Miss Potter

Beatrix Potter didn't just write and illustrate world-famous children's books; she was also a proto-feminist and an early environmentalist. That's the spin of Babe director Chris Noonan's heart-warming but overly sentimental costume drama, in which Renée Zellweger gurns through her portrayal of the creative Victorian free spirit. What makes the film work is Ewan McGregor's effortless charm as the timid publisher who shares her vision of The Tale of Peter Rabbit and becomes her first romance in the bestselling process, and a sparkling Emily Watson as his spinster sister, who eventually befriends Beatrix. Directed in picture-postcard style, with occasional flashes of cartoon animation depicting Potter's creations and inner emotions, this is a sweet and lightweight treat.