The verdict is in. We are persuaded that the original version is better.
The 1995 version of Jane Austen's Persuasion (with Amanda Root and Ciarán Hinds) had more time (107 minutes) to develop the characters, their romances, and the tension between the classes. The 2007 version (93 minutes, with Sally Hawkins and Rupert Penry-Jones) got off to a strong start, especially when we all first spied the dashing new Captain Wentworth. But his model good looks didn't really say weathered sea captain. Not that we minded entirely. But after awhile, it strained the credibility of this version.
Want to know more about this new production? Here is a Boston Globe interview with screenwriter Andrew Davies and review of the new production.
And for a bit of fun procrastination, check out "The Men of Austen."
(Photos: The new Anne Elliot, above, strains to see Captain Wentworth, right).
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