We Bought a Zoo - (December 23, 2011): PG
Distributor: 20th Century Fox
Opening Weekend Box Office: #6 with $9,360,434
Domestic Box Office Gross to-date: $47,108,169
Gross Revenue: $54,808,169
Production Budget: $50 million
Director: Cameron Crowe
Based on the memoir of zoo owner Benjamin Mee, We Bought a Zoo certainly seemed to target a very specific family demographic, and one cannot blame 20th Century Fox for banking on Hollywood crowd-pleaser Matt Damon to draw an audience. The marketing tactics were certainly aimed at catching attention, whether that involved the notoriously simple print advertisements and billboards that featured singular zoo animals wrapped in gift ribbon, or the teaser trailer that took no qualms in introducing the unconventional story…Curb Your Enthusiasm’s J.B. Smoove made it clear, Matt Damon was buying a zoo. When it comes to live-action family films, a strong cast is by no means a guarantee, so I was understandably pleased when I learned that Scarlett Johansson and Thomas Haden Church were included in the project, interviewing in sneak-peaks on premium cable and indicating that they loved the story that was ultimately told. And admit it, you were curious to see a Hollywood A-lister of Damon’s caliber interacting with bears and tigers and running from one supremely pissed-off porcupine. An undoubtedly welcome break from the numerous animated films offered during the Holiday Movie Season, I have no problem in admitting that I was excited for We Bought a Zoo.
Showcasing a thoroughly unique parenting method, We Bought a Zoo tells the story of recently widowed Benjamin Mee (Matt Damon), who is struggling to care for his children, the rebellious and still-mourning 14-year-old Dylan (Colin Ford), and the optimistic and endlessly curious 7-year-old Rosie (Maggie Elizabeth Jones). Benjamin’s older brother, Duncan (Thomas Haden Church), suggests that the family take measures to start over completely, and in searching for a new home, the Mee family discovers a large house with an attached zoo, the Rosemoor Animal Park. Charmed by the novelty of the zoo, Benjamin liquidates most of his savings and buys the property, meeting the quirky zoo staff that is lead by head zookeeper Kelly Foster (Scarlett Johansson), Kelly’s younger cousin Lily (Elle Fanning), and carpenter Peter MacCready (Angus MacFadyen). Given a deadline to get the zoo up to running standards, Benjamin works to learn the different operations of the zoo in order to meet the qualifications of the fickle inspector, Walter Ferris (John Michael Higgins). Learning new things about himself and his family, Benjamin struggles to operate under this new lifestyle, to cope with the death of his wife, and to learn the deeper meaning of the importance of displaying courage in everyday life.
A family-centered comedy, We Bought a Zoo hits its target dead-on, displaying considerable heart and emotion all while keeping the audience smiling throughout…if you don’t feel slightly better about humanity while walking out of the theater, you just might be dead inside. As one has come to expect from an actor with his talent, Matt Damon once again delivers an engaging performance as the endearingly naïve new zookeeper. Telling stories to his young daughter, fighting heatedly with his son, fondly remembering his deceased wife, and struggling with feelings for the attractive head zookeeper, Matt Damon demonstrates a considerably large range of emotion that will surprise you with its depth and complexity. In terms of the younger cast, Elle Fanning is a sunny and sweet improvement over her creepy and entitled older sister, while Maggie Elizabeth Jones steals nearly every scene she is in with her blatant honesty and adorable outlook on life…she could make the Disney Channel look pessimistic by comparison, and I mean that in the best possible way. All-in-all, We Bought a Zoo is fun, deep and positive, and these strong elements do help compensate for a number of the shortcomings present.
For as sunny a story as is told by We Bought a Zoo, I do have to admit that the sequence of events is a little too predictable and falls into place a little too easily. For instance, nobody bats an eye when a suburbanite quits his job, uproots his family, and sinks his life-savings into a zoo…no way in hell something like that should have worked in this economy. You will undoubtedly be happy when things start working out for the Mee family, but make no mistake; you will see everything coming from a mile away. And admittedly, there are more than a few points where the story drags considerably, so much so that you almost feel like Matt Damon engaged a sight-gag or Scarlett Johansson walked by just to hold your attention. Still, despite these shortcomings, the overwhelmingly positive story that is told with the help of an enjoyable and harmonious cast, not to mention smart and humorous writing, makes We Bought a Zoo an undeniably strong film.
In its opening weekend, We Bought a Zoo clearly fell victim to the overly-saturated box office, with so many offerings ultimately splitting Holiday audiences and relegating this family-drama to sixth place. Less than $10 million in the first weekend could have been cause for alarm for 20th Century Fox, but luckily the extensive carry-over of the Holiday Movie Season drove extra revenue. So, with less than two weeks in theaters, We Bought a Zoo has covered its modest production budget, even if it is unlikely that the film will gain the attention of Academy voters. At the very least, this film proved that Matt Damon can deliver in any genre, Scarlett Johansson can provide more than eye-candy, and young Maggie Elizabeth Jones deserves considerable attention from casting directors. Plain and simple, if you are looking for a warm-hearted, feel-good family comedy, than you cannot go wrong with We Bought a Zoo.
Overall Recommendation: High
