The trailer for Netflix’s upcoming adaptation of Jane Austen’s last completed novel, Persuasion, was released, and Austen fans instantly noted that the tone is much more romcom than straight-laced period drama.
Living with her snobby family on the brink of bankruptcy, Anne Elliot is an unconforming woman with modern sensibilities. When Frederick Wentworth—the dashing one she once sent away—crashes back into her life, Anne must choose between putting the past behind her or listening to her heart when it comes to second chances.
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Dakota Johnson plays Anne Elliot, a ripe old maid of six and twenty, who once upon a time had the opportunity to marry for love, but was persuaded by her family to turn down the proposal. Now, she is the overlooked middle daughter of a vain man, an older sister who is just like their father, and a younger, manipulative hypochondriac brat of a sister.
While, in the novel, Anne Elliot is a very introspective and worn-down character, the film has decided to give her more of a cheeky, sarcastic tone. Dakota Johnson has always been noted as possessing a face that was made of pure mischief, so rather than forcing her to change that, it looks like they are leaning into it.
In the trailer, Anne addresses the audience and fully breaks the fourth wall. I was reminded of 1999’s Mansfield Park, which did the same thing, using letter writing as a way to give insight to a character who is mostly internally conflicted. I am a huge fan of that adaptation because it uses all the additional elements to bring insight to things that might not get addressed in a straighter recreation—like slavery.
Also, when bringing to life a character who is so introspective, it can make for a challenging adaptation. Persuasion is among the least adapted of Austen’s work, and part of that is that it is so different from the rest of it. In it, we see Austen’s evolving feelings when it comes to class and the concept of the elite. If she hadn’t passed away, I have always surmised that Austen would have continued to push those boundaries.
Other than the mistake of not casting Henry Golding as the main love interest and that weird “we are worse than exes” piece of dialogue, this seems perfectly fine. After the beauty of Fire Island, I am so down for more modernizing of Jane Austen anyway, but if we are going to keep adapting these novels, they must grow and change. This might not end up being a perfect adaptation of the novel or Anne Elliot, but maybe some people will actually check out Persuasion and not just let it collect dust in their complete Austen box sets.
(featured image: Netflix)
