Historical
Period
Release Date
1995
Technical Specs
Duration
1h 43m
Synopsis
Anne Elliot is the most level-headed of Sir Walter Elliot's three daughters. Seven years earlier, Anne fell in love with Frederick Wentworth, a young naval officer, but broke off the engagement due to family pressure. When Wentworth unexpectedly returns, now a prosperous man and a more suitable match, Anne is forced to confront the consequences of her decision, and the depth of her enduring feelings for Wentworth.
Director
Roger Michell
Director
Cast
Ken Shorter
David Plummer
Roger Hammond
Jane Wood
Samuel West
Roger Watkins
Alex Wilman
Susan Fleetwood
Tom Rigby
Isaac Maxwell-hunt
Rosa Mannion
Simon Russell Beale
Lonnie James
Niall Refoy
Amanda Root
Roger Llewellyn
John Woodvine
Judy Cornwall
Helen Schlesinger
Robert Glenister
Bill Mcguirk
Darlene Johnson
David Collings
Sally George
Dermot Kerrigan
Richard Brenner
Cinnamon Faye
David Acton
Richard Mccabe
Emma Roberts
Phoebe Nicholls
Ciarßn Hinds
Justin Avoth
Felicity Dean
Fiona Shaw
Sophie Thompson
Victoria Hamilton
Corin Redgrave
Crew
Hugh Adams
Camera Assistant
John Arnold
Grip
Jane Austen
Source Material (From Novel)
Nicki Ballantyne
Assistant Director
Kay Bilk
Makeup Artist
Charlotte Blaire
Advisor
Siobhan Bracke
Casting Consultant
Alexandra Byrne
Costume Designer
Helen Caldwell
Stunts
Joanna Casserly
Makeup Artist
Sally Jane Collins
Makeup Artist
Lee Crichlow
Editor
John Daly
Director Of Photography
Nick Dear
Screenplay
William Dudley
Production Designer
John Durrant
Graphic Designer
Rebecca Eaton
Executive Producer
Julie Edwards
Assistant Director
Terry Elms
Sound Recordist
Kate Evans
Editor
George Faber
Executive Producer
Fiona Finlay
Producer
Roger Goldby
Assistant Director
Colin Gorry
Visual Effects Designer
Mik Gough
Boom Operator
Jo Harden
Assistant Director
Margot Hayhoe
Associate Producer
Julian Holmes
Location Manager
Michael Narduzzo
Dubbing Mixer
Ben Norrington
Editor
Jan Pester
Steadicam Operator
Dick Reed
Lighting
Monica Rodger
Production Associate
Jeremy Sams
Original Music
Jayne Selwyn-roberts
Location Manager
Jean L. Speak
Makeup
Geraldine Stephenson
Choreographer
Brian Sykes
Production Designer
Donald Taylor
Assistant Director
Steve Wallace
Camera Assistant
Linda Ward
Art Director
Videos
Movie Clip
Trailer
Hosted Intro
Film Details
MPAA Rating
Genre
Romance
Adaptation
Drama
Historical
Period
Release Date
1995
Technical Specs
Duration
1h 43m
Articles
Persuasion
By Violet LeVoit
Persuasion
The movie that jump-started the contemporary fascination with all things Jane Austen was an unlikely smash hit. Roger Mitchell's dramatization of Austen's final novel was originally made for BBC television, and he himself had no previous experience directing movies. The story itself is also not a slam dunk: unlike other Austen stories about the flirtations of attractive young people, Persuasion is about second looks and last chances: Anne Elliot (Shakespearean actor Amanda Root) turned down a proposal of marriage from humble-but-honest Frederick Wentworth (Ciarán Hinds) years ago, and now regrets letting her status-conscious family influence her decision. Now, years later, Wentworth reappears in her still-single life -- but this time as a wealthy Navy captain wooing her sister-in-law. Shot in natural light with deglamorized costumes, the unpretentious staging allows sensitive actors like Root and Hinds to shine with all sorts of deliciously unspoken torments and exaltations. This retelling not only made Hinds a refined sex symbol, but opened the way to a cinematic Austen boom including Emma (1996), Pride and Prejudice (2005), and Sense and Sensibility (1995). Anglophiles will also enjoy notable locations like Lyme and Bath shown in sigh-inducing vistas.
By Violet LeVoit
Quotes
Trivia
Miscellaneous Notes
Expanded Release in United States October 6, 1995
Released in United States Fall September 27, 1995
Released in United States February 1996
Released in United States May 1995
Released in United States on Video April 2, 1996
Released in United States September 1995
Shown at Berlin International Film Festival (market) February 15-26, 1996.
Shown at Cannes Film Festival (market) May 17-28, 1995.
Shown at Telluride Film Festival September 1-4, 1995.
Shown at Toronto International Film Festival September 7-16, 1995.
Broadcast over BBC-TV Channel 1 in United Kingdom April 16, 1995.
Released in United States February 1996 (Shown at Berlin International Film Festival (market) February 15-26, 1996.)
Released in United States on Video April 2, 1996
Released in United States May 1995 (Shown at Cannes Film Festival (market) May 17-28, 1995.)
Released in United States September 1995 (Shown at Telluride Film Festival September 1-4, 1995.)
Released in United States September 1995 (Shown at Toronto International Film Festival September 7-16, 1995.)
Released in United States Fall September 27, 1995
Expanded Release in United States October 6, 1995
Expanded Release in United States October 13, 1995
Expanded Release in United States October 20, 1995
Expanded Release in United States October 27, 1995
Expanded Release in United States November 3, 1995
Expanded Release in United States November 10, 1995
Expanded Release in United States November 17, 1995
Expanded Release in United States November 3, 1995
Expanded Release in United States October 13, 1995
Expanded Release in United States October 20, 1995
Expanded Release in United States October 27, 1995
Expanded Release in United States November 10, 1995
Expanded Release in United States November 17, 1995