The Secret Diaries of Miss Anne Lister

This somewhat racy BBC docudrama profiles British diarist Anne Lister (Maxine Peake), who was born in West Yorkshire in 1791, preferred women to men, and had no desire to marry. Heartbreak comes early for Anne when her girlfriend, Mariana (Anna Madeley), marries Mr. Lawton (Michael Culkin) for reasons of financial security, although she and Anne remain in contact and Anne holds out hope that they can live together once the elderly widower passes away. Depressed over Mariana's marriage, Anne, who lives with her aunt and uncle (Gemma Jones, Alan David) plunges into writing and self-study. Best friend Tib (Susan Lynch) knows about Anne's sexual orientation and shares similar inclinations, which leads to jealousy when Anne continues to pine for Mariana. Neighbors mostly find Anne odd, although hints about the truth circulate through the community after she rejects a marriage proposal from a wealthy suitor. Although Anne's recklessness is intended to be read as bravery, her obsession with Mariana makes her seem adolescent; but she shows greater maturity after she decides to establish a coal-mining operation on part of her land—an opportunity that also provides a second chance at romance, this time with Ann Walker (Christine Bottomley), a neighbor who becomes her business partner. As opposed to a conventional literary biography, The Secret Diaries of Miss Anne Lister plays more like a highbrow soap opera, with sex scenes that are fairly explicit for public television. DVD extras include a fascinating documentary about Anne's encoded diaries. Recommended. (K. Fennessy)