With worldwide sales in excess of 100 million books, Beatrix Potter remains one of the most popular children's authors of all time with her enchanting tales of Peter Rabbit, Benjamin Bunny, Jemima Puddle-Duck and chums.

The writer's extraordinary life - her brave struggle against societal conventions of the early 20th century; the tragic loss of the man she adored to leukaemia - is equally fascinating.

Just don't expect to find any of the fine details in Chris Noonan's chocolate box biopic, which couldn't be more fluffy and twee.

Richard Maltby Jr's screenplay illuminates some of Beatrix's hard fought victories, like the battle of wills with her dismissive mother (Flynn), who believed a woman's place was at home, at her husband's side.

However, there's a noticeable reluctance to stray into darker territory; thus, Beatrix's grief over the death of her fiance lasts for only a few minutes of screen time before a replacement love interest is introduced.

Out with the old and in with the new.

Apart from a brief foray into the childhood of the young Beatrix (Boynton), Miss Potter concentrates largely on the years 1901-1905.

Rebelling against her strict Victorian upbringing, Beatrix (Zellweger) tries to forge her own path in life, approaching publishers who might be interested in her illustrated story of a mischievous rabbit.

After numerous rejections, Harold Warne (Lesser) and his brother Fruing (Bamber) show interest, agreeing a modest print run.

They palm off the project - which they expect to be a failure - onto their younger sibling Norman (McGregor), who is making his first tentative forays into the family business.

Norman works closely with Beatrix to achieve her vision and the couple fall madly in love, angering her mother but delighting his unconventional sister, Millie (Watson).

When Norman asks Beatrix to marry him, she accepts with joy, changing the course of her life forever.

Miss Potter is a bright and breezy study guide rather than a measured account of the personal sacrifices of a literary genius, whose ideas were far ahead of her time.

The screenplay skips merrily over the facts, while director Noonan, who previously helmed the Oscar-winning Babe, seizes every opportunity to unleash animated animals in Beatrix's perceived reality.

Zellweger delivers another plummy English accent and has frightfully rosy cheeks, and there is a pleasing but hardly smouldering screen chemistry with McGregor.

Flynn's comical turn has its moments, but it is Watson's spirited supporting performance that merits the most attention, bringing a steely edge to the role of the fiercely independent Millie.

Arguably, she would have been a better fit for the lead role.

The sweeping landscapes of the Peak District are gorgeous, and Australian composer Nigel Westlake's orchestral score plucks and blows up even more sugary sentiment, culminating in Katie Melua's forgettable end credits ballad, "When You Taught Me How To Dance".

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