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Miss Potter
By Stephen Farber
An actress from Texas, Renee Zellweger, anchors another quintessentially British movie, Miss Potter, about the professional and romantic travails of beloved children's author Beatrix Potter. Of course, Zellweger has played British before, in the Bridget Jones movies, and even though her accent isn't flawless, she wins us over. This movie came in under the radar, but it turns out to be a lot more satisfying than some of the heavily hyped disappointments of Oscar season. Director Chris Noonan, best known for Babe, brings some of Potter's most famous characters to life with a subtle mix of live action and animation. Thanks to his sure hand and the work of the actors, the movie achieves that most elusive of qualities--charm. Ewan McGregor as a shy publisher, Emily Watson as his take-charge sister and Barbara Flynn as Beatrix's disapproving mother deliver excellent performances. Zellweger was clearly cast with an eye on the box office, but she catches the essential qualities of Miss Potter--cocksure determination along with willful eccentricity.
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