Review
Miss Potter is a biographical drama directed by Chris Noonan and starring Renee Zellweger as the beloved children’s author and illustrator, Beatrix Potter, who was famous for her tales about Peter Rabbit and other animals.
London, 1902. Thirty-two year old Beatrix Potter (Renee Zellweger) is still living with her parents and seems to have no interest in marriage much to the annoyance of her mother who has tried hard to find her daughter a suitable husband. However, Beatrix has other ideas and she approaches the offices of Harold (Anton Lesser) and Fruing Warne (David Bamber) in the hopes of having her book, The Tale of Peter Rabbit, published. Neither of them particularly like it but they decide it would make a suitable project for their younger brother, Norman, who has just joined the business. Fortunately for Beatrix, Norman (Ewan McGregor) loves the book and comes up with a genius idea of having the book published in colour while keeping the costs at a minimum.
Beatrix and Norman start to spend a lot of time together and he eventually introduces her to his unmarried sister, Millie (Emily Watson), who takes an instant liking to Beatrix. The book proves to be a success when it is released and Norman encourages Beatrix to write other books. While Beatrix’s mother, Helen (Barbara Flynn) is not happy about her daughter’s new career, she is pleasantly surprised when her father, Rupert (Bill Paterson), becomes very supportive. Beatrix invites Norman and Millie to her family’s Christmas party and happily accepts when Norman proposes to her.
Naturally, Beatrix’s parents are not pleased about the match as Norman’s family are trades people but Beatrix reminds them that their grandfathers were tradesmen. Stressed by the situation, Beatrix looks into the prospect of buying her own house and is astounded when she learns her book sales have made her a very wealthy woman. Beatrix’s parents then tell her they will give their blessing for her marriage to Norman if she keeps the engagement a secret until after their annual summer visit to the Lake District. If Beatrix still feels the same way about Norman after three months, they will officially announce the engagement. Beatrix agrees to the plans and the Potters make their way to the Lake District where Beatrix and Norman keep up a lively correspondence by letter.
Beatrix then gets a message from Millie saying Norman has been taken ill and she rushes back to London but it is too late. Millie tells her that Norman died and has already been buried. A grieving Beatrix shuts herself up in the London house where she attempts to draw but her characters keep disappearing from the page. Concerned that Beatrix is not responding to her notes, Millie arrives at the house and forces Beatrix to open her bedroom door. Realising Beatrix is in trouble, Millie urges her to leave the house and Beatrix decides to go back to the Lake District.
In the Lake District, Beatrix buys Hilltop Farm and renews her acquaintance with William Heelis (Lloyd Owen), who is a solicitor. Comfortable in her new surroundings, Beatrix begins to paint again and becomes involved in a project to save the land from being bought over by developers. Realising she has the funds to intervene directly, Beatrix starts buying other farms in the area that come up for sale much to the annoyance of the developers. As the film draws to a close, we learn Beatrix married William Heelis eight years later and eventually gifted all the land she had bought to the British people.
Beatrix Potter was a woman who was definitely ahead of her time and Miss Potter is a gentle biopic that strays into whimsy territory when her beloved characters come to life on the page. While the film is mostly faithful to Beatrix’s life, it does twist some of the facts for dramatic purposes but they are not too intrusive and most viewers won’t care. Oddly, after The Tale of Peter Rabbit is published, there is less focus on her books and no mention of the merchandising deals that proved to be just as lucrative. Once Beatrix moves to the Lake District, the attention turns to her efforts to preserve the land and the acres she bought would eventually be incorporated into The Lake District National Park.
Renee Zellweger also acted as an executive producer for this film and her performance as Beatrix is passable but nothing startling. While some found the animated characters an odd choice, I rather liked it and thought Beatrix’s chats with them rather charming. I wouldn’t say I was a huge Beatrix Potter fan but the characters she created have stood the test of time and Peter Rabbit is still a familiar sight on nursery walls. Incidentally, Potter’s characters would come to life in another drama, Roald & Beatrix: The Tail of the Curious Mouse, where a six year old Roald Dahl (Harry Tayler) meets his idol Beatrix Potter (Dawn French) when his family visits the Lake District.
