THE LIFE OF BEATRIX POTTER IS THE MOST ENCHANTING TALE OF ALL.
In 1901, Beatrix Potter (Renée Zellweger) finally finds a publisher willing to print “The Tale of Peter Rabbit”; her relationship with the firm’s inexperienced representative (Ewan McGregor) grows into something deeper. The man who brought us Babe (1995) returns for a story that shares a few similarities; this one also concerns a beloved children’s book and animation is cleverly used to make us see Peter Rabbit and his friends the way Beatrix did. A very handsome production supports a central romance that may seem a bit rose-colored, but it is genuinely uplifting and touching, beautifully enacted by the two stars.
2006-U.S.-Britain. 91 min. Color. Widescreen. Produced by David Kirschner, Mike Medavoy, Corey Sienega, David Thwaites. Directed by Chris Noonan. Screenplay: Richard Maltby, Jr. Cast: Renée Zellweger (Beatrix Potter), Ewan McGregor (Norman Warne), Emily Watson (Millie Warne), Barbara Flynn, Bill Paterson, Matyelok Gibbs.
Trivia: Co-executive produced by Zellweger.
Last word: “It was a long process. When I signed on, it was only partially funded. My first task was to figure out how much we needed to make the film. Then there was a period of raising money from various sources; we have a mosaic investment structure. It came together slowly. While we were shooting, Weinstein Company signed on and we got funds that allowed us to readdress the film’s ending to make it work.” (Noonan, AWFJ.org)
