Persuasion

Masterpiece Theater ran a new version of the movie Persuasion last night, the first movie in their Jane Austen series. While I loved the first movie version of Persuasion, I LOVED this version. This is definitely a movie I will watch over and over and BAWL. See, I rarely cry the first time I see a movie, but after watching it over and over (i.e., The Sound of Music), I will know what's coming and cry and cry. I would NEVER go to watch S of M in a theater nowadays, what with Captain von Trapp singing Edelweiss at the music festival and all. I had a few minor complaints about this version of Persuasion, one being the ending. If I remember correctly, in the previous version, Ann and Wentworth decide to be together, but no one finds out about it until a family dinner that evening when her creepy cousin tries to tell everyone she is marrying him, only to have Ann announce she is going to marry Wentworth. That was a huge payoff, to see the looks on people's faces who thought she was just a spinster and only good for babysitting or watching sickly relatives while the younger girls get to go socialize to find a husband. It is just shocking how badly Ann is treated by all these clueless people who persuaded her not to marry Wentworth eight years ago because he had no money and no title, but now that he's back with money, he's a huge catch and she's a spinster. The only thing wrong with this clip is it doesn't convey how heartbreaking the first 45 minutes of the movie are. It seems like there is NO HOPE for Ann, and everyone loves Wentworth. And Rupert Penry-Jones as Wentworth, hubba-hubba. I first saw him a few years ago on MI-5. He took over for Matthew Macfayden (who, by the way, played Darcy in the Keira Knightly version of P&P). I know some people (Jana) preferred MM on MI-5, but I love Rupert. Every Sunday night on Masterpiece they'll be showing a new Jane Austen, except for P&P which will be the definitive version with another of my top five British actors, Colin Firth. With Jane Austen around, who needs writers?