We Bought a Zoo is based on true events. It is an adaptation of British journalist Benjamin Mee's autobiography who bought a zoo in Dartmoor, Great Britain.
The story is transplanted to the USA.
Cameron Crowe is a director who has his detractors and in some cases rightly so. Matt Damon is the grieving widower who makes the unusual decision to buy a house in the country with a run down zoo attached.
His young daughter is ecstatic about this, his teenage son less so. His brother thinks he is crazy and the staff at the zoo are suspicious of his motives and whether he will be able to stick around for the long run when things get tough.
Of course it is a tale of overcoming adversity. The zoo needs upgrading, he is bleeding his savings, there are some old animals and they need to pass the safety audit before it can open to the public.
There is also potential for some romance with Scarlett Johansson.
There is a lot of warmth in the story and the performances are heartfelt. It is also lazily predictable, you know where this is going and how its going to end with little room for surprises.
The story is transplanted to the USA.
Cameron Crowe is a director who has his detractors and in some cases rightly so. Matt Damon is the grieving widower who makes the unusual decision to buy a house in the country with a run down zoo attached.
His young daughter is ecstatic about this, his teenage son less so. His brother thinks he is crazy and the staff at the zoo are suspicious of his motives and whether he will be able to stick around for the long run when things get tough.
Of course it is a tale of overcoming adversity. The zoo needs upgrading, he is bleeding his savings, there are some old animals and they need to pass the safety audit before it can open to the public.
There is also potential for some romance with Scarlett Johansson.
There is a lot of warmth in the story and the performances are heartfelt. It is also lazily predictable, you know where this is going and how its going to end with little room for surprises.