Persuasion (2022 film)

2022 American film

Persuasion

Official release poster

Directed by| Carrie Cracknell
Screenplay by|

* Ronald Bass
* Alice Victoria Winslow

Based on| Persuasion by Jane Austen
Produced by|

* Andrew Lazar
* Christina Weiss Lurie

Starring|

* Dakota Johnson
* Cosmo Jarvis
* Nikki Amuka-Bird
* Mia McKenna-Bruce
* Richard E. Grant
* Henry Golding

Cinematography| Joe Anderson[1]
Edited by| Pani Scott
Music by| Stuart Earl

Production
companies

* MRC
* Bisous Pictures
* Mad Chance
* Fourth and Twenty Eight Films

Distributed by| Netflix

Release dates

* July 8, 2022 (2022-07-08) (United States)
* July 15, 2022 (2022-07-15) (Netflix)

Running time

| 109 minutes
Country| United States
Language| English

Persuasion is a 2022 American historical romance film based on Jane Austen's 1817 novel of the same name. It was directed by Carrie Cracknell from a screenplay by Ron Bass and Alice Victoria Winslow. The film stars Dakota Johnson, Cosmo Jarvis, Nikki Amuka-Bird, Mia McKenna-Bruce, Richard E. Grant, and Henry Golding.

Persuasion was released to theaters in the United States on July 8, 2022, a week before its streaming release on July 15, 2022, by Netflix.

## Plot

[edit]

The story begins seven years after Anne Elliot has broken off her engagement to Frederick Wentworth, at the time a young and undistinguished naval officer. He was considered clever, confident and ambitious, but his low social status and lack of wealth made Anne's friends and family view him as an unsuitable partner. Furthermore, Lady Russell, a distant relative whom Anne considers to be a second mother to her after her own died, also saw the relationship as imprudent for one so young, so persuaded Anne to break off the engagement.

Sir Walter Elliot, his debts mounting, reluctantly decides to lease their family estate Kellynch Hall to Admiral Croft. Sir Walter and Anne’s sister Elizabeth, along with the widowed Mrs Penelope Clay, go to Bath while Anne is instructed to care for her sister Mary, who has taken ill.

Admiral Croft and his wife arrive and reveal that Admiral Croft's wife is Wentworth's sister. While visiting Mary, the Admiral, his wife and Captain Wentworth are expected for dinner; Mary recovers from her illness for the dinner, and Anne volunteers to miss the dinner to sit with Mary's injured son. Unknowing of their previous attachment, one of Mary's sisters-in-law, Louisa, encourages Anne to pursue Captain Wentworth but ends up doing so herself.

The group, including Mary's family, Anne, Louisa, and Wentworth, travel to Lyme to enjoy a holiday by the sea and meet some of Captain Wentworth's naval friends, including Captains Benwick and Harville. Louisa's infatuation with Wentworth is obvious, and Anne tries to hide her feelings. Anne and Wentworth agree to be friends, and the group encounters a mysterious gentleman who seems to be interested in Anne. They discover his identity after he has departed to Bath: William Elliot, cousin to the family who stands to inherit everything.

Louisa, in a misguided attempt at flirtation, has Captain Wentworth catch her as she jumps down the last stairs of a staircase. She tries to repeat the gesture from a greater height, despite Wentworth's objections, and is seriously injured. Captain Benwick fetches a doctor, and Mary resolves to stay with her while Anne goes to Bath.

In Bath, Anne is reacquainted with William Elliot, who begins to pursue her. He also states that his intention in Bath is to ensure Anne's father does not marry Mrs Clay, who could bear a son that would displace him as heir to the estate. Anne becomes distraught upon learning of Louisa's engagement following her recovery. Wentworth arrives and reveals that he has been made an offer of a ship and is deciding whether to take it. Upon seeing William Elliot's pursuit of Anne, he decides to accept the offer.

Wentworth overhears Anne and Harville discussing the relative faithfulness of men and women in love. Deeply moved by what Anne says about women not giving up their feelings of love even when all hope is lost, Wentworth writes her a note declaring his feelings for her and departs. Anne runs after Wentworth, along the way seeing William Elliot in a romantic embrace with Mrs Clay.

Anne and Captain Wentworth declare themselves to each other and embrace.

William Elliot and Mrs Clay marry.

Later, Wentworth shows Anne how to use a sextant while the happy couple look out over the ocean as they talk of their impending naval voyage.

