In her theatrical film debut, Amanda Root stars as protagonist Anne Elliot, while Ciarán Hinds plays her romantic interest, Captain Frederick Wentworth.

Director Roger Michell avoided what he felt was the polished, artificial feel of other 19th-century depictions, and discouraged his actors from wearing make-up or appearing too hygienic.

Shepherd and Clay are accosted by creditors due to the debts owed by the residence's owner, Sir Walter Elliot, while Croft discusses the end of the Napoleonic Wars with fellow men of the navy.

Anne is upset upon learning that the new tenant of Kellynch Hall will be Admiral Croft, who is the brother-in-law of Frederick Wentworth—a naval captain she was persuaded to reject in marriage nine years previously due to his lack of prospects and connections.

Later, Anne expresses to Lady Russell her unhappiness at her family's current financial predicament, and her past decision to reject the captain's marriage proposal.

[6][7] The idea for a film version of the 1817 Austen novel Persuasion began with the English producer Fiona Finlay, who had wanted to create an adaptation for several years.

[9] She approached the writer Nick Dear about adapting it for television; Finlay had enjoyed his contributions to theatre, particularly his play about William Hogarth, The Art of Success.

[13] While directing, Michell sought to emphasise contrasts in Austen's story, seen for instance between "the chilly formality of Kellynch Hall and the warm, wet feel of Uppercross".

[17] Root came to realise that while the novel's narrative style allowed Anne's thoughts to come through, the film adaptation offered comparatively little dialogue.

[18] Persuasion was shot in chronological order, which allowed Root to see "what a difference [her character's] sense of unhappiness can create", as by the end of the film Anne is "happier and looks better".

[21] Michell attempted to be as faithful to the novel as possible, in particular avoiding what he felt was the polished, artificial feel of other period dramas set in the 19th century.

[14] She said in a separate interview, "I wanted to make Anne Elliot a somewhat plain woman who was not really miserable but had found a way to be content somehow, and yet emotions are buzzing around her all the time".

[26] Louise Watson, writing for Screenonline, felt the film's costume and make-up help "convey the full Cinderella transformation of Austen's heroine.

[28] Gina and Andrew MacDonald had a similar view of the film, writing that it accurately captures Austen's satire by juxtaposing the upper classes' extravagance in fashion with the virtuous qualities of the Royal Navy.

[4] Eaton would cite Persuasion as a successful example of WGBH using its small budget to invest in television projects,[31] though she later expressed regret that the adaptation was two hours rather than a "luscious" six-part miniseries.

[32] Dear first wrote a scene closely modelled after Austen's ending: Anne reunites with Wentworth on the streets of Bath, and the two exchange words and hold hands.

Persuasion consequently benefited, allowing it to frequently film on-location in places including Lyme Regis and Bath, and the south-eastern English countryside.

[35][36] Dear desired the opening sequence be on board a Royal Navy ship of the period, but the only authentic vessel available was Nelson's HMS Victory.

[40] The film's Anne also engages in actions not visible in the novel, such as her haste to stop Wentworth from leaving a musical concert when he feels demeaned by disparaging comments about his profession.

[41] According to David Monaghan, Austen's novel displays a "relatively radical vision" of societal change, such as the rise of a professional class challenging the old order of landed gentry.

[42] Sue Parrill observes that Persuasion's larger production budget, which allowed the crew to film much content on location, "enabled the filmmakers to make fuller use of setting for symbolism and for creation of mood".

[44] Indeed, for Rachel Brownstein, by opening the film with a depiction of sailors, the director is confronting a common complaint about Austen's works—her failure to mention the Napoleonic Wars.

[10] While directing, Roger Michell felt that the story included "the prototype of the postmodern family"—Anne's mother is dead, her father is bankrupt, and "the old social orders are breaking down".

[51] Julianne Pidduck adds that the director "pointedly foregrounds themes of class and gendered social constraint by juxtaposing the stuffy interiors of mannered society with the inviting, open horizons of the sea".

Their Persuasion is profoundly truthful in many ways: in its sense of emotional longing; in its natural, unglamorised visual beauty, ranging from drawing rooms to the sea; in its fidelity to the delicate tone of Austen's satire and romance".

[70] Caryn James of The New York Times deemed it a "critic's pick", praising "a cast completely in sync with Austen's warm but piercing style".

[71] In a contribution for The Washington Post, Desson Howe said "there's a wonderful, unhurried delicacy about Persuasion...as if everyone concerned with the production knows that, if given time and patience, Austen's genius will emerge.

Directed by Ang Lee, Sense and Sensibility received more recognition and accolades from Hollywood,[76] while Michell's production gained the admiration of up-market critics, who felt it was a more authentic and thoughtful representation of Austen's world.

[77] Janet Maslin of The New York Times, for instance, wrote that Sense and Sensibility "can't match the brilliant incisiveness of the more spartan Persuasion, still the most thoughtful new Austen adaptation".

[80] Higson, when analysing both productions, felt Persuasion captured a sense of "gritty realism" that would influence such later Austen adaptations as Mansfield Park (1999) and Becoming Jane (2007).