I was a little apprehensive with the two leads -- the same leads in the movie "Down With Love" ! But, instead of trying to make the Potter and Warne characters more glamorous and beautiful than in real life (or making a cheesy romance out of it), they were portrayed as the two very down-to-earth (and likely very misunderstood), believable, and yes -- even homely -- people that they likely were. Not very familiar with Potter and her work, I was surprised to learn that she was also quite the naturalist, and was also reminded very much of "Wind in the Willows" from the same era; I believe the era when the British nature conservancy movement was likely taking root. I was always a great fan of Thornton W Burgess, whose main character was also named Peter Rabbit, who started writing just a decade after Potter for American readers (who, as children, would probably not have grasped the British nuances of Potter's work), and decided through watching this film that he must also have been greatly inspired by her. The realism and lack of (or at least toned-down) melodrama may make the film seem slow to formula-thirsty film-goers, but offers a lot of food for thought. The idea that you should follow your dreams is very Hollywood, but the dramatization of two very non-glamorous people and their romance (which -- surprise! doesn't necessarily make them more attractive) is almost revolutionary.
Review of Miss Potter
