Miss Potter facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Miss Potter |
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UK theatrical release poster
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| Directed by | Chris Noonan |
| Produced by | David Kirschner |
| Written by | Richard Maltby Jr. |
| Starring |
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| Music by | Nigel Westlake |
| Cinematography | Andrew Dunn |
| Editing by | Robin Sales |
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| Distributed by | United Kingdom Momentum Pictures United States Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer The Weinstein Company |
| Release date(s) | 3 December 2006 (London) 5 January 2007 (United Kingdom) 9 March 2007 (United States) |
| Running time | 93 minutes |
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| Language | English |
| Budget | $30 million |
| Money made | $35.9 million |
Miss Potter is a 2006 biographical drama film directed by Chris Noonan. It is based on the life of children's author and illustrator Beatrix Potter, and combines stories from her own life with animated sequences featuring characters from her stories, such as Peter Rabbit. Scripted by Richard Maltby Jr., the director of the Tony Award-winning Broadway revue, Fosse, the film stars Renée Zellweger in the title role, Ewan McGregor as her publisher and fiancé, Norman Warne, and Lloyd Owen as solicitor William Heelis. Emily Watson stars as Warne's sister, Millie. Lucy Boynton also stars as the young Beatrix Potter and Justin McDonald appears as the young William Heelis. It was filmed in St. Peter's Square Hammersmith, Cecil Court, Osterley Park, Covent Garden, the Isle of Man, Scotland and the Lake District.
Miss Potter received a limited release in the United States on 29 December 2006 so that the film could compete for the 2007 Academy Awards. The film was intended to be released generally on 12 January 2007, but Variety reported that The Weinstein Company had decided to push a wider release date until after the Academy Awards on 25 February 2007. The date seemed to fluctuate a number of times, but the Weinstein Company website ultimately listed its release date as 9 March. The film received generally positive reviews and earned Zellweger her sixth Golden Globe nomination.
Plot
The story begins with Beatrix Potter nervously packing her portfolio and narrating that she is a London spinster, and that her ambition to become a children's author meets with wide disapproval. She and her chaperone, Miss Wiggin, visit the publishing house of Harold and Fruing Warne, who decide to publish her The Tale of Peter Rabbit. Beatrix is thrilled and returns home, taking a drive through the parks to celebrate. However, it is revealed the Warne brothers think her book is ridiculous and will no doubt be a failure. The only reason they agreed to publish it is because they promised their younger brother, Norman, a project.
When Norman visits Beatrix, they make decisions about her book regarding size, colour and price. Norman admits he has never done anything like this before but has given her book a great deal of thought. Beatrix realises what Norman's brothers have done, but she and Norman become determined to prove them wrong. Norman takes Beatrix to the printer, and she has her drawings reproduced and copies of her book sold. Beatrix and Norman visit the Warne family, where Beatrix meets the wheelchair-bound Mrs. Warne, and Norman's sister, Millie. Millie has decided that she and Beatrix are going to be friends and is overjoyed that Beatrix is a spinster, as is Millie, who believes men to be nothing but bores. The family befriends Beatrix, yet Helen Potter, Beatrix's social-climbing mother, is unhappy about her daughter spending time in the company of tradesmen.
When she returns home, Beatrix and Helen bicker about Beatrix's decision not to marry. Beatrix reminds her mother of the book she wrote, and her mother retorts she believes the venture will fail. However, the book sales are very successful and copies are displayed in many store windows. Norman encourages Beatrix to submit other stories for publication. Even Beatrix's father, Rupert, buys a copy of The Tale of Two Bad Mice after hearing how his friends at the Reform Club were buying them. Encouraged by this success and her father's support, Beatrix invites Norman and Millie to her family's Christmas party. At the party everyone enjoys themselves and Beatrix shows Norman a story she is writing especially for him, "The Rabbits' Christmas Party". She shows him a drawing from the story and shows him her studio where she writes and draws. Miss Wiggin falls asleep from too much brandy (a generous portion of which had been added to her coffee cup by Norman), and Norman plucks up the courage to propose to Beatrix. Mrs. Potter interrupts before Beatrix can reply, and they join the other guests in the drawing room. Beatrix confides in Millie about Norman proposing, and Millie encourages her to say yes. Beatrix then tells the guests of the stories she writes and they are delighted and amused. Mrs. Potter, however, can not see what all the fuss is about. As the guests leave, Beatrix whispers her agreement to marry Norman, who is overjoyed.
Norman visits Rupert Potter at his club to ask his consent and is dismissed within minutes. At the Potter household, Beatrix and her parents argue about her decision to marry Norman. Beatrix is adamant. Mrs. Potter tells her no Potter can marry into trade, but Beatrix reminds her that her grandfathers were both tradesmen. When Mrs. Potter threatens to cut her daughter off financially, Beatrix reminds them of her brother, Bertram, who married a wine merchant's daughter and was not disowned. She states she can survive on her own with her books. Mr. Potter attempts to reason with his daughter, but she tells him she wants to be loved and not simply marry someone because he can provide for her.
Beatrix inquires with the bank about her royalty earnings, wondering if she would perhaps someday be able to buy a house in the country. She is amazed and delighted to learn that her book sales have made her wealthy enough to buy several estates and a house in town if she wishes. When she returns home her parents make a proposition: that Beatrix keep her engagement to Norman a secret and holiday with them in the Lake District for the summer. If she still wishes to marry him at the end of the summer, they agree that they will not object to the marriage. Beatrix agrees to the proposition and is quite convinced that she will not change her mind, telling her parents to prepare for an October wedding.
Norman and Beatrix kiss each other goodbye at the railway station (Horsted Keynes on the Bluebell Line) and write many letters during their time apart, until one day a letter arrives from his sister Millie, informing her that Norman is ill. Beatrix travels back to London only to find that Norman has died. Overcome with grief, Beatrix shuts herself up in her room. She turns to her drawing, but discovers that her characters disappear off the page. Millie comes to visit and comfort her, and Beatrix decides she must leave the house.
Beatrix buys a farm in the country in the Lake District and moves there to resume her work. She hires a farmhand to run the farm and finds comfort in her surroundings. With the help of her solicitor, William Heelis, she outbids developers at auctions and buys many other farms and land in the area to preserve nature. In captions, it is explained that eight years after moving to the Lake District she marries William (to her mother's disapproval) and the land she purchased eventually forms part of the Lake District National Park in North West England.
Cast
- Renée Zellweger as Beatrix Potter
- Lucy Boynton as Young Beatrix
- Ewan McGregor as Norman Warne
- Emily Watson as Millie Warne
- Barbara Flynn as Helen Potter
- Bill Paterson as Rupert Potter
- Lloyd Owen as William Heelis
- Justin McDonald as Young William
- Anton Lesser as Harold Warne
- David Bamber as Fruing Warne
- Phyllida Law as Mrs. Louisa Warne
- Judith Barker as Hilda
- Matyelok Gibbs as Miss Wiggin
- Lynn Farleigh as Lady Sybil
- John Woodvine as Sir Nigel
- Jane How as Lady Armitage
- Geoffrey Beevers as Mr. Copperthwaite
- Clare Clifford as Mrs. Haddon-Bell
- Richard Mulholland as Ashton Clifford
Songs
- When You Taught Me How to Dance - Performed by Katie Melua
- Let Me Teach You How to Dance - Performed by Ewan McGregor
See also
In Spanish: Miss Potter para niños
