Miss Potter tells the story of Beatrix Potter, the author and illustrator of The Tale of Peter Rabbit, as well as many other children's books. In fact, the film claims that she is the best-selling children's author of all time. The story focuses on her efforts to publish her work, her conflicts with her parents, and the men in her life. I understand the limitations imposed by the film medium, but I wish they'd managed to slip in at least a hint that she was also an accomplished mycologist and that she collected fossils.[1]
Renée Zellweger's portrayal of the eponymous character is rather quirky.[2] But since I have no idea how Beatrix Potter really was, I wasn't bothered. At first it felt a little incongruent, but as the film progressed the characterization smoothed out. Ewan McGregor, as Norman Warne, was really quite delightful. The cinematography was good and included some magnificent shots of the English countryside, including the Dent Head Viaduct (shown to the right). In a few instances, the film makers had some fun by animating Beatrix Potter's drawings. The soundtrack, by Nigel Westlake and Rachel Portman, is quite enjoyable and helps to set the mood of the scenes.
My verdict: This was a pleasant movie with no offensive content (that I could detect). The story is endearing, though there are some scenes which are heartbreaking. I would recommend it to just about anyone.
Notes:
[2] In fact, it earned her a Golden Globe nomination.
Image attribution:
The Dent Head Viaduct is by Ingy the Wingy, available at http://www.flickr.com/photos/15462727@N07/1743261199.
I liked this one too!
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