## Cast

[edit]

* Dakota Johnson as Anne Elliot
* Cosmo Jarvis as Captain Frederick Wentworth
* Henry Golding as Mr. William Elliot
* Nikki Amuka-Bird as Lady Russell
* Mia McKenna-Bruce as Mary Musgrove
* Richard E. Grant as Sir Walter Elliot
* Ben Bailey Smith as Charles Musgrove
* Nia Towle as Louisa Musgrove
* Izuka Hoyle as Henrietta Musgrove
* Yolanda Kettle as Elizabeth Elliot
* Edward Bluemel as Captain Harville
* Afolabi Alli as Captain Benwick
* Jenny Rainsford as Mrs. Harville
* Lydia Rose Bewley as Mrs. Penelope Clay

## Production

[edit]

In April 2021, it was announced Dakota Johnson had joined the cast of the film, with Carrie Cracknell directing from a screenplay by Ron Bass and Alice Victoria Winslow, based on the novel of the same name by Jane Austen, with Netflix set to distribute.[2] In May 2021, Henry Golding, Cosmo Jarvis, Richard E. Grant, Nikki Amuka-Bird, Ben Bailey Smith, Izuka Hoyle, Mia McKenna-Bruce, and Nia Towle joined the cast of the film.[3][4] In June 2021, Edward Bluemel, Lydia Rose Bewley, and Yolanda Kettle joined the cast of the film.[5]

Principal photography began in May 2021.[6][7]

## Reception

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On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 30% of 138 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 5/10. The website's consensus reads: "Despite Dakota Johnson's best efforts, the chaotically anachronistic Persuasion fails to convince as a worthwhile Austen adaptation."[8] On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 42 out of 100 based on 37 critics, indicating mixed or average reviews.[9]

Variety's Peter Debruge found Carrie Cracknell to have "gone and done a strange thing with the book", by trying to "modernize it, borrowing heavily from Fleabag with its fourth-wall-breaking gimmicks", while "casting a free-spirited, fully liberated American star, Dakota Johnson, as Anne — all of which strips the novel of its core tension."[10] Christy Lemire from the Roger Ebert website found Dakota Johnson offering in the film "a taste of her under-appreciated comic timing", though she claims "it's impossible to care about whether Anne ends up with Frederick Wentworth because, as played by Cosmo Jarvis, he is so stiff and uncharismatic."[11] The Guardian's Stuart Heritage wrote that the "attempt to modernize the classic novel has led to a disaster of anachronistic dialogue and annoyingly wry glances at the camera,"[12] while Vox critic Constance Grady found the film an "absolute disaster."[13] The Spectator went so far as to proclaim in its review that "everyone involved should be in prison."[14]

Vanity Fair cited Persuasion as a work that fails to utilize breaking the fourth wall successfully, writing that it "risk[s] structural damage" to itself due to breaking the fourth wall in an unnecessary and "narratively jarring" way.[15]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Anderson, Joe (July 14, 2021). "Wrapped". Instagram. Archived from the original on December 26, 2021. Retrieved July 14, 2021.
2. ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (April 20, 2021). "Dakota Johnson Set To Star In Netflix & MRC Film's Jane Austen Update Persuasion". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved April 20, 2021.
3. ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (May 5, 2021). "Henry Golding Joins Dakota Johnson In Netflix & MRC Jane Austen Update Persuasion". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved May 17, 2021.
4. ^ Wiseman, Andreas (May 17, 2021). "Persuasion: Cosmo Jarvis To Star Opposite Dakota Johnson In Netflix & MRC Jane Austen Movie; Richard E. Grant, Suki Waterhouse, Nikki Amuka-Bird & More Join". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved May 17, 2021.
5. ^ Wiseman, Andreas (June 4, 2021). "Persuasion: Edward Bluemel, Lydia Rose Bewley & Yolande Kettle Join Netflix & MRC Jane Austen Pic". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved June 4, 2021.
6. ^ "Film and TV Projects Going Into Production - Persuasion". Variety Insight. Archived from the original on May 7, 2021. Retrieved May 7, 2021.
7. ^ "Henry Golding was Excited to Play 'Period F--kboy' Mr. Elliot in 'Persuasion'". YouTube. May 16, 2021. Retrieved May 17, 2021.
8. ^ "Persuasion". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved May 10, 2023.
9. ^ "Persuasion". Metacritic. Fandom, Inc. Retrieved July 12, 2022.
10. ^ Debruge, Peter (July 15, 2022). "'Persuasion' Review: Dakota Johnson Makes an Odd Fit for a 'Fleabag'-Style Jane Austen Adaptation". Variety. Retrieved July 18, 2022.
11. ^ Lemire, Christy (July 15, 2022). "Persuasion". RogerEbert.com. Retrieved July 18, 2022.
12. ^ Heritage, Stuart (July 15, 2022). "Turning Persuasion into Jane Austen's Fleabag was a truly terrible idea". The Guardian. Retrieved July 18, 2022.
13. ^ Grady, Constance (July 15, 2022). "Netflix's Persuasion is an absolute disaster". Vox. Retrieved July 18, 2022.
14. ^ Ross, Deborah (July 16, 2022). "Everyone involved should be in prison: Netflix's Persuasion reviewed". The Spectator. Retrieved July 18, 2022.
15. ^ Walsh, Savannah (July 14, 2022). "Persuasion and the Risky Business of Breaking the Fourth Wall". Vanity Fair. Retrieved August 11, 2022.

## External links

[edit]

* Persuasion on Netflix
* Persuasion at IMDb

* v
* t
* e

Jane Austen's Persuasion

Characters|

* Anne Elliot
* Frederick Wentworth

Miniseries|

* Persuasion (1960)
* Persuasion (1971)

Films|

* Persuasion (1995)
* Persuasion (2007)
* Persuasion (2022)

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*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template