Now available to rent exclusively through Blockbuster, “Miss Potter” is the true life story of Beatrix Potter, creator of the “Peter Rabbit” series, which is the most famous children’s book series to date. I was eager to see this movie as I love Peter Rabbit, but even more eager to see it as I am a big Ewan McGregor fan.
Renee Zellweger stars as Beatrix, a woman of thirty-two who has never been married. Her mother has tried to set her up with any number of eligible men, but none of them have been able to offer Beatrix what she wants, which is to be loved. In her era (early 1900s) women married for situation and money, not for romantic affection, and Mrs. Potter can’t understand why her daughter is being so obstinate.
But Beatrix has found love of an entirely different kind. She has been drawing since she was a young girl, and finds in her drawings all the acceptance, friendship, and love she needs. Her mother is a controlling, critical woman and her father, while kindly, is absent much of the time, and so Beatrix immerses herself in a world of her own creating. Throughout the movie, we see her drawings come to life for her, and understand why she’d much rather draw than interact with her real world.
Beatrix decides to see if she can publish her work, and takes her little portfolio around to the different houses. It is accepted by the Warne brothers and passed off to their younger brother Norman to produce. What neither Beatrix nor Norman (Ewan McGregor) expect is to fall head over heels in love with each other. True to form, Mrs. Potter refuses to acknowledge her daughter’s success not only as an author but in finding love, and she does everything she can to stand in the way of her daughter’s happiness.
This is not a movie with a blissfully happy ending. Norman comes down with a terrible illness and passes away before he and Beatrix can wed, but she goes on to find contentment in her own way, although her heart was completely broken. This is a beautiful story of overcoming the steepest odds, learning to find joy wherever we can, and being grateful for beauty all around us. Rated PG, you can safely sit down and enjoy it with your three-year-old and your great-grandmother, and I really recommend that you do so.
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