The 2 leads are fine and the story is reasonably representative of this fine novel. That gets my good score...downgraded only because of my production/wardrobe/makeup related comments...below.Amanda Root's "Anne" starts out looking like the Poor Relation. She shows stringy hair, a dull complexion, dreary clothing colors...and looks 35 in the beginning...LOOKS like the poor spinster cousin who sits in the corner while older sister (dressed...always...in nicer clothing and with better done hair) scorns her.Yes I KNOW the character undergoes a small transformation for the better as she comes to realize Capt. Wentworth still cares...but the beginning is too unbelievably old...and the initial light blue day dress looks more like a maid's pleasant day dress than a well-off single woman's day dress.Yes I KNOW the character Anne is in a funk after a close family friend talked her into sending away then-poor fiancé' Wentworth 8 years ago.But, since she's cast "against" two young actresses (playing the 2 Musgrove sisters and obviously much younger), she looks like the maiden aunt till about near the movie's end.So while I am happy to see a man who is not shallow -- only looking for a 20 year old to marry...it's hard to believe Wentworth passes over the much younger looking Musgrove sisters for the middle aged-looking Anne.I was SURPRISED to see Amanda Root in another film where she looked so much better...The film was from the mid 2000s where Root was actually 10 years older than in this film. She looked moderately pretty and actually younger than the beginning 'Anne'.But the movie is worth seeing...and I know not everyone will care about my fussy concern for better costuming of the daughter of Sir Eliot.

It's great to have such "natural" acting, but a shame that this means a lot of mumbling and muttering in the British accent and vernacular. I have to turn up the volume very loud and still cannot make out so much that entire scenes go by where I have no idea what was said.Otherwise, just from trying to watch this film I can tell it is probably a very good movie -- IF you can understand it. If one could get a copy with good English subtitles it would be well worth it, no doubt, if your first language is not British English. (Unfortunately the only copy I have access to right now is mechanically translated, which machine is worse than me at making out what is being said!)

Amanda Root is perfection along with the rest of the cast in a very faithful looking version of this Jane Austen opus. Lighting in particular is natural - apparent use of candles in a dining room scene, in another there appears to be only the natural light coming into the particular room. This gives the viewer the feeling of the lighting of the period. Costuming and makeup are not overdone to make the production look too glamorous with the performances more than making up. I can watch this again and again! Only one beef: the aspect ratio of the DVD is obviously from a VHS master and is 4:3 (screen ratio of 1.37:1) so is cropped off at the sides, as the title is right at the bottom of the frame indicating that a full frame negative has not been used for this DVD release. Certain shots are telling with obvious chopping off of actors and items and doesn't look like an ideal frame composition. Time for an update! The cinematic release ratio was 1.85:1 (widescreen ratio) and all TV's since around 2002 of course are close to this (1.77:1 or 16:9)

The novel "Persuasion" is one of my favourite Jane Austen works, yet there has never been a film adaptation of it that at all does it justice. The 1995 version is probably the best among the few, but it is greatly flawed. The script takes too many liberties, especially towards the end of the film. I see why Dear has included some attempt at both the novel's endings, as the original ending is worth its reading, but it very clearly does not work. Anne can hardly refute Wentworth's expectations of her marriage to Mr Elliot, which would render the more romantic letter proposal unnecessary, so instead runs off without answering him! Anne running out of the concert in pursuit of Captain Wentworth made me laugh. The quiet and proper Anne of the novel would never make such a scene. Mr Elliot's absolute proposal, which in the novel is only implied, makes Anne seem unfeeling and almost as if she has been leading him on.Furthermore, Captain Elliot's announcement that he wishes to marry Anne at the party, together with the kiss in the busy street, are completely out of character and period. Amanda Root does an emotional performance of the gentle and feeling Anne Elliot, yet she constantly looks worried, and I feel betrays her feelings towards Captain Wentworth too obviously. However, I do like the way her appearance improves throughout the film, as her "bloom" returns with her spirits. I also enjoyed the scenery of Bath and Lyme, which alone gave me satisfaction in the movie. I did enjoy Sophie Thompson's portrayal of the hypochondriac Mary, but felt Mrs Smith's character to completely lack development or seriousness.Persuasion is a novel consisting of much narration of Anne's feelings, and less dialogue than other books. Hence it is difficult to be adapted, and I feel should be left alone as an excellent work of literature, rather than be rendered mediocre through botched attempts at conveying its emotion.