Chris Noonan’s 2006 biographical period drama, Miss Potter, follows the life and career of beloved children’s author Beatrix Potter.
Featuring animated sequences of cherished and popular characters from her world-renowned children’s stories, Miss Potter combines anecdotes and experiences from Beatrix Potter’s own life in a cheerful and endearing manner for the screen.
With a screenplay written by Richard Maltby Jr., the Tony Award-winning director of the Broadway musical revue Fosse, Miss Potter stars Renée Zellweger in the titular role and sees Ewan McGregor play her fiancé and publisher, Norman Warne, while Lloyd Owen steps into the shoes of Beatrix Potter’s solicitor, William Heelis.
Miss Potter grossed over $35.8million worldwide, against a production budget of approximately $30million. In a nod to Zellweger’s acting prowess, the Bridget Jones Diary star was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Comedy or Musical and a Saturn Award for Best Actress for the film.
The biographical drama brings beloved author and illustrator of The Tale of Peter Rabbit, Beatrix Potter’s story to the screen.
Set in early 20th-century England, Miss Potter takes a look at the author’s journey as she navigates publishing challenges, societal and familial expectations, as well as personal loss. Making her way through these obstacles with resilience and creativity, Beatrix Potter emerges as one of the most celebrated and cherished children’s authors in literary history.
With a 68 per cent approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, critics had mixed responses towards Miss Potter. Although Zellweger and McGregor’s performances incited high praise from one reviewer: “…boasts terrific work from both Zellweger and McGregor that’s heightened by their palpable chemistry together…”
Another critic had a somewhat lukewarm response to the film: “Enchanting, perhaps, but a long, long way from meaningful.”
Comparing the period drama to Julian Fellowes’ smash hit Downton Abbey, one critic wrote: “Always accessible in a Downton-Abbey-goes-to-Play-School kind of way, as evidenced by Renée Zellweger’s chipper portrayal of Potter as a bustle-skirted bundle of squinty smiles and sudden blushes.”
While another review lauded Zellweger’s portrayal of the beloved children’s author: “Portraying a real-life hero can be a tough assignment. But Zellweger breezes through the role, flashing her puckish grin, talking in her soft, breathy voice and giving very human face to one of the most beloved figures of English letters.”
Audience reviews of the movie presented a similar mixed bag, with one viewer writing: “Chris Noonan did an excellent job of keeping it authentic. Zellweger fits this perfectly, a truly unique character of her times. Amazing cinematography and a stellar cast, all outstanding in their character. Lovely to look at and filled with perseverance and true grit. Filled with fantastic ideas and wonder. Remarkable indeed”
While another commented: “Extremely odd and extremely dumb. The script for this biopic is a mess.”
Miss Potter was Renée Zellweger’s first credit as an executive producer. Speaking to IndieLondon about the same, Zellweger said: “It was a terrible idea and I’ll probably never do it again [laughs]. No, I’m just joking. It was a really interesting learning opportunity and I asked the guys if they would be interested in that kind of partnership because I really wanted us to get through creatively with these guys. They said OK, so we did.”
Calling Miss Potter their favourite movie, one viewer wrote: “It’s one of my favorite movies – I would watch it over and over again. It’s very sweet and charming. I love how brave and enchanting she was.”
However, another audience reviewer didn’t mince their words when it came to Zellweger’s portrayal of Beatrix Potter: “Renée Zellweger is a disaster. A totally artificial and preposterous performance.”
Miss Potter is available to stream on Amazon Prime Video.