Full Review

Renee Zellweger and Ewan McGregor, who last lent their joint talents to "Down With Love," that breezy homage to the Doris Day-Rock Hudson comedies of the early 1960s, demonstrate their great versatility in an utterly different sort of film.

"Miss Potter" (MGM/Weinstein) is a charming, beautifully crafted story of "Peter Rabbit" author (and painter) Beatrix Potter (Zellweger), and her romance with Norman Warne (McGregor), the awkward young publisher of her books, under the disapproving eyes of her class-conscious parents (Barbara Flynn and Bill Paterson) in turn-of-the-century England.

We see how, after multiple rejections, Frederick Warne & Co. finally agrees to print "The Tale of Peter Rabbit," but only as a means to give their greener younger brother some minor busywork as his first foray into the family business. Beatrix's parents -- particularly her domineering, snobbish mother -- only seem dimly aware of their daughter's determination to legitimize her lifelong interest in stories and art. (In her quiet, but emphatic way, Beatrix would not let herself be stifled by the conventions of the day.)

But, as it happens, the slim volume turns out to be a great success, and Beatrix and Norman make a winning partnership. Though Beatrix and Norman's spinster sister, Millie (Emily Watson), quickly bond, as they have both resolved never to marry, a deep, growing love develops between Beatrix and Norman, leading to a most touchingly played proposal. The formality of the age -- they address each other as "Miss Potter" and "Mr. Warne" -- and the necessity for Beatrix to have an omnipresent chaperone is amusingly conveyed.

Beatrix's parents oppose the union as they view Norman as a mere tradesman, and Norman's elder brothers know nothing of the match either, but the couple are determined to make a life together.

We won't spoil what happens next, but we should say that the narrative takes a darker turn before coming to a sanguine, if bittersweet, conclusion. (We learn, incidentally, that in later years Beatrix would become a dedicated farmer and notable conservationist, leaving thousands of acres to the National Trust when she died in 1943.)

Richard Maltby Jr.'s well-crafted script, Martin Childs' evocative production design and Andrew Dunn's ravishing cinematography are all first-rate.

There's also a delightful use of animation. Beatrix's characters are so real to her that she sometimes sees them moving on the page. Though this is basically an adult story, as there are no objectionable elements, the film is perfectly acceptable for younger viewers.

Under Chris Noonan's canny direction, this is the kind of quality film that's all too rare these days.

Movies have been evaluated by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishop's Office for Film and Broadcasting according to artistic merit and moral suitability. The reviews include the USCCB rating, the Motion Picture Association of America rating, and a brief synopsis of the movie.

The classifications are as follows:

• A-I -- general patronage;
• A-II -- adults and adolescents;
• A-III -- adults;
• A-IV**
• L -- limited adult audience, films whose problematic content many adults would find troubling. L replaces the previous classification, A-IV.
• O -- morally offensive.