November 15 - Miss Potter

Today’s movie is a period drama with a scene that happens on November 15. Watch it tonight and enjoy.  

MISS POTTER  

Beatrix Potter, daughter of a wealthy London family is trying to sell an illustrated book of children’s stories about anthropomorphized animals that she has written. She finds a publisher, and the partners give it to the youngest brother, Norman Warne, who has recently joined the firm as a project (since they think this book is insignificant, even if he messes it up it won’t really hurt). Her father but not her mother support Beatrix in her writing. Mr. Warne impresses her by coming up with some ideas for her book. We learn that a trip to the Lake District at an early age instilled a love of nature in her. Beatrix is very particular about getting the color plates correct for her book and her mother is horrified, as this requires Beatrix to actually visit print shops! Norman’s mother and sister really like Beatrix. Beatrix reminisces about “the suitors’ her mother tried to fix her up with, all very rich and stuffy men.  Her book is published and is a surprising success. When Beatrix invites Mr. Warne and his sister to their Christmas party, her father agrees and her mother does not. Norman proposes and she accepts. Her family, even her father disapproves. Beatrix finds out her books have made her rich and threatens to break with her family. Her family finally agrees, but ask her to wait until after their holiday to the Lake District to announce their engagement and she reluctantly agrees. While on holiday she sees Hilltop farm for sale and likes it. Norman gets ill and Beatrix races back, but he is dead before she gets there. Beatrix is devastated and goes into a deep funk. She buys Hilltop farm on November 15th and makes it a working farm. [1:13:49 to 1:14:25] She buys surrounding farms in order to preserve them

An interesting biopic. The animated segments are good and not nearly enough. Zellweger does a good job of developing this character.

Lear, Linda. Beatrix Potter: A Life in Nature. New York; St. Martins Press, 2007. This book at page 496 gives the date she bought Hilltop

Director - Chris Noonan

Screenplay - Richard Maltby, Jr.

Running Time - 1 hour 32 minutes

Released - December 3, 2006

Starring -         

Rene Zellweger as Beatrix Potter

Ewan McGregor as Norman Warne

Emily Watson as Millie Warne

Anton Lessor as Harold Warne

David Bamber as Fruing Warne

Copyright by Ivan Walters in 2014.