Classic Book & Movie Club

Arts Notices
Free screening of the 1995 film "Persuasion," based on Jane Austen's novel

When: 01/18/09 @ 1:30pm
Call: 264-6445
Email: Karen.Kron@wisconsinhistory.org

More Information:
The fifth year of the popular Classic Book and Movie Club features a lineup of three motion pictures adapted from classic novels by British author Jane Austen.

Persuasion (1995)
Persuasion is the story of a love that survives eight years of dormancy and the frustrating obstacles of class prejudice in 19th-century England. Anne (Amanda Root) is captivated when she meets the dignified naval officer Capt. Wentworth (Ciaran Hinds), but she is advised to discourage his romantic overtures because he has no fortune. They meet again eight years later, but now Capt. Wentworth has become wealthy while Anne's father is in reduced circumstances in the wake of reckless extravagance. A series of circumstances ensues that prevent Anne and Wentworth from expressing their mutual and inevitable love. The film's success depends entirely on the subtle, superb performances of Root and Hinds. The film builds slowly, occasionally leaving you wondering if anything at all is going to happen. When it does, you realize how carefully crafted a film this is, and the final result is grandly rewarding.

Cast: Amanda Root, Ciaran Hinds, Susan Fleetwood, Corin Redgrave, Fiona Shaw

Director: Roger Mitchell

Running time: 107 minutes

Speaker: University of Wisconsin-Madison Professor Emeritus of English, Joseph Weisenfarth

When and where: the auditorium of the Wisconsin Historical Society, 816 State Street, Madison, at 1:30 p.m. Sunday, January 18, 2009

Admission to all the screenings is free to the public on a first-come, first-serve basis.

For more information about the program, contact Karen Kron at 608-264-6445 or via e-mail.

The Classic Book & Movie Club series is presented jointly by the Wisconsin Historical Society, Wisconsin Center for Film and Theater Research, and The Capital Times newspaper. The series presents Hollywood movies adapted from classic books of the 19th and 20th centuries. Participants are invited to read the books, then see the movies - on the big screen!