Miss Potter

I watched this movie yesterday. I had almost despaired of seeing it because it kept skipping and getting stuck in the DVD player in my bedroom, which is where I prefer to watch my movies. But before I returned it to Netflix unwatched, I decided to try it in the DVD in the living room, and I'm so glad I did.

It wasn't anything truly magnificent...just a sweet, little movie about Beatrix Potter and how she came to get her first children's book published. I love movies based on true stories. I knew absolutely nothing about Beatrix Potter, but came to find out that she was a pretty special woman. She was ahead of her time in that she preferred her solitary, single state to being foisted off on a man...any so-called "suitable" man...just to suit her parents' or society's notion that a woman had to marry, so that a man could take care of her.

As it turned out, Miss Potter was able to provide a very nice life for herself. Along the way, she did find love and romance. She fell in love with the man assigned to oversee the publishing of her first book, "The Tale of Peter Rabbit." His name was Norman Warne, and he was the youngest brother in the family publishing business. His brothers gave him the assignment under the assumption he would fail miserably...it was, after all, a silly book with funny pictures and written by a woman to boot. But their plan back-fired; the book became wildly popular, as did her subsequent children's stories.

The scene in the movie that touched me the most was when Beatrix wanted to show Norman the Christmas gift she had for him. Now, I have no way of knowing if this happened as it was portrayed in the movie, but it was one of "those" cinematic moments for which we erstwhile romantics pine. There is a music box in the room and Norman asks Beatrix to dance. She resists at first, insisting she doesn't know how, and he begins to falteringly sing the song as he takes her in his arms and...teaches her how to dance. Hence the following video from the movie and the lyrics to the song.

Let Me Teach You How To Dance


Lyrics
Let me teach you how to dance
Let me lead you to the floor
Simply place your hand in mine
And then think of nothing more
Let the music cast its spell
Give the atmosphere a chance
Simply follow where I lead
Let me teach you how to dance.

It was just the sweetest, most romantic scene. They later became engaged, but he died before they ever married. Ewan McGregor portrayed Norman in the movie, and Renee Zellweger played Beatrix Potter. Like I said, it was nothing spectacular...just a sweet, little nothing movie about real people, living real lives. Miss Potter ultimately moved to the "Lake District" in England where she bought a farm and eventually married.

Oh, yeah. She also donated 4,000 acres of land to the "National Trust." Not bad for a woman and her silly, little drawings.

Another Video Featuring Various Movie Clips

Both videos found on YouTube. First one by akkygure , second one by ginnebraxD.