DVD Review: Miss Potter

By June L. Jun 20, 2007, 9:27 GMT

Biopic of best-selling children\'s author and illustrator Beatrix Potter. Not content with a life of social posturing, she sets her sights on a writing career. After landing a lucrative book deal, Beatrix starts work on her debut release THE TALE OF PETER RABBIT, and in the process, falls in love with her publisher. ...more

If all you know about Beatrix Potter is that she was the creator of Peter Rabbit, then that is a good place to start.  But absolutely do not stop at that and miss this chance to go farther.  See this wonderful film to discover the depth of character and the strength of purpose Beatrix had that allowed her to overcome obstacles and make her life her own.

This is not a chick flick, or a children’s movie, or a dry documentary about a long dead famous person.  This is a story for everyone.  There is the magic of Beatrix’s drawings and stories, and her delightful creative personality.  Beyond that, we can all identify with her search to find a purpose or a place in life, and how problems arise that seem insurmountable.  Just knowing that Beatrix Potter accomplished so much in an age where women were simply expected to find someone as good as their father to take care of them, is inspiring to us as we face our own hurdles in living.

I didn’t know what to expect from this film, but I was hoping it would live up to the promise of a stellar cast - including Renee Zellweger as Beatrix, Ewan McGregor as Norman Warne her publisher, and Emily Watson as Norman’s sister Millie.

I was not disappointed, and hasten to say this movie is a treat from beginning to end.  The integrity with which Renee plays Beatrix, (IS Beatrix, I should say), brought tears to my eyes.  There is laughter as well, and the viewer knows without a doubt that Miss Potter is highly intelligent, has a wonderful sense of humor and is capable of orchestrating her own life, if people will just give her the opportunity. 

Ewan McGregor and Renee Zellweger have worked together before (Down with Love) and have a splendid chemistry, conveying as much with facial expressions and body language, as they do with their dialogues.  All cast members delivered exceptional performances, completely believable, and make the film so rich that multiple viewings do not cause the sparkle to dim.  
Along with adept storytelling, and impeccable costuming, the scenery in Miss Potter is gorgeous.  Much of the film was shot in the Lake District, in Scotland and on the Isle of Man.  For Hilltop Farm, director Chris Noonan used another Lake District property that Beatrix Potter owned.  This seemed exactly right, as Beatrix was keen on preserving the farming way of life in that area, and bought and gave to the Land Trust (which later became the National Trust) over 4,000 acres of farms. The decision to use the less-known property came about because Hilltop is such a favorite tourist destination there was a worry about crowd control during filming.

Miss Potter is presented in widescreen format and is 93 minutes in playing time.  There are English and French sound tracks, and English, French and Spanish subtitles.  The Special Features are a wonderful bonus to the film. 

The feature commentary with Chris Noonan is entertaining and informative, and adds much to subsequent viewings.  A featurette “The Making of a Real Life Fairy Tale” brings in interviews with cast and crew, and gives another element of enjoyment and understanding to the production.  There is a short film The Tale of Peter Rabbit and Beatrix Potter that was made for Peter Rabbit’s 100th Birthday in 2002 that is completely charming.  Finally there is the music video of the song “When you Taught Me How to Dance,” performed by Katie Melua.  This is a new song that completely captures the essence of the past time, and is tenderly performed in the movie by Ewan McGregor.

It is my hope that many who missed it in theaters will discover it on DVD and be enchanted by the finesse of the acting, the story, the visuals and the music.  This film is a treasure.

Miss Potter is now available at Amazon and AmazonUK. Visit the DVD database for more information.