What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that, while this film focuses on Peter Rabbit author Beatrix Potter's career and classic children's books, it's really aimed more at adults than kids (and the younger set will probably prefer the books). It deals with some mature themes, including the death of a loved one and disagreements between an adult child and her parents. Beatrix's mother repeatedly denigrates her desire to paint and tell stories; although her father is more encouraging, parents and child also disagree over Beatrix's choice for a husband. When a protagonist dies suddenly (off screen, from an illness), survivors show grief. Some characters drink socially, and one drinks to the point of passing out (this is treated as comedy).
- Families can talk about the conflict Beatrix feels between the expectations others have for her (to be a proper wife to a man of her class) and her own ambitions (writing and illustrating books). How is her dilemma shown in the movie? How do her parents respond differently to her decisions? How does her romance with Norman help "smooth over" the potential abrasiveness of her career ambitions? What effect (if any) do modern opinions about feminism and achievement have on the way the story is told?