A Letter
Dear Jane,
Last night I watched the PBS version of Persuasion again, as they are showing productions of all your works on Masterpiece. I first watched it on Sunday, and then I watched the rebroadcast last night. Sure, I had to stay up until midnight, but it was worth it.
On the whole, I think Persuasion is my favorite of your novels. The new production did not really do it justice. Anne Elliot is a dutiful daughter who gives up a chance at marriage because it is the right thing to do for her family, not because she is wishy-washy and indecisive. This television show made her all hesistant and passive, staying in the corners of the rooms, looking breathlessly at people, getting out of the way. I think the producers mistook her proper and dutiful personality for weakness. Perhaps that is an accurate way to portray Fanny from Mansfield Park, but not Anne Elliot.
Plus, there were some changes to the plot, which made the story weaker, not stronger. And a few modern touches like having Anne look directly into the camera all the time, having her RUN, in public, all over Bath looking for Wentworth, and then having them kiss in public, that were just awful.
The worst I think was adding the totally new scene at the end showing Wentworth buying Kellynch for Anne as a wedding present. That made no sense, since Anne's father owns Kellynch, and would not sell it, nor is Wentworth rich enough to buy it. Furthermore, it is entailed upon Anne's cousin Mr. Elliot, and he wouldn't want to sell it either. Why add a terrible scene like that onto a perfectly good book?
The best thing about the production was that the producers did realize that your novels are in a way Harlequin Romances for the literary type. They cast a total hottie to play Wentworth. He was appropriately wounded, brooding and smoldering. Just like Colin Firth in Pride and Prejudice. But better looking.
Anyway, I will still watch all the other ones, but I hope they do a better job with the remaining novels.
Your faithful fan.
P.S. My husband overheard two women on the bus talking about the production. They said the exact same thing I did, that Anne was not portrayed as a strong person in the television show as she was in the book! So it is not just me who thinks this way about the show.
P.P.S. This Sunday is Northanger Abbey, but I fear the NFC Football Conference Game will run long and I shall be prevented from watching it. But after all, it is the Packers playing, and I can always watch Northanger Abbey Monday night.
P.P.P.S. I suppose it could be worse, the summary line from the library about the DVD of an older BBC version reads "Anne Elliot will do anything to get Captain Wentworth now that he is interested in Lousia Musgrove". Now that sounds like a Harlequin Romance!
Last night I watched the PBS version of Persuasion again, as they are showing productions of all your works on Masterpiece. I first watched it on Sunday, and then I watched the rebroadcast last night. Sure, I had to stay up until midnight, but it was worth it.
On the whole, I think Persuasion is my favorite of your novels. The new production did not really do it justice. Anne Elliot is a dutiful daughter who gives up a chance at marriage because it is the right thing to do for her family, not because she is wishy-washy and indecisive. This television show made her all hesistant and passive, staying in the corners of the rooms, looking breathlessly at people, getting out of the way. I think the producers mistook her proper and dutiful personality for weakness. Perhaps that is an accurate way to portray Fanny from Mansfield Park, but not Anne Elliot.
Plus, there were some changes to the plot, which made the story weaker, not stronger. And a few modern touches like having Anne look directly into the camera all the time, having her RUN, in public, all over Bath looking for Wentworth, and then having them kiss in public, that were just awful.
The worst I think was adding the totally new scene at the end showing Wentworth buying Kellynch for Anne as a wedding present. That made no sense, since Anne's father owns Kellynch, and would not sell it, nor is Wentworth rich enough to buy it. Furthermore, it is entailed upon Anne's cousin Mr. Elliot, and he wouldn't want to sell it either. Why add a terrible scene like that onto a perfectly good book?
The best thing about the production was that the producers did realize that your novels are in a way Harlequin Romances for the literary type. They cast a total hottie to play Wentworth. He was appropriately wounded, brooding and smoldering. Just like Colin Firth in Pride and Prejudice. But better looking.
Anyway, I will still watch all the other ones, but I hope they do a better job with the remaining novels.
Your faithful fan.
P.S. My husband overheard two women on the bus talking about the production. They said the exact same thing I did, that Anne was not portrayed as a strong person in the television show as she was in the book! So it is not just me who thinks this way about the show.
P.P.S. This Sunday is Northanger Abbey, but I fear the NFC Football Conference Game will run long and I shall be prevented from watching it. But after all, it is the Packers playing, and I can always watch Northanger Abbey Monday night.
P.P.P.S. I suppose it could be worse, the summary line from the library about the DVD of an older BBC version reads "Anne Elliot will do anything to get Captain Wentworth now that he is interested in Lousia Musgrove". Now that sounds like a Harlequin Romance!
posted by Shelly at 11:35 AM
3 Comments:
oh make me laugh out loud!!!!!!! When was the last time you read any of these books? I cant believe you can recall these details!!
Why do people do things like that to Jane? You would think the stories have been around long enough to play them stratight, wouldn't you? Or at least, historically accurate.
I may skip NA, it's not high on my list.
I didn't catch it but my friend Harriet who is a big, big JA fan didn't like the changes either.
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