The life of Beatrix Potter is the most enchanting tale of all.
Thirty years old and single, Beatrix Potter lives in London with her social-climbing parents, who are exasperated that she has turned down any number of eligible young men. Her only real friends are the animals which since childhood she has lovingly drawn and made up stories about. She finally succeeds in selling a book of the stories, and it becomes Norman Warne's first project. He quickly falls in love with both the book and Beatrix and together they carefully arrange publication. This proves the first of many successes, offering her the possibility of escaping from both her parents' way of life and London.
Genre(s): Biography, Drama
Runtime: 92 minutes
Rating: 7.2/10 (8,924 votes)
Release Date: 3 December 2006
Country: UK, USA
Languages: English
Company: Phoenix Pictures
Sound: Dolby Digital, SDDS, DTS
MPAA: Rated PG brief mild language.
Director(s): Chris Noonan
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Producer(s):
Steve Christian - executive producer
David Kirschner - producer
Mike Medavoy - producer
Arnold Messer - producer (as Arnold W. Messer)
Louis Phillips - executive producer
Corey Sienega - producer
David Thwaites - producer
Colin Vaines - executive producer
Bob Weinstein - executive producer
Harvey Weinstein - executive producer
Nigel Wooll - executive producer
Renée Zellweger - executive producer
Writer(s):
Richard Maltby Jr. - (written by)
Cast:
Renée Zellweger - Beatrix Potter
Ewan McGregor - Norman Warne
Emily Watson - Millie Warne
Barbara Flynn - Helen Potter
Bill Paterson - Rupert Potter
Matyelok Gibbs - Miss Wiggin
Lloyd Owen - William Heelis
Anton Lesser - Harold Warne
David Bamber - Fruing Warne
Phyllida Law - Mrs. Warne
Music: Nigel Westlake
Steve Christian - executive producer
David Kirschner - producer
Mike Medavoy - producer
Arnold Messer - producer (as Arnold W. Messer)
Louis Phillips - executive producer
Corey Sienega - producer
David Thwaites - producer
Colin Vaines - executive producer
Bob Weinstein - executive producer
Harvey Weinstein - executive producer
Nigel Wooll - executive producer
Renée Zellweger - executive producer
Writer(s):
Richard Maltby Jr. - (written by)
Cast:
Renée Zellweger - Beatrix Potter
Ewan McGregor - Norman Warne
Emily Watson - Millie Warne
Barbara Flynn - Helen Potter
Bill Paterson - Rupert Potter
Matyelok Gibbs - Miss Wiggin
Lloyd Owen - William Heelis
Anton Lesser - Harold Warne
David Bamber - Fruing Warne
Phyllida Law - Mrs. Warne
Music: Nigel Westlake
Posted on: January 20, 2008
April 23rd, 2008
Beatrix Potter (Renée Zellweger) was a literary phenomenon of the early20th Century.
At a time when most young women of her class aimed only to make a goodmarriage, Beatrix became an iconic figure, swimming quietly, but withgreat fortitude against the tide.
She created a series of books and characters that are as beloved todayas they were a hundred years ago; since their publication they havenever been out of print. She was also a distinguished painter and–hadshe been a man–her botanical drawings would have been snapped up bythe Royal Horticultural Society at Kew Gardens.
In addition, by the time she died in 1943, Beatrix Potter had purchasedvast swathes of the Lake District that she left to the then fledglingBritish Conservation Trust. That so much of this glorious countrysidethat inspired her, remains as it was in Beatrix Potter's day for othersto enjoy, is her bequest to the nation.
This is her story…. Miss Potter 7/10
July 6th, 2008
"Miss Potter" contains all the elements one would expect of a periodpiece set in England: the examination of class, the clash between townand country life, gorgeous vistas of unbelievable green (funny howrarely it rained…), and the sets and costumes that lock the perioddown tight.
The picture has the added bonus of an outstanding cast (a dream cast!),very deft direction, a magical touch, and some marvelous feel-goodmoments. Zellweger is outstanding — she never slips out of character,from the way she holds her mouth to the balance of inner strength andoutward gentility she expresses so beautifully. Ewan McGregor, had hehad equal screen time, would likely have out-performed even her. Anexquisite portrayal.
When I saw that Barbara Flynn, Emily Watson, and Bill Paterson roundedout the cast, I said out loud, "I would've watched this much sooner!"They did not disappoint, playing in turn a typical Victorian mother, a"New Woman" of the early feminist era, and a doting and somewhatunusual Victorian father. While others have commented on thesecharacterizations as almost stereotypical, they are actually quite trueto the period.
