Beatrix Potter achieved literary fame creating such memorable characters as Peter Rabbit, Jemima Puddle-Duck and Pigling Bland.

Potter, who died in 1943 at the age of 77, remains an important figure in the worlds of children's literature and conservation, so it comes as a bit of a surprise that Miss Potter - a big-screen biography starring Renée Zellweger - doesn't quite convince us that the author led an especially intriguing life.

Halfway through, I wondered whether the movie's primary purpose didn't have something to do with giving Zellweger (Bridget Jones's Diary) another opportunity to break out her British accent, like providing a hostess with one more occasion to use the good silver.

As a movie, Miss Potter occupies a cozy middle ground. It's one of those films that commits few egregious errors, but scales few real heights. There is nothing either terribly wrong or keenly right about it. It's tidy, I suppose.

In the hands of screenwriter Robert Maltby Jr., Miss Potter outlines major events in the portion of Potter's life that concluded in 1906. These developments - surrounded by the Victorian upholstery of fine set decoration - find their only real tension in Potter's struggle against her family's addiction to bourgeoisie convention.

Her parents objected to her romance with her publisher Norman Warne (Ewan McGregor). He was a tradesman, and, therefore, considered beneath her. And although Potter's father (Bill Paterson) appreciated Beatrix's artistry, he joined with her mother (Barbara Flynn) in opposing the author's quest for love - or at least in attempting to stall it.

Initially, Potter's writing career did not engender great enthusiasm. Her work was accepted by the Warne family publishing house, but wasn't taken seriously by the firm's heavyweights. She was passed off to McGregor's Norman Warne because he was the brother deemed least likely to succeed. She was supposed to keep him occupied and out of trouble. Of course, the books were a smash.

Miss Potter isn't likely to be hailed as a directorial triumph. In what often seems like routine drawing-room fare, director Chris Noonan makes use of occasional bits of animation to bring Potter's animals to life. These mini-doses of whimsy may have been intended to show us that Potter considered her creations to be real. She regarded them as friends.

Noonan, by the way, takes the reins after a long absence from film. He last directed 1995's Babe, a project that showed plenty of producer/writer George Miller's influence. (Miller, a real creative force, recently directed Happy Feet.)

It's telling that Zellweger doesn't create the movie's most compelling character. That's left to Emily Watson, who plays Norman's sister, a woman of unflinching opinions. McGregor does well enough as a good-humored fellow who immediately takes Potter's work seriously.

Aside from one tragic plot development that's already familiar to those who know Potter's story, the whole business passes calmly, offering pleasant views of the British Lake District and not creating much of a stir.

Miss Potter

A biography of Peter Rabbit's creator.

• Grade: C • Rated: PG • Running time: 92 minutes

England's other famous Potter

Why make a movie about Beatrix Potter? Her story:

• Grew up lonely: Potter was educated by a governess and had little contact with other people. She didn't have many friends, but she had a lot of animals she snuck into her British home and kept as pets.

• Avoided life as a maid: When she was older, her parents appointed Potter their housekeeper and discouraged any intellectual development. Yet she kept drawing, writing and even studying fungi, of which she became something of an expert.

• Became a noted author: Potter finally found a publisher for The Tale of Peter Rabbit when she was 36. Potter eventually wrote 23 books.