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Beatrix works her magic with a pen

For those of us who grew up reading Potter's books, it would have been interesting to get a more in-depth look at the process she went through to concoct her characters and their adventures. Instead, Miss Potter focuses less on the life of the author and more on the life of the woman—her relationships, her struggles to gain her parents' understanding and respect, her role as a woman in early 20th century London, and her long, lonely road to finding her way in the world. Once she does find that way, her legacy is impressive—both her creative body of work that's delighted children for more than 100 years, as well as her work as a conservationist, preserving the English countryside. In the end, The Tale of Miss Potter is an inspiration.

Talk About It

1. Beatrix wrestles with her parents' expectations for her life—sometimes even defies them. In light of the biblical mandate to honor father and mother, what do you think of her words and actions? Do you think her parents are always fair? Is Beatrix justified in defying her parents' wishes? Why or why not?
   
   
2. Both Beatrix and Millie decide they aren't going to marry. What cultural realities of that day inform that decision? Do you think they make this decision for right and/or healthy reasons? What would you think of a Christian woman in our current culture making that decision? Are there right and/or healthy reasons for such a decision today?
   
   
3. Trace the journey of grief in the movie. What needed steps for grappling with grief do we see? In what ways do others help in the healing process? What new work do we eventually see born after this death?

The Family Corner

Miss Potter is rated PG for brief mild language. There's hardly anything objectionable in the film. There's an off-screen death, and Beatrix yells at her parents (though one could argue with good reason). While based on the life of a children's author, it's not a children's movie. Younger children would likely fidget through this grown-up drama.

Photos © Copyright Weinstein Company

© Camerin Courtney subject to licensing agreement with Christianity Today International. All rights reserved. Click for reprint information.

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.

"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.

Lisa Rice (Crosswalk) says the film "is a charming look at the challenges of a gentle, but bold woman trying to buck many spoken and unspoken turn-of-the-century rules and establish a commendable career for herself—without neglecting matters of the heart.Though it's a 'chick flick' any way you slice it, the filmmakers are careful to avoid an over-the-top feministic slant, and the outcome is both sweet and inspiring."

Bob Hoose (Plugged In) says, "In today's movie universe, the charming biopic Miss Potter is an anomaly, if not downright quaint. Foul language does not batter you, no one is shot or beaten, nothing explodes, implodes or regurgitates. And the screen is devoid of toilet-tinged cartoons, near-naked co-eds or insipidly mouthy fratboys. You're left, then, with a sweet, simple story about a young woman's creative imagination and determined spirit."

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