Miss Potter 2006

      The setting of this film is 1902 in London, England, UK.  Beatrix Potter has always loved to draw, paint and tell stories.  She is a spinster and she lives with her controlling parents.  They introduced her to several very eligible bachelors.  These men met their approval for her to consider for a marriage.  Not one of these men had any drive or imagination?  Beatrix decides to offer her stories and drawings to a print house.  The brothers who own the house don’t think anything will come of this book.  They decide to turn the job over to their youngest brother so they can see him fail.  They would like him to leave the business and go back home!! 

     I had a feeling where this was going and I didn’t want to go in that direction but it does.  I knew that Beatrix had her works published and they became very popular.  Her parents think she will always remain under their roof and they will be in control.  Beatrix begins to earn a large sum of money on her own and she believes she has the right to determine how her life will proceed.  The scenes of the countryside are very beautiful.  4* (I really liked this movie)

88 min, Bio directed by Chris Noonan with Renee Zellweger, Ewan McGregor, Emily Watson, Barbara Flynn, Bill Paterson, Matyelok Gibbs, Lloyd Owen, Anton Lesser, David Bamber, Phyllida Law, Lucy Boynton, Oliver Jenkins, Justin McDonald.

Note:  Imdb 7.0 out of 10, 66% critic 68% audience on Rotten Tomatoes, Amazon 4.7* out of 5* with 3263 reviews, The Guardian 1* out of 5*, Metacritic 57 out of 100 with 29 critics 7.2 out of 10 with 48 reviews.

Special Note:  Filmed in Kingston-upon-Thames, Yew Tree Farm, Lake District, Bluebell Railway, Horsted Keynes Station Isle of Man, Whitehaven, Brentford, Hammersmith, Lincoln’s Inn Fields, Loughrigg Tarn, Loughrigg Terrace, Low Millgillhead Cottage, Osterley Park House, The Reform Club, London, England, UK; Crotamie, Stirling; Loch Lomond, Argyll and Bute, Scotland, UK.  McGregor was Zellweger’s first choice in the role as her publisher.  The cast wore original pieces of clothing and none were reproductions.  Hill Top house in the film is actually Yew Tree Farm and Beatrix owned it in the 1930’s.  Britain’s National Trust now owns the property.  In a railway scene with rain, the actors were heavily sprayed down with water for an authentic look.  The attorney Beatrix consulted about property was William Heelis and they became close friends.