13 of the biggest differences between Netflix’s ‘Persuasion’ movie and the book

Dakota Johnson in “Persuasion. “NICK WALL/NETFLIX Netflix released a new adaptation of Jane Austen’s “Persuasion” starring Dakota Johnson. Mrs.

Smith is missing from the movie, and Elizabeth’s role was much bigger in the book.   Anne and Wentworth’s reunion plays out a little differently in the book, as does their conflict. Anne has a larger impact on her family’s finances in the book.

Anne helps her father refinance the estate in the book. NetflixSir Walter’s mishandling of his family’s finances is presented rather dramatically in the movie, with debt collectors arriving and removing things from the home before the rest of the family is made aware of the issue. In the book, Anne’s father is more direct about the matter and goes to his eldest daughter, Elizabeth, for advice on where costs can be cut.

Anne and Lady Russell are the ones who ultimately make a plan for refinancing the estate, with Anne playing a large part in making heavy cuts that Lady Russell originally kept in the budget. Anne doesn’t have any say on this in the movie, though she is in the room when Sir Walter discusses everything with Lady Russell and his lawyer, Mr. Shepherd.

Lady Russell doesn’t comfort Anne about Wentworth as she does in the film. Lady Russell disapproves of Wentworth. NetflixLady Russell’s disapproval of Wentworth and Anne’s relationship plays a large part in the couple breaking up.

In the book, Sir Walter also withheld his approval, though the movie makes it seem as though Lady Russell alone was consulted. The movie also shows Lady Russell comforting Anne after Wentworth’s name is brought up, which wasn’t in the book at all. In the book, Anne has not heard about Wentworth’s successes at sea.

There are clippings and tales of his successes in the movie. NetflixAnne hears about Wentworth becoming a wealthy captain while discussing the possibility of the Crofts moving into Kellynch Hall in the book, which is the first time she’s heard of his success. The two were out of contact for eight years, and Anne had no way to receive information about his travels.

But the movie shows Anne sorting through news clippings she found about his time at sea that highlight Wentworth’s achievements.  The Crofts are shown around Kellynch Hall by Sir Walter and Mr. Shepherd, not Anne.

Anne doesn’t want to see the family in the book. NetflixAnne avoids Kellynch Hall the first time the Crofts are shown around the estate in the book because she’s not ready to face Wentworth’s sister. The Admiral and Mrs.

Croft are given a tour by Sir Walter and Mr. Shepherd, a practical decision as they’d be handling the business agreement. But Anne is left alone to show the Crofts the estate in the movie, which places a surprisingly large amount of responsibility on her.

Anne’s time in school has a greater influence on her in the book. Her schooling isn’t really brought up in the film. NetflixAnne attended school in Bath after her mother’s death, which made her dislike Bath since she had such a miserable time there.

Afterward, she still kept in touch with the school friends who helped her through the experience. In the movie, Anne’s time in school is never mentioned at all, despite seeming to have a significant influence on how she processed her mother’s death in the original story. Charles and Mary’s relationship is a bit more strained in the book.

The couple is portrayed more lightheartedly in the film. NetflixAnne’s youngest sister, Mary, married Charles after Anne rejected his proposal. Although the movie shows that Charles is a bit bothered by Mary’s tendency to feign ill, the two seem to have a largely pleasant marriage.

In the book, the two disagree on how to raise their children, and they both complain to Anne about things that they dislike about each other. Anne only has a pet rabbit in the movie. Rabbits aren’t mentioned in the Jane Austen novel.

NetflixThough Anne’s rabbit serves as a useful companion for her to narrate to in the film, she doesn’t have any pets in the book. Rabbits are often used in literature to symbolize things like vitality, sexual desire, and fertility. But there are no mentions of the animal in the original work.

 Anne and Wentworth’s reunion is very brief in the book. The encounter in the film is more comical. NetflixThe movie depicts a comical reunion between Wentworth and Anne, with him walking in right as Anne is mocking him.

The two then speak for a moment, commenting on how much the other has changed since they last saw each other. In the book, the first time they see each other in years is from across a room when Wentworth drops in to talk to Charles. And they don’t speak.

 Mrs. Smith plays a large part in dissuading Anne from pursuing Mr. Elliot, but she’s not in the film.

Lady Russell passes all the rumors to Anne in the film. NetflixOne of Anne’s friends from school, Mrs. Smith, is entirely missing from the movie.

She’s widowed and ill, and Anne spends much of the second half of the book visiting her. Mrs. Smith gives Anne relationship advice and ultimately advises against her engagement to Mr.

Elliot. The movie instead has Anne talk to Lady Russell about Mr. Elliot.

Mary is the one to tell Anne about Louisa and Captain Benwick, not Captain Harville. Captain Harville clears up the news for her in the movie. NetflixAnne is surprised to hear about Lousia and Captain Benwick’s engagement in both the book and the film.

In the movie, she assumes Lousia and Wentworth are still together and doesn’t find out otherwise until talking to Captain Harville. But Mary is the one to tell Anne the news of the engagement in the book via a letter. Elizabeth has a greater presence in the book.

The character only appears in a few scenes of the film. NetflixSince Anne spends much of her time with Mary’s family in the movie, she doesn’t have many scenes with Elizabeth. Elizabeth is a larger part of the book, as being the oldest woman in the family keeps her more involved with running Kellynch Hall.

Her jealousy of Mary for marrying before her and her friendship with Mrs. Clay are mentioned more in the book as well. Anne stays for the entire opera and spends time talking to Mr.

Elliot in the book. There’s no rushing out of the opera. NetflixAnne goes to an opera with Mr.

Elliot and realizes after the first act is over that Mr. Wentworth is also there and has spotted them together. Wentworth’s jealousy and discomfort at seeing them together is a more subtle moment in the book.

But in the movie, Anne and Wentworth have a tense conversation before the show, which gets interrupted by Mr. Elliot. Then Anne follows Wentworth as he storms out during the performance.

 In the book, Lady Russell and Wentworth have a tense relationship, even after he and Anne are engaged. The movie ends with little residual conflict. NetflixWentworth knows that Lady Russell was the one who most heavily influenced Anne in rejecting him the first time.

In the movie, any animosity between Lady Russell and Wentworth goes unresolved, since the two aren’t shown speaking once he’s back with Anne. But this tension is addressed more directly in the book. Wentworth tells Anne that he hopes to forgive Lady Russell in time.

But he’s bothered by the fact that he and Anne lost so many years together because of her advice. Read the original article on Insider.