The time has come for phase two of my “Which Harry Potter Child Star is Most Likely to Succeed Post-HP?” competition, and it’s Emma Watson’s turn.  Based on the novel by Noel Streatfeild, Ballet Shoes features three young orphaned girls; the actress Pauline (Watson), the dancer Posy (Lucy Boynton), and the aspiring aviator Petrova (Yasmin Paige).  Surprise, surprise: another British film about orphans.

This time, though, the girls do not grow up in a traditional orphanage, but instead are taken in by a former orphan, Sylvia Brown (Emilia Fox), in the mansion-like home of her Uncle Matthew (played by Richard Griffiths, or Dudley Dursley’s father for Harry Potter fans).  Great Uncle Matthew has brought the girls home to Silvia during his exploratory travels, but soon disappears for many years, leaving Silvia and the girls in a severe state of financial hardship.

Silvia rents out some rooms in the home in order to pay the bills, and before long the three orphan girls – who have already bonded like sisters with each other – have a bigger, more diverse family than anyone could have imagined.  Their housemates inspire the girls to imagine, dance, and pursue their dreams.  One of the tenants, Theo (Lucy Cohu), helps enroll the three sisters at a local dance studio, which leads to Pauline’s success as a actress, Posy’s immense talent as a dancer, and Petrova’s aggravation with her sisters’ triumphs (she wants to build cars and fly planes instead, which she later achieves).

The girls attempt to land acting jobs in local play productions in order to earn money for their struggling family, and Pauline is quickly sucked into the spotlight, starring a major feature film and experiencing the kind of overnight fame that only a real child star (Emma Watson!) could really relate to.

In fact, an extended interview with Emma Watson was probably the most interesting feature that the DVD had to offer.  In it, she explains how much fun she had “becoming someone different than Hermione”.  Set in the 1930s, she was able dress up in period costumes and wear elaborate make-up – none of which the character of Hermione allows.

Watson also tells of her worries about “leaving Hermione behind”, a concern that viewers will undoubtedly share as she moves on with her acting career.  Overall, I believe she succeeds, and will continue to succeed outside of Harry Potter.  I was significantly more impressed with her in Ballet Shoes, than I was with Daniel Radcliffe in December Boys.

Watson has a glow of intelligence and passion, and the promise of becoming a successful adult actress.  Now if only we could see her play an adult role.

All Emma Watson nonsense aside, Ballet Shoes itself is just okay.  It follows a simple rags-to-riches plot, and is fairly inconclusive at the end.  This film is worth renting if you have already watched A Little Princess and Secret Garden on repeat a million times, and you are in the mood for a similar yet inferior children’s movie.  But parents beware: this film is rated PG… “for smoking”.