There is just so much movie here. For some it may be too much. But in the same secretly sarcastic way most telemarketers say the phrase, the title of this one is particularly apt.

This is a must-see and one of the best documentaries - and films - of this year.

After playing with our expectations, this turns out to be a very different sort of film.

I think this is a new genre that they're all sort of working their way through it and haven't got all the kinks worked out yet but it's a genre that works for me.

Maybe it's me but the film just didn't click for me. With Gary Cooper in the cast, even portraying a Quaker, I thought there would be more in the way of conflict for the main character to face and persevere against. I know, the conflict turned out to be more of an inner one, with conscience winning out against hate and revenge, but within the context and setting of the Civil War, the outcomes of the various characters didn't ring true to me. Now should Jess (Cooper) have slain the Rebel soldier who killed his friend Sam Jordan (Robert Middleton)? It was a self defense situation and Jess would certainly have been justified, war or not. If the intent of the story was to see Jess through to standing by principle, then I guess it worked. But Jess could have wound up dead just as well.The more principled stand was probably taken by son Josh (Anthony Perkins), who was determined to protect his family's land and property. When the Rebs overran the farm and then wound up basically as house guests of Eliza (Dorothy McGuire), that's where I thought credibility went completely out the window. These weren't even uniformed soldiers for the most part, and initially acted more like marauders when they arrived at the Birdwell farm. Their behavior turning on a dime wasn't realistic in the least; not even one of them was portrayed as a cutthroat soldier. Even the guy who went after the goose seemed to see the error in his ways rather quickly once it was explained to him.I guess what I was expecting was something more along the lines of John Wayne's 1947 film "Angel and the Badman", and more recently, a modern take on the pacifist theme in the 2002 TV movie "The Outsider" with Tim Daly. However in both of those films, the principal male character was not a Quaker and brought conflict into the story by virtue of their gunslinging reputations. Which reminds me, in both of those films, Wayne and Daly left their holstered weapons outside, honoring a Quaker tradition of not allowing weapons to cross the home's threshold. In this picture, Jess and son Josh both have rifles that are stored in the farm house. I don't know if that's an important point or not, but it's something I wondered about having seen the other pictures mentioned.

This is the interesting and solidly performed story of a family of Quakers in Southern Indiana in 1862 . This religious sect is strongly opposed to violence and war . The official name of the Quaker religion is Society of Friends , members of the faith are called Friends and nicknamed Quakers ; the book written by Jessamyn West is called "The Friendly Persuasion", meaning the faith , which more specifically refers to the Quakers' way of communicating. It concerns about "Jess Birdwell" (Gary Cooper , he initially turned the film down because he didn't believe the American public would accept him as Quaker , and role was originally intended for Bing Crosby) is the patriarch of a family of Quakers , a Christian sect that refuses to take part in wars . His son "Josh" (Anthony Perkins) wishes to adhere to pacifism but worried he's using his religion to hide his cowardice , he then enlists the army , causing angry on his mother (Dorothy McGuire , though Katharine Hepburn turned down the role and Jean Arthur was considered to play her) . Their children are very special : the little boy Jess Jr. (Richard Eyer) lives in conflict with the goose "Samantha" . And "Mattie" (Phyllis Love) falls in love with an Union soldier, "Gard Jordan" (Peter Mark Richman) . As Jess/Gary Cooper (before Cooper became involved Montgomery Clift was offered the role of Birdwell, but turned it down) along with his family attempt to remain to its ideals , despite the Civil War which touches their farm life .This enjoyable film packs comedy , religious and familiar life , sense of mood , spectacular battles and lots of reflection . As it deals with the conflict between maintaining a religious belief and reality when takes place a bloody war ; as the flick utterly catches up the spectator in the family's troubles . This earnest picture captures a tender humor and mirth which pervades the whole story ; in addition , at the end occurs a stirring climax . Agreeable screenplay , originally released without screen writing credit due to blacklisting of Michael Wilson; credits restored in 1996 . Spectacular battle depicted in the film based on facts, as the final is very exciting , it was against the Confederate raiders led by General John Hunt Morgan ; on July 9, 1863, 450 members of the Indiana Home Guard met John Hunt Morgan's raiders in battle south of the town of Corydon, Indiana . Gary Cooper as a devout Quaker father and Dorothy McGuire as his wife are very well as the parents ; furthermore , Anthony Perkins is nice as the son fearing being taken for a coward . Good support cast such as Robert Middleton , Peter Mark Richman , Richard Hale , Russell Simpson and uncredited , almost extras : Robert Fuller , William Schallert , John Dierkes , Joe Turkel and Doug McClure . Spectacular and glowingly gorgeous scenarios , including amusing race horses . Colorful and glimmer cinematography by Ellsworth Fredericks in De Luxe Colour Photography . Sensitive as well as moving musical score by the classical composer Dimitri Tiomkin . The motion picture come out of a minor Hollywood studio , Allied Artists , was compellingly directed by the maestro William Wyler . Wyler was considered by his peers as second only to John Ford as a master craftsman of cinema and the winner of three Best Director Academy Awards . Wyler was a great professional who had a career full of successes in all kind of genres as Film Noir : ¨Detective story¨ , ¨The desperate hours¨ , ¨Dead End¨ ; Western : ¨The Westener¨, ¨Friendly persuasion¨ , ¨Big Country¨ , but his speciality were dramas such as : ¨Jezebel¨ , ¨The letter¨ , ¨Wuthering Heights¨ , ¨The best years of our lives¨, ¨Mrs Miniver¨, ¨The heiress¨ , ¨the little Foxes¨ , ¨The collector¨ and Comedy as two films starred by Audrey Hepburn : ¨How to steal a million¨ and of course the immortal comedy-romance ¨Roman's holiday¨ . ¨Friendly persuasion¨ results to be a good film that catches up the audience . Rating : Better than average , worthwhile seeing .

