Miss Potter
Renee Zellweger, Ewan McGregor, Emily Watson; Directed by Chris Noonan
Beatrix Potter is fondly remembered as the creator of one of the most popular characters in all of children's literature, - the fence-hopping, jacket-wearing, mischief-making, Peter Rabbit. Other character creations soon followed, building a cast of characters that made the Peter Rabbit series one of the best-selling children's works of all time. This film chronicles her journey from her first acceptance by a publisher, all the way to the amazingly beautiful house in Northern England where she would spend the rest of her days. We follow her through her timid and awkward courtship with Norman Warne, the fledgling editor assigned to her books, then to the pressures of dealing with her cynical and unenthusiastic mother, who insists on denying her daughter's successes and never misses an opportunity to try and dash her "ridiculous" dream of being able to support herself through writing. Heartbreak abounds, and spirit triumphs. That's the gist of it.
With an overwhelming run-time of just over ninety minutes, this remarkably rich, complex, and emotionally satisfying drama lands squarely in the hallowed halls of cinematic immortality! Oh, I wish. I would love to be able to sincerely say these words, but no such luck. It is not a good sign when you have your elbow on the couch arm with your chin resting on the palm of your hand ten minutes into the movie, fighting eyes that desperately want to glaze over with unmitigated boredom. Have you ever gone into a staring trance while looking at a TV screen? Or zoned out whilst in the middle of watching a film trying to compel you with its characters and story? I'm sure you have. But it is an alarming thing to have happen nevertheless, because even the worst stories, with the worst acting and writing, etc. can capture our attention, if not for the sheer overall badness that some of us enjoy reveling in sometimes. But boredom is an entirely different beast. To have one of the most creative and expressive mediums of entertainment actually lull us into a semi-conscious haze is something close to a sin. I see a lot of movies, a fair amount of both bad and good. But it is rare for me to stumble across one that is just plain and simply dull. Behold Miss Potter, a story so incredibly spotty and irrationally paced that it seemed the entire life story of Beatrix Potter would have been best left to the back of a bookmark in a neat little paragraph. This is the cliff notes version of the cliff notes version. I cannot stress how one-dimensional this film was. Everything from the script writing (chock full of stereotypical characters and dialogue) to the acting (why oh why did Ewan McGregor and Emily Watson not see what they were getting into?) was enough to induce several embarrassed slaps to the forehead. No, but that would wake us up. Bad plan.
Writers never lead boring lives. I don't think they could even if they wanted to. Beatrix Potter was a heroic and courageous women who did many great things and lived her life the way she wanted to, never mind the social conventions that her family and society were telling her to adhere to. This is a great woman, but she didn't deserve this hodgepodge of sappy, soap opera-ish drama. No one does. Well, some people do, but Miss Potter certainly isn't one of them. Her life was inspiring, and this film was anything but. Everyone seems to have dropped the ball on this production. The only reason to consider troubling your DVD player with this film is the scenery, which is a feast of deliciously gorgeous English countryside that made me lament all the more for living these past few years in a sprawling metropolis. As for Renee Zellweger, we'll just close our eyes and pretend this one didn't happen.
Grading:
Story = C
Originality = C
DVD Features = N/A
Acting = B-
Enjoyability = C-
Visuals = B
Overall = C
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