Overview
A Quaker family's peaceful existence is shattered by the looming threat of war.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Moderate
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Moderate
- warm
- sincere
- wistful
- classic movie night
- historical drama viewing
What critics said
Critics broadly praised the film’s warmth, humanist family drama, performances, music, and blend of comedy, suspense, and action, while noting some inaccuracies in its portrayal of Quaker practice.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The Birdwell family’s Quaker opposition to violence is tested when southern troops approach their Indiana community.
The film’s Indiana setting, Quaker household, family routines, and warmly observed local culture create a distinctly homespun portrait of nineteenth-century America.
Jess and Eliza Birdwell must reconcile household safety and familial duty with their religious rejection of fighting.
The peaceful Indiana farm and Quaker home are placed in tension with the approaching southern troops and the surrounding Civil War danger.
Films like Friendly Persuasion, and why
The Searchers
period family drama confronting pacifism, moral conviction, and the pressures of the american civil war
Gone with the Wind
classic american historical drama balancing domestic warmth with wartime violence and ethical conflict
The Grapes of Wrath
humanist period drama about ordinary people facing moral choices amid social upheaval and violence
Movie Details
- Director
- William Wyler
- Release Date
- 1956-10-30
- Runtime
- 137 min
- Rating
- 6.6 / 10 (148)
Cast
- Gary Cooper
- Dorothy McGuire
- Anthony Perkins
- Richard Eyer
- Robert Middleton
- Phyllis Love
- Peter Mark Richman
- Walter Catlett
- Richard Hale
- Joel Fluellen
Where to watch in United States
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Friendly Persuasion about?
- A warm yet morally serious Quaker family drama in which an Indiana household’s pacifism is tested by the violence of the Civil War.
- What is Friendly Persuasion like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Friendly Persuasion as measured, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Friendly Persuasion violent?
- Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in Friendly Persuasion as moderate.
- What did critics think of Friendly Persuasion?
- Critics broadly praised the film’s warmth, humanist family drama, performances, music, and blend of comedy, suspense, and action, while noting some inaccuracies in its portrayal of Quaker practice.
- Which films are like Friendly Persuasion?
- Films with a similar feel include The Searchers, Gone with the Wind, and The Grapes of Wrath.
- How long is Friendly Persuasion?
- Friendly Persuasion runs 137 minutes.
- Where can I watch Friendly Persuasion?
- In United States, Friendly Persuasion is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home.