The balance of Potter's present life, flashbacks to her childhood, andoccasional flights of fancy give the picture a wonderful buoyancy. Wekeep being drawn deeper into the story, bit by bit, increasinglyenchanted by a woman finally finding her place after a life-longsearch. (Come to think of it, McGregor's and Watson's characters havesimilar implied arcs, which is one reason the three seem so utterlyperfect together.)
The picture builds to its affecting climax, but then seems to lose itsway a bit. We've been drawn into a story woven by many charactersinteracting, whereas the denouement focuses almost exclusively on oneor two. Most of the film focuses on a small period of time in Potter'slife, but the end seems to cover many years in a fraction of the time.Consequently, I found it disappointing and unfulfilling. I suspect Iwould want to stop the film at a particular point and imagine my ownending!
No matter how hard they filmmakers try to stress that Potter hascompletely come into her own by the end of the film, we have so muchinvested emotionally in what we thought would be her life that we'renot prepared for this sudden twist of fate. We are not taken alongemotionally into her new self, and so the picture ends a bit flat.
Overall I felt the picture could have used another 10 or even 15minutes to give all of the key cast members more screen time andback-story, and a much more satisfying wrap-up.
But the rest of the picture is so lovely, so enchanting, that it reallyis a must-see.
August 3rd, 2008
Is what an English middle-class mother of 1890 would have said to a 10year old daughter, concerned that the grimaces would become in time avery unfortunate ingrained habit. The cultivation of a generally sereneand pleasant appearance, the avoidance of excessively emphaticexpressions, movements and gestures would all have been dealt withbefore early teens in order that the child was acceptable in adultsociety. There would be be no exceptions. What then could have been agreat film became instead a grating one because of Renee Zwelleger's"gurning". She is talented and versatile actress and was superb in"Chicago" but this was woefully misjudged for some reason.
Ewan McGregor gave a wonderfully judged and self-contained performance,wholly independent of the mis-cues of tone and expression receivedplaying opposite Miss Z. Small wonder he has acquired a considerablereputation as an actor.
A generally good British cast with the excellent understated andperhaps under-rated Anton Lesser.
Beatrix Potter is a name known to most British adult women because herbooks formed a big part of childhood. She was a particularly giftedwoman and the film's failure to mention her accomplishments as ascientist is inexcusable. It confirms that the makers simply wanted fita current popular niche – feisty young woman in romantic drama. As isthe norm now, the period costume, interiors and exteriors were all
splendid but all were let down by script. Beatrix Potter deservesbetter – lets hope she gets it.
Norman Warne is buried in Highgate Cemetery, London
August 4th, 2008
Miss Potter obviously ignored her Mama's advice because for the lengthof the movie she squints as if she has forgotten her contactlenses,turns down her mouth as if she is sucking a bitter lemon andpuffs out her cheeks like one of the sweet furry creatures she was sofond of.You may gather from the aforegoing that I was not enchanted byMiss R.Zellweger's performance as the much – loved Author/Naturalist.Beatrix Potter was not the Andrea Dworkin of her day,I doubt she wouldhave approved of Germaine Greer's "The Female Eunuch" or even have readthe first chapter without resorting to the smelling salts. She was awealthy upper middle class single lady of the type referred to at thetime as a "spinster".It was by no means unusual for women of this classto refuse a "marriage de convenance" so whatever Miss Potter was,shewas not a protofeminist as some have tried to portray her. However,shewas a sharp,clever,gifted woman and a fine artist who found her nichewriting prettily illustrated anthropomorphic tales for young children."Miss Potter" tells of her somewhat fraught relationship with heruncomprehending and unregenerately Victorian parents,her firstpublisher, and her eventual husband,whom she first met as a young girl.It is rather nicely done with Mr B.Paterson hiding behind a seriouspair of muttonchop whiskers but appearing occasionally to offer somegruff paternal love.Mr E.McGregor is steady enough as the man I suspectwas the love of her life,but it is Miss E.Watson as his sister whoimpresses most.Hers is the performance that dominates the film – onecan only speculate how different it would all have been had she playedthe lead role.But I suspect Miss Zellweger is the reason it got made.Without her perceived Box Office appeal it may have remained merely aglint in the scriptwriter's eye. It's not a bad film,but it's one toenjoy despite the leading performance which detracts considerably fromone's overall enjoyment. I do not criticise Miss Zellweger because sheis American and has adopted a "jolly hockey sticks" accent quiteconvincingly,but because, as in "Bridget Jones",her "English 30 -something" persona is too contrived to pass muster as far as I'mconcerned.