A few minutes into Friendly Persuasion I had to pause the film. All of the characters were speaking with “Thee’s” and “Thou’s” like they were straight out of the King James Bible. It takes place during the American Civil War, so the late 1800s. They weren’t still using that archaic language then. Were they? I had to think about it for a minute.
Buy Friendly Persuasion Blu-rayA few minutes later the film answered the question for me. An outsider comes into the story that had until then been dominated by a single family, the Birdwells. He’s an organ salesman, looking for a nearby church. Noticeably thrown by their language, Jess Birdwell (Gary Cooper) lets him know that they are Quakers and they always talk like that. They are about to go to church service, but the building is called a Meeting House, and they don’t need an organ. They don’t believe in music. Or violence either (something that will be important later as the war will eventually make it to their front porch).
Right from the start, Michael Wilson’s screenplay establishes its themes. The Birdwells are strange creatures with a stringent moral code but also kind. He’ll then use its plot to bend that moral code to the breaking point.
I have to note that I am not very fond of stories that take lightly the strongly held religious beliefs of others, no matter how ridiculous they seem to outsiders. I grew up a member of the church of Christ (lowercase on the “church,” please. We only capitalize the name of Christ). It is a very conservative church that grew out of the American Restoration Movement 19th Century. They have some stringent beliefs that might seem a little crazy to outsiders. For instance, they take such a hard-line stance on fellowship I once sat through a class in which members argued over whether or not the congregation could form a softball league. It seems playing ball with the Baptists or Lutherans might constitute fellowshipping with them (and thus in some way accepting their beliefs).
That’s laughable to me now, but I understand how these belief systems can turn insular and then seem so strange to everybody except those who hold them.
I’ve since left that belief system (more or less – it is an ongoing and complicated process). Actually, that’s the point I’ve been trying to make. Hard-held beliefs are difficult to shed, no matter how ridiculous. People just don’t up and leave their faith, or any other deeply ingrained belief, easily. When films use those beliefs as an easy joke and pretend the beliefs themselves are meaningless, it rubs me the wrong way.
Friendly Persuasion does that a lot.
It is never directly stated but it is clearly implied that Jess Birdwell married into Quakerism. His wife Eliza (Dorothy McGuire) is the die-hard. He converted and believes, but isn’t hardcore about it. Throughout the film, he slides in his faith, much to the chagrin of his wife and it is all played for laughs. Eliza’s faith is about restraint and moderation. She dresses plainly, she speaks plainly, and she is not taken to bursts of emotion. Jess loves his wife and tries to not upset her, but sometimes his more wily side gets the best of him. On his way to church, his buggy is often passed by his neighbor’s horse no matter how hard Jess tries to (silently) push his own. One day he trades his beautiful but slow horse for an ugly one that can run like the wind. Eliza is terribly embarrassed when Jess finally wins the race.
At a county fair, Jess is talked into buying an organ which he enjoyed playing before marriage. But Eliza refused to let him bring it into the house. When he does, she sleeps in the barn. He wins her back with a little roll in the hay. Her deeply held faith is won over by a little sexy fun time. Still, she makes him keep it in the attic.
I’m being a little too serious about this issue. The film is mostly a slice-of-life portrait of this family. There is humor and drama. And yes, it did rub me a little wrong to have Eliza’s belief system constantly mocked and for most of her family to turn away from some of those beliefs so easily, but I didn’t lose any sleep over it.
Their daughter Mattie (Phyllis Love) falls in love with a Union soldier. She’s glad he is a soldier and loves to sneak off dancing with him. Their son Joshua (Anthony Perkins in only his second film role) is more conflicted. He’s taken to his religion, but believes in the Union cause and believes fighting in it might be justified.
War comes to their little home and the Bidwells must decide what to do about it. Joshua decides to fight (and there is a moving scene in which he fires his first shot, tears streaming down his face). Jess and Eliza decide to…well, I’ll let you watch and find out what they decide to do.
William Wyler handles the material well. It is playful and funny, but the drama unfolds nicely. It is a fine film if not particularly a great one. The kind of film you keep watching once it has started, but not something you’ll likely put on intentionally, or return to often.
Warner Archive’s new 1080p transfer looks wonderful. Extras include a short, archival promotional piece and the film’s trailer.
