Anne Elliot (Sally Hawkins) fell deeply in love with the handsome young naval officer Frederick Wentworth (Rupert Penry Jones) at the age of nineteen. But with neither fortune nor rank to recommend him, Anne was persuaded to break off her engagement. Eight years later, Anne has lived to regret her decision. She never stopped loving Wentworth, and when he returns from sea with fortune and rank, she can only watch as every eligible young woman in the district falls at his feet.