 While Dear has received praise for " remarkably ... retain [ ing ] most of the source novel 's complex plot and numerous characters " , literary scholars have noted significant differences between the film and the source material . Sarah R. Morrison observes that the film 's version of Anne articulates thoughts that the character would never say in the novel . Morrison cites Anne 's adamant defence of her visit to Mrs. Smith — where Anne visits a poor old friend rather than go to the party of a titled relative — in the film as an example , as " Austen 's narrator makes it abundantly clear that Anne would never presume to dispute with her father upon such terms of absolute equality " . The film 's Anne also engages in actions not visible in the novel , such as her haste to stop Wentworth from leaving a musical concert when he feels demeaned by disparaging comments about his profession . Morrison attributes these differences to the difficulty in adapting novel to film , particularly as the latter form lacks a narrator to convey Anne 's inner thoughts . 
