PERSUASION

SUBJECTS — World/England; Literature/England;

SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL LEARNING — Romantic Relationships;

MORAL-ETHICAL EMPHASIS — Responsibility.

AGE: 10+; MPAA Rating — PG for brief mild language;

Drama; 1995; 107 minutes; Color.

Benefits of the Movie
Possible Problems
Parenting Points
Selected Awards & Cast

Helpful Background
Discussion Questions
Social-Emotional Learning
Moral-Ethical Emphasis

Assignments and Projects
Bridges to Reading
Links to the Internet
Bibliography

TWM offers the following worksheets to keep students’ minds on the movie and direct them to the lessons that can be learned from the film.

Film Study Worksheet for ELA Classes and

Worksheet for Cinematic and Theatrical Elements and Their Effects.

Teachers can modify the worksheets to fit the needs of each class. See also TWM’s Movies as Literature Homework Project.

This film is an adaptation of the Jane Austen novel about courting among the English upper class in the early 19th century.

Selected Awards:

None.

Featured Actors:

Amana Root, Ciaran Hinds, Susan Fleetwood, and Corin Redgrave.

Director:

Roger Mitchel.

The movie provides an excellent introduction to Jane Austen’s novel Persuasion. A college level teacher has reported that her students are more interested in reading another Jane Austen novel, Sense and Sensibility, after they have seen a film version. When tested against a control group who only read the book, students who had seen the film before reading the book had a better understanding of the characters and the plot. Viewing this movie before reading the novel Persuasion should have the same result. (See “Emma Thompson’s Sense and Sensibility as Gateway to Austen’s Novel” by Cheryl L. Nixon contained in Jane Austen in Hollywood, Edited by Linda Troost and Sayre Greenfield, 1998, University of Kentucky Press, pages 140 – 147.) For more suggestions about using filmed adaptations of literary works in the ELA classroom, see Lesson Plans Using Film Adaptations of Novels, Short Stories, and Plays.

None.

Review Before Seeing the Film in the Learning Guide to “Pride and Prejudice” and communicate as much as possible to your child. You will not be able to cover everything but do the best you can. Immediately after the movie, or at odd times over the next week (for example at the dinner table or in the car on the way to school) bring up one of the Discussion Questions, starting with the Quick Discussion Question below. Don’t worry if you can only get through a few questions. Allow your child to watch the movie several times and continue to ask and help him or her answer more discussion questions.

See Learning Guide to “Pride and Prejudice“. Of the many excellent film adaptations of Jane Austen novels made in the 1990s, “Persuasion” is the most true to the book. While not as popular with audiences as some of the other recent film adaptations of Jane Austen’s novels, it won the widest critical acclaim.

1. See Discussion Questions for Use With any Film that is a Work of Fiction.

ROMANTIC RELATIONSHIPS

1. Why did Anne turn down Captain Wentworth’s first proposal?

Discussion Questions Relating to Ethical Issues will facilitate the use of this film to teach ethical principles and critical viewing. Additional questions are set out below.

RESPONSIBILITY

(Do what you are supposed to do; Persevere: keep on trying!; Always do your best; Use self-control; Be self-disciplined; Think before you act — consider the consequences; Be accountable for your choices)

See Assignments, Projects, and Activities for Use With Any Film that is a Work of Fiction and Lesson Plans Using Film Adaptations of Novels, Short Stories, and Plays.

For Parents: Encourage your child to read Persuasion after seeing the film. The book is much more detailed than the film and contains subplots and descriptions not seen in the film. Perhaps one of the parents (or both) could read it with your child and discuss your reactions as you go along.

• Jane Austen Society of North America has a webpage with information on Jane Austen and her work.

In addition to websites which may be linked in the Guide and selected film reviews listed on the Movie Review Query Engine, the following resources were consulted in the preparation of this Learning Guide:

• “Balancing the Courtship Hero – Masculine Emotional Display in Film Adaptions of Austen’s Novels” and
• “Emma Thompson’s Sense and Sensibility as Gateway to Austen’s Novel” contained in Jane Austen in Hollywood, Edited by Linda Troost and Sayre Greenfield, 1998, University of Kentucky Press.

This Learning Guide was last updated on April 11, 2010.