Comments on: Persuasion (2007) and The Complete Jane Austen News Roundup: Everyone's Got An Opinion Edition

By: mjryan

mjryan — Thu, 17 Jan 2008 15:34:56 +0000

While I didn’t enjoy Anne constantly looking into the camera and I can understand the disappointment with the final 10 minutes, I thought the adaptation in general was very good. My enjoyment could have something to do with the fact that I find Rupert Penry Jones much more appealing than Ciran Hinds.

I do have a quibble or two with the intro by Gillian Anderson. One, I dislike her being stuck in front of a plain background. Two, if they insist on doing that they should at least change the color. Red just doesn’t look good.

I’m looking forward to the Northanger Abbey adaptation. It’s the only book I haven’t seen adapted. Unless you count my inability to watch Gwynth Paltrow’s Emma in its entirety.

By: Mags from her Treo

Mags from her Treo — Thu, 17 Jan 2008 14:25:51 +0000

Thanks, Maisy! That’s really interesting. I would love to have been a fly on the wall at the pitch meetings for WGBH.

By: Maisy

Maisy — Thu, 17 Jan 2008 14:08:17 +0000

They were gleaned from posts I’ve read on RoP, IMDb and (? can’t remember the third place) posted by people who attended the preview events in NYC.

By: Mags

Mags — Thu, 17 Jan 2008 13:29:36 +0000

Maisy: do you have a link to these comments? I haven’t got that vibe, myself…but I do hope they are more careful about future projects, yes.

By: Maisy

Maisy — Thu, 17 Jan 2008 13:27:37 +0000

Having read Rebecca Eaton’s remarks about these ITV JA films, I think that PBS/WGBH will approach their future projects more carefully. It seems like they are sorry that they ever got involved with ITV. I think it’s good that they recognize this. But I’m sorry to see so many people stating they intend to withhold their financial support of Masterpiece Classics.

I realize that there is more going on beneath the surface than a lot of people aare aware of (yes, some people/companies are getting rich off of public television). However, I remember how Cranford nearly wasn’t made because Universal (U.S.) pulled out their funding a few years ago, and without their support, BBC cancelled the project. We’re fortunate that it was revived (with the assistance of funding from WGBH’s Masterpiece). Therefore, I do not intend to stop voting for Masterpiece Classics with my checkbook.

By: Ally

Ally — Wed, 16 Jan 2008 00:09:35 +0000

Having re-read all the comments from both the previous post and the more recent one, I think we can fairly say there’s one thing that was disapproved universally, which is the last 10 minutes, with the running, the butchered letter, the kiss (urgh) and Wentworth’s ‘present’ of Kellynch hall. The only difference lay in the degree of dislike…personally I hated it and it ruined what was seeming like a very good adaptation. I just can’t forgive what was done with the letter scene, including the talk Anne has with Harville…

By: Lynne

Lynne — Tue, 15 Jan 2008 19:46:01 +0000

It seems that everyone certainly does have an opinion about Persuasion if we are to use the 100+ comments from one of the previous posts as evidence. Sheesh. I hated the diary scenes and Anne looking at the camera all the time, if you want my opinion.

By: Julie P.

Julie P. — Tue, 15 Jan 2008 16:13:20 +0000

Wow. I just re-read the thread that followed the UK airing. It seems that unabridged version is more popular than the abridged version that PBS viewers were treated to.

This was my 3rd viewing of the film. The first was the UK version and the 2nd and 3rd were the PBS version. I confess to liking it somewhat the first time, but was grossly disappointed with the 2nd and 3rd times. I did watch P95 last night and it was as wonderful as ever, and perhaps I’ll whip out my region 2 DVD of P07 to see if putting back the missing scenes changes my opinion.