It's not often that a movie exceeds any negative
expectations you have for it. That holds more true when a movie is marketed as
a feel good movie that seems so saccharine sweet you're afraid you'll go into a
diabetic coma should you watch it. Those were the feelings I had when I heard
just the title of the film WE BOUGHT A ZOO. When I saw the trailer for it I
felt it had to be as bad as I expected. What a rude awakening I had when I
finally watched the movie. It's fantastic.
Matt Damon stars as Ben Mee, a journalist who spends most of
his career traveling to exotic locations and facing danger. But nothing has
prepared him for the death of his wife and being alone with his two children.
The same holds true for dealing with where they live, a location where
everything he sees reminds him of his wife and his loss.
Son Dylan (Colin Ford) has had the most difficulty dealing
with the loss. He's in trouble non-stop at school where they're concerned about
the themes of his art work (severed heads and gore) and where he lashes out by
breaking rules. When he has his third strike, he's expelled and a new school
needs to be located.
Dylan's sister Rosie (Maggie Elizabeth Jones) is the
adorable one. She's the most uplifting thing this family has to offer. She
never dwells on the loss of her mother and helps Ben to hold the family
together be it talks the two have or packing lunches for the next day.
With all that's going on Ben decides he and the children
need a change. They need a different house, a different location and something
new in their lives. He quits his job and begins house hunting. When he and
Rosie find the ideal house they discover there's a hitch...the house is part of
a zoo in need of much repair. But he sees this as a challenge and something to
do so they buy the zoo.
Some things go as expected with Dylan seeing this as
unfavorable and thinking more of him than the family. Ben shows the usual
frustrations with dealing with a teen filled with angst as well as a new job.
But with the help of the staff he inherits they work toward the goal of having
the zoo ready for inspection and opening come June.
Heading that staff is Kelly Foster (Scarlett Johansson).
With more knowledge than most she has kept the place running and taken care of
the animals while a suitable buyer was sought. Along with her are several staff
members, most notably Peter MacReady (Angus Macfadyen) as a zoo designer with a
grudge against the zoo inspector who can determine if they are permitted to
open or not.
The movie follows the ups and downs of trying to keep the
zoo afloat and remade in time to meet their deadline for repairs suggested by
the inspector. Money is tight and it seems they might not only have little time
but little cash to accomplish their goal. But the film doesn't focus solely on
this problem. At the heart of the film is the emotional turmoil going on in
this family, as much with Ben as with Dylan. And as they try and cope with
their own problem, the staff gets involved as well.
This is a film about people trying to rise above the worst
situation they can possibly imagine. It's about people being brought together
for a reason even if they aren't aware that fate has driven them into each
other's arms. It's about love and the meaning of it all and about loss roped in
the middle of that love.
The movie is never boring and never overly sentimental, a
trap that many movies with these themes tend to fall into. Instead it deals
with the problems the family faces as well as the predicaments they find
themselves in while rebuilding the zoo.
The acting is fantastic doing what the best of actors do:
make you believe that they are the character and not an actor playing a role.
Everyone from Damon on down turns in a performance you can believe.
The movie is supposed to be based on a true story and if so
then I'm hoping the zoo is still up and running. Perhaps the romance in the
picture isn't real but we can hope so. And in the end we can hope that Ben Mee
and his family are at peace and loving life again while we have the chance to
share in their story and their triumph with this film.
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