Related articles and links |  1 of 4

Peter Rabbit. Squirrel Nutkin. Miss Moppet. Timmy Tiptoes. Jemima Puddle-duck. Do these names mean anything to you?

If not, that's a shame. Children's literature is lacking in the kind of innocent, imaginative storytelling that made author Beatrix Potter famous and beloved. And it's not too late to gain an appreciation for Potter's work.

René e Zellweger plays the author in Miss Potter as a model for the conscientious and ambitious women who would follow her example. It turns out this celebrity of children's storytelling lived out a meaningful tale of her own that grownups can enjoy and learn from.

"Miss Potter is for moviegoers who are drawn more to the delightful than the destructive," says Camerin Courtney (Christianity Today Movies). "But no matter your taste, it's undeniably refreshing to see a PG-rated movie for adults done so well. We see characters change and grow, we watch people actually get to know one another before falling in love, and we're treated to beautiful shots of English countryside."

"The pleasures of Miss Potter are few and simple, but they are sublime," says Greg Wright (Past the Popcorn). "Please don't be prepared to like Miss Potter too much; it may let you down early on. But let its gentleness and simplicity grow on you—don't seek to know too much about it ahead of time, and let its words take you to surprising and delightful places."

Lisa Rice (Crosswalk) says, "Miss Potter is a beautifully-filmed movie that hearkens back to the days when propriety was everything. … It is a sobering study on the power of the encouragement—or discouragement—that a parent can give children, which can either break their spirit or launch them into their purposes."

Mainstream critics are divided. Some are bothered by a little too much sweetness and innocence, wishing the film was a more grownup affair. I don't think Peter Cottontail would mind.

It's been, what, a month since the last flashy movie about troubled young people who know how to dance?

Here comes Stomp the Yard, which starts with a dance showdown that leads straight into bloodshed. Then, our hip-hop hero starts a new life in a new school, where he has to find a way to fit in. In the end, the film's dance sequences draw us in for a story about injustice and struggle.

But is the story worth it? Is the dancing?

David DiCerto (Catholic News Service) says, "[T]he athleticism of the choreography and Short's charisma energize a flimsy and formulaic script."

Bob Hoose (Plugged In) was surprised by the film. "Yes, Stomp is a little cliché d and stiff with a fairly predictable story that includes a violent murder, a number of cleavage-baring outfits and implied sex. But along with that, it proves itself to be one of those films that attempts to show black teens as more than Hollywood-stereotypical gangstas or hoopsters. … [T]he movie shows us kids who have goals in life."

Kathy Bledsoe (Past the Popcorn) says, "Even though this film may not win any awards, it will provide a lot of opportunity to connect with youth and discuss the kinds of choices and decisions children are being forced to make these days—even in the presumed 'safe' haven of Middle America. I encourage my fellow 'white folk' in particular to 'step' out of themselves and see this movie!"

Mainstream critics aren't quite so sure the film has much worth considering, calling it "uninspired storytelling" and "a flabby mess."

next page... |  1 of 4

share this page

January (Web-only) 2007, Vol. 51