More about the film

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Miss Potter comes out on DVD on 23rd April. If you missed it first time round, here's our lowdown and what we thought of it...

Prepare to be amazed by just how much Beatrix Potter achieved in her life. We thought we were going to see a film about the life of a 19th-century children's author, but there's much more to Beatrix Potter than Peter Rabbit. Miss Potter delves into the repressed, fantasy world she lived in, and also focuses on her tragic love affair with publisher Norman Wayne (played by the lovely Ewan McGregor).  

Beatrix Potter was a unique mixture of talent, passion and tenacity. She wrote charming stories about animals for children (over 150 million copies have been sold), but she was an entomologist, a naturalist and a conservationist as well as a sensitive and intelligent writer. She fought tirelessly for the conservation of the countryside and had the courage to stand up for her convictions. At a time when social constraints prevented women from escaping the repressed lives mapped out for them, Beatrix was a free thinker and a fighter. Even in love she broke the rules and followed her heart where it took her.

Renée really captures Beatrix Potter as we imagine her: a curious mixture of childlike sensitivity, reserve, and stubborn determination. Ewan McGregor excels as the publisher who falls in love with both Beatrix the author and Beatrix the woman. Director Chris Noonan, whose successes include Babe, has a real eye for detail, the natural world and all the little things that make a great film. Miss Potter not only takes you back to your childhood: it also provides a moving and fascinating insight into the life of an extraordinary woman.