This lovely production has a brooding quality that mirrors the circumstances of the author. Unlike the rest of Austen's heroines, Anne Elliot, in a delicate anxiety-ridden performance by Sally Hawkins, isn't twice as clever as everyone else. She's been "persuaded" to make the wrong choices over and over. Her own character we see emerge in the course of the story, and her defiance of convention, class and family brings us a very "modern" heroine.

Unlike the more sour comments here, I thought the production values exquisite, the cinematography mirrors both the romance Ms. Austen is noted for, but also a melancholy that is at the heart of all of her work. Beautiful scenes, for example, shot on a sea wall with a monochromatic palette very near the color of cold steel, we feel acutely the dilemma of the heroine forced to be in situation after situation where she has to face her past in the presence of her beloved. The beautiful visuals are matched, if not surpassed, by a delicate and evocative musical score.

Anne's redemption comes slowly, perhaps too slowly for the more impatient in the audience. And Rupert Perry-Jones' Captain Rupert all but stops the camera with his impressive portrayal of Captain Wentworth. More empathic than Ms. Austen's usual love interests, Mr. Perry-Jones also stops the hearts of the viewers with his agony, visible to us, but not Anne Elliot.

It would be difficult to pick a favorite out of Masterpiece Theater's "The Complete Jane Austen," but for me, this one might be it. It's economy, lovely cinematography, efficient screenplay, and splendid cast (save Amanda Hale who stops the show every time she appears on screen in a distracting, mannered performance that a director should not have accepted) especially the gentle beauty of Alice Krige as Lady Russell. "Persuasion" is free of the more clever elements that teeter many of Ms. Austen's works, and this production makes the most of a love story whose heroine earns her redemption with courage that is not facile or glib.

To those who think "the book was better," of course. So glad you have your attitude. Pity you can't let go of it and enjoy this fine little production.

I love Jane Austen's work, so I actually say with a heavy heart how disappointing this Persuasion was. Especially considering that 1995's Pride and Prejudice(in my opinion the ultimate Jane Austen adaptation),1995's Sense and Sensibility, 2009's Emma and 1995's Persuasion have proved to be solid adaptations and succeed beautifully on their own merits.

This adaptation of Persuasion isn't without redeeming values. The scenery and costumes are stunning and evocative complete with a melancholic atmosphere, the music is understated and beautiful and Anthony Head and Tobias Menzies are excellent and charismatic.

On the other hand, the camera work is dizzying, the close-ups of Anne's face annoyed me after a while and it is annoying that when more than one person is talking not all of them are shown on screen. The adaptation is too short at two hours and consequently felt rushed so that we felt nothing for the characters or felt any passion coming out from the story.

When it comes to the dialogue it was lacking the wit, poignancy and humour of the language of Austen, alternatively it didn't flow from line to line complete with some unintentionally funny moments such as Anne chasing Wentworth down the street, a somewhat modernised touch that stuck out like a sore thumb compared to the rest of the adaptation.

Head and Menzies aside, the rest of the performances are disappointing. I love Rupert Penry Jones, but apart from his handsome looks I found him dull and wooden. Sally Hawkins fares better, her interpretation is confident, though she is let down by bad direction and the decision to make Anne spoilt rather than resourceful. The Musgroves are sadly underused while Amanda Hale is awful as Mary, acting as though she was in a completely different period.

In conclusion, disappointing and one of my least favourite Austen adaptations, and this is coming from somebody who didn't think much of 1999's Mansfield Park(not yet seen the 2007 one) either. 3/10 Bethany Cox

Lady Russell, a meddling woman, persuades Anne Elliot, an unexperienced nineteen years old girl not to marry an naval officer, Captain Wentworth, because of his lower status in the English society of the times in which the story occurs. Lady Russell, a woman with a kind heart, decided to act on behalf of Anne's late mother, thus influencing the young Anne in refusing the Captain, a decision that she will regret always.

The Elliots, now living in poorer circumstances, must abandon their beloved country estate, Kellynch, and go to Bath to less elegant quarters. Little prepares Anne when she finds out that Captain's Wentworth's sister and brother-in-law are the new tenants of the Elliot's place. To make matters worse, Anne takes one look to her old beau and feels she still loves him. The Captain, although hurt, feels the same way about her.

The wonderful Jane Austen's novel was adapted for a Masterpiece Theater presentation. This time Adrian Shergold directed the adaptation of the novel by Simon Burke. Within the time format for the television presentation, Jane Austen's marvelous book suffers from those delicious details one always loved in the written page, but on the other hand, in spite of some negative comments, the treatment that resulted is not completely as bad as some comments would led the readers to believe.

Sally Hawkins is a tearful Anne. She is a wonderful actress, as she has demonstrated in "Happy Ever Afters", and "Cassandra's Dreams", just to name two of her most recent films. Rupert Penry-Jones, a handsome actor shows a talent in his take of Wentworth. Alice Krige is seen as Lady Russell. Anthony Head plays the obnoxious role of Anne's father.