As February begins and the harsher winter months approach, my interests narrow drastically to sitting in front of the tele with a warm cup of tea, a blanket, and a fury creature snuggling close. What better way to pass the winter months than watching a film about Beatrix Potter?
While several television shows exist featuring the world Beatrix Potter created, there are a handful of films that focus on her life. Though many are romanticized, it helps bring Beatrix Potter to life. Here are some of my favorites:
The Tale of Beatrix Potter (1982)
Regrettably, this film is viewable only in part (for now). I was able to find some pieces on YouTube, but believe there are more as evidence through press photos showing the later parts of the film. Additionally, the copy is fuzzy and can be challenging to watch. That being said, it is worth a viewing.
Penelope Wilton stars as Beatrix Potter. She is a favorite actor of mine, starring in shows like Downton Abbey and Doctor Who to name a few in her incredible CV.
I enjoy Wilton’s matter of fact portrayal of Potter. Unlike other representations, Wilton brings Potter’s world to life for its harsher realities and challenges. What was it like being a woman at the turn of the century? What limitations were put upon her by her sex? What judgements were placed upon her work as a result of these limitations?
This film rightly attempts to humanize this legendary figure while simultaneously shedding light on the challenges women of her age faced.
Beatrix: The Early Life of Beatrix Potter (1990)
It had taken me a good couple of years to find this film and I was most pleased when I found it (again, posted in several pieces) on YouTube. This film focuses on the early part of Potter’s life and how it influenced her future.
Helena Bonham Carter stars as Beatrix Potter. She too is favorite actor of mine, starring in films such as Fight Club and The King’s Speech to name a few from her incredible career.
Beatrix is a docudrama mixing dramatic television with documentary and primary resources. Carter’s Potter flashes back to her childhood and holidays expressing the wonder and loneliness. Much of the voice-over dialogue comes directly from Potter’s journal sharing thoughts about events, hopes, and observations of the world around her. Between these scenes, biographer Judy Taylor interjects historical knowledge with images of paintings, sketches, and photographs.
This film justly portrays the awkwardness of Potter’s early life and the challenges of growing into a woman with a scientific and artistic mind.
Perhaps the most popular film of all to portray the life of Beatrix Potter is Miss Potter starring Renee Zellweger and Ewan McGregor. Unlike the previous films, it is easy to acquire a copy of Miss Potter from various media sources including Amazon, Netflix, and iTunes.
Admittedly, I am not fond of Renee Zellweger, star of such films as Jerry Maguire and Bridget Jones’s Diary. Early films in her career type cast her with roles of whiny and annoying females. However, later choices made by Zellweger (perhaps after paying her dues to the industry) show tremendous professional growth; Miss Potter being one such film.
Miss Potter begins with Potter soliciting Warne & Co for publication and continues to use this relationship in storytelling. Zellweger’s portrayal of Potter and the growth she experiences as a successful author and illustrator is a triumph.
Judge for yourself! And don’t forget to check out the upcoming release of Peter Rabbit!
RESOURCES
Daisy, Helena. “Beatrix Potter part 1”. Filmed 1990. YouTube video, 10:13. Posted July 2016. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D5ofWLcmFl8.
Daisy, Helena. “Beatrix Potter part 2”. Filmed 1990. YouTube video, 09:37. Posted July 2016. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hGPuXKvLo20.
Daisy, Helena. “Beatrix Potter Part 3”. Filmed 1990. YouTube video, 11:49. Posted July 2016. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yVaBZ4MjlMU.
Daisy, Helena. “Beatrix Potter Part 4”. Filmed 1990. YouTube video, 08:57. Posted July 2016. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fe1DsdUhNgo.
Daisy, Helena. “Beatrix Potter Part 5”. Filmed 1990. YouTube video, 09:30. Posted July 2016. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bYIgKnLWvWA.
Maltby, Richard Jr. Miss Potter: The Novel. London, England: F. Warne & Co, 2006.
Miss Potter. Film. United States, 2006.
Pearce, Garth. The Making of Miss Potter: The Official Guide to the Motion Picture. London, England: F. Warne & Co, 2006.
Potter, Beatrix. The Complete Peter Rabbit. London, England: Frederick Warne, 2015.
TheShesmovedon. “The Tale of Beatrix Potter – 1982 Part 1”. Filmed 1982. YouTube video, 14:36. Posted February 2011. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U-X9F-m2VlI&list=PLA7-fMDy75qz_cPW1LhleaTS5XAFOfLCF.
TheShesmovedon. “The Tale of Beatrix Potter – 1982 Part 2”. Filmed 1982. YouTube video, 14:48. Posted February 2011. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U-X9F-m2VlI&list=PLA7-fMDy75qz_cPW1LhleaTS5XAFOfLCF.
TheShesmovedon. “The Tale of Beatrix Potter – 1982 Part 3”. Filmed 1982. YouTube video, 14:57. Posted February 2011. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kjfVZrFXSog&index=3&list=PLA7-fMDy75qz_cPW1LhleaTS5XAFOfLCF.
TheShesmovedon. “The Tale of Beatrix Potter – 1982 Part 4”. Filmed 1982. YouTube video, 11:17. Posted February 2011. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nRZcs9U626c&list=PLA7-fMDy75qz_cPW1LhleaTS5XAFOfLCF&index=5.
© 2018 Meghan Evans
Becoming Beatrix 
Ms Evans. I find your film analysis very helpful. I will certainly put some of these on my list to watch. Thank you. Flint
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