Miss Potter

Renée Zellweger stars in and executive produces a softball bio-pic on the beloved originator of the Peter Rabbit books. Well, why not? Kate Winslet can’t be everywhere at once. Zellweger will do, although her performance sometimes seems more affected than inhabited. Still, see Miss Potter for its real appreciation of the subject, its remarkably discreet and touching animation sequences, and its affirmation of the range and sheer talent of Ewan McGregor, who plays Potter’s publisher and milquetoast fiancé Norman Warne. (Emily Watson puts in a nice supporting turn, too, as Norman’s sister Millie.) Yes, it’s overly scored, and Richard E. Maltby Jr.’s script is discernibly more infantilizing than Potter’s books, but not as much as you might expect. The movie’s gentle, generally non-patronizing temperament makes for refreshing family fare. How come? Well, you may remember director Chris Noonan’s nice touch from 1995’s Babe.