A Beatrix Potter biopic: So much more than just cute and fuzzy bunnies.

For most people, when I hear the name "Beatrix Potter," I immediately associate to images of childhood--animal crackers, elastic-waist pants, rainy days, and trying to sit still in the elementary school library while some large, frog-like spinster woman with probable body odor read to us about those zany antics of Peter Rabbit and his G-rated cronies. As it happens, though, there was quite a lot more to Beatrix than just Mrs. Tittlemouse and Squirrel Nutkin. And luckily, The Weinstein Company is here to give you a movie all about it.

Miss Potter is a biopic about the life and times of the impressive Beatrix Potter (Renée Zellweger), a woman whom it turns out was quite a bit ahead of her time. Beatrix Potter was born into a nouveau riche British "middle" class family in Victorian England. Her father was a lawyer who rarely actually had to work and her mother spent all her time attending to the social necessities of managing servants and keeping up with the Joneses (or Tiddlywinks or Darlingtons or whatever they're called over there). But following in their footsteps simply wasn't for her.

The movie takes up with an adult Beatrix—happily unmarried and devoted to drawing, painting, and making up stories, much to her mother's displeasure. But Beatrix isn't about to be discouraged by oppressive social morés, and brings her manuscript of The Tale of Peter Rabbit to Frederick Warne & Co. to be published. While the Warne brothers don't think much of her little book, they do need a project to fob off on their younger brother, Norman (Ewan McGregor). Turns out, young Norman sees something in Beatrix and her story that his brothers don't. The book becomes an outright success, and Beatrix and Norman find themselves falling in love. But will her parents tolerate a marriage to a tradesman?

Miss Potter marks the directorial return of Chris Noonan. It's been a decade since he made Babe, but fortunately he hasn't lost his touch. The movie is sweet and wonderful, managing to walk a fine line of being touching without waxing syrupy and inspirational without getting preachy. It also does Victorian era without being dull. The tone of Miss Potter feels light and romantic comedy-like for its first half, but that just makes the movie more engaging. Even when it finds its feet and the story switches to full-on biopic mode, it still works.

Freshman screenwriter Richard Maltby Jr. shows an impeccable understanding of dialogue and structure, as well as the intricacies of what changes must be made to successfully adapt a real story for the screen. Miss Potter delivers the full roller coaster ride of emotions to viewers (it gets quite sad in parts), which goes to show how invested you get in the characters and their lives.

Ewan McGregor (Trainspotting, Big Fish) is warm, charming, and every inch the proper Victorian gentleman with his walrus mustache as Beatrix's humble but dogged champion. And it is terrific to see Emily Watson (Breaking the Waves, Hilary and Jackie) get to be something other than quirkily sullen as the lovably impish Millie Warne.

There are a few imperfections, of course. Initially it is hard to shake the memory of Bridget Jones when you see Renée Zellweger (Bridget Jones's Diary, Chicago) playing another independent, unmarried British woman. In fact, her Beatrix sounds and looks quite a lot like a slightly less drunk-and-disorderly Bridget buttoned up in Victorian dresses. But yet, she is quite likeable as Beatrix Potter and portrays her with remarkable optimism and buoyancy considering all the obstacles she had to deal with. The little girl who plays Young Beatrix (Lucy Boynton) is fairly stage-y, and it is a little odd to see Renee Zellweger and Ewan McGregor repaired in this setting after they did the mock-60's style romantic comedy Down With Love a few years back. But their relationship is so compelling that you can leave that baggage behind and hop on for the ride.

I also didn't love the convention where Beatrix's drawings were animated and she talked to them to show the perspective of her imagination. I found it cutesy and silly, but I suspect some may be charmed. And the decision to frump up both Watson and Zellweger--undoubtedly to show their flouting of the expectations of their social circles--went too far at times, and I found myself more preoccupied with greasy, fly-away hair and bad skin than I ought to have been.

All in all, though, Miss Potter is a lovely and lovable movie. Beatrix Potter was an endlessly creative woman who had the courage to go after what she wanted even when it didn't meet society's expectations. So it only makes sense that Miss Potter will mostly find its heart with female audiences. Whether you identify with Potter's struggles or just like her because your mom read her stories to you as a kid, call up your girlfriends--you'll want to see this one. And don't forget the Kleenex.

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