Review: Miss Potter
Well, that was lovely. Delightful, even. Like a Sunday-afternoon picnic in Hyde Park, one might say. Would you like some tea? A crumpet? Excuse me; my petticoats are showing.”
How was that?
I’m sorry. I’m just practicing for my inevitable trip to the Lake District. Now that I’ve seen Miss Potter, I’ve fallen in love, and I have to go. Best to sound like a local (in 1902), right?
The movie really is delightful, though, in the way that films about children’s literature often are (see Neverland, Finding)–there’s something about the spirit of much-loved stories and the people who told them that is fresh-faced and honest, even when things don’t go quite as expected (in fact, they rarely do; perhaps that’s what makes them so brave). In this case, Renee Zellweger does a fine job as the spirited but encumbered Beatrix Potter, children’s-book author, conservationist, and all-around woman-ahead-of-her-time.
The first half-hour of the movie feels a little superficial–like a character study without the character–but it turns out that the plot and heart of the film don’t start until later, with the arrival of Norman Warne (Ewan McGregor) and his snarky sister Millie (Emily Watson). It’s in those relationships that we really get to see Beatrix in action and understand a little of what she stands for; Norman and Millie become the center of her professional, social, and emotional lives. With their arrival, the characterization of Beatrix immediately grows deeper, and Zellweger’s performance responds accordingly. In many ways, Miss Potter a stereotypically English movie–even the emotional highs and lows are measured–but its mildness doesn’t make it boring. Instead, it’s a simple, honest, charming film.
Delightful, indeed.
Miss Potter, Renee Zellweger, Ewan McGregor, Beatrix Potter
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