Gary Cooper was a quintessential male American Actor who reached the heights of movie stardom.His career deserves review as Cooper dead for nearly 50 years is sadly overlooked these days. Cooper's body of work Meet John Doe, Sargeant York, Mr. Deeds, High Noon, et al made Gary Cooper along with Clark Gable the great American Leading Man of his era. William Wyler was the greatest director of his era: Jezebel, The Little Foxes, Wuthering Heights, The Letter, Mrs. Miniver, The Best Years Of Our Lives, The Heiress, Ben Hur, Funny Girl, and this movie Friendly Persuasion. Bette Davis deemed Wyler the Great Love Of Her Life and Her Greatest Director: The Little Foxes, Jezebel and The LetterFriendly Persuasion is a beautiful film with a great co starring role for Dorothy McGuire.One of my favorite movies of all time. Thou Swell! Friendly Persuasion was a movie distributed by Allied Artists, a small studio, now defunct, and I am wondering if this film is on DVD? It is one of Gary Cooper's finest efforts as well as a signature film of William Wyler's. Mr. Wyler was a great Director known for many re takes of a scene, frustrating many of the great stars who worked for Wyler: Bette Davis, Olivia DeHavilland, Frederic March, Greer Garson, Laurence Olivier, Merle Oberon, Jennifer Jones, Audrey Hepburn, Shirley MacLaine. When De Havilland, a great actress, challenged Wyler on the amount of retakes, asked of Wyler, what do you want, Wyler replied " I Want it Better" I wonder how Gary Cooper so great an Actor he made his work seem effortless took to the many takes Wyler demanded in his pictures?

Not as big a production as "Gone With the Wind", "Jezebel", "Raintree County" and others, but I enjoyed this film and it does the novel justice.The story involves a principled Quaker family which follows their moral code of doing no harm. They reside simply in Indiana, raising their own food, asking and taking nothing from anyone.Tony Perkins is very good as a young man who does not see much for his future, selling fruit tress to the local neighbors. There is one very amusing scene where he and his formidable father, Gary Cooper are attempted to be held hostage by an elderly woman and her three unwed country daughters. Perkins is very amusing here.Eventually he decides to enlist in the Civil War though his father tells him he must kill, which is against their religious upbringing.One of the charms of this film is it is not an overblown production. When Dorothy McGuire is engulfed by Confederate army she offers them food, she cooks, perhaps a bit unrealistic but by the time the soldiers reached Southern Indian they were ragged and fatigued. A hot meal was what they needed.The story itself is important as manifests the futility of war. Those who pay the highest price are usually young countrymen who had no choice, no other alternatives. Highly recommended. 10/10.