We Bought a Zoo

Cameron Crowe's latest is a heartfelt tearjerker of a story based on a man who took a leap of faith and moved his family out of the city (San Diego) and bought a wildlife reserve that he converted into a zoo. You can't make this stuff up. What makes it so touching is that the cause, and in many regards the inspiration for the move was the death of his wife and the effect that had on his family.

Crowe has been busy with documentaries for the past few years, and consequently this is his first full length feature film since 2005's bomb Elizabethtown. It's been 10 years since Almost Famous, his last respectable movie. We Bought a Zoo is the perfect comeback for him. Perhaps his best work, although some would argue Almost Famous has an edge for its originality and tribute to the classic rock era. Others would argue Jerry Maguire, but that was all Tom Cruise and Cuba Gooding Jr. No, this is his best work to date, and much of it has to do with Matt Damon and the precocious Maggie Elizabeth Jones, who at 7 years old, plays Damon's 7 year old daughter, and has already acted in 7 films. She lights up the screen much like Johnathan Lipnicki did in Jerry Maguire, so you know this is a family friendly adventure.

Matt Damon seems to be leaving the action realm for more family-friendly fare, which makes sense as he's entering his 40's now and has young children of his own. He plays Benjamin Mee with just the right balance of grieving husband, caring father, and misguided man. He buys a zoo! The process helps him grow, and brings him closer to his children, and his brother.

Maggie Elizabeth Jones shines as his daughter. Supportive, loving, quirky, and full of great one-liners, she's got a bright future in Hollywood. Scarlett Johansson, for as attractive as she is, has never impressed me with her acting. She does a good job in this though. She's not over-sexualized, and isn't the centerpiece as the head zookeeper, Kelly Foster. The rest of the zoo staff each have their own moments, as does Mee's son, Dylan, played by Colin Ford. There is a very touching undertone of rebellion and a cry for reassurance that everything will be alright that climaxes in a moving confrontation between father and son.

Probably the most ripe role is that of Walter Ferris, the zoo inspector who is hyped for the first forty-five minutes, only to show up as none other than John Michael Higgins. He underwhelms in what was absolutely an opportunity to stand out.

Who is not given enough credit are the animals. Certainly the glue that binds the humans together is the lion, tigers, bear, and assortment of smaller creatures who amplify the emotional draw and basic humanity of the story. It's magically done, especially the tigers and bear.

This could have easily turned into a rebound love story, but fortunately it didn't. There is chemistry between Damon's Mee and Johansson's Foster, but it doesn't develop, which actually helps the story (and Mee's likeability). I really like how it turned out, and although it is based on a true story, it could have easily been a disastrous outcome.

This is a really good family film, and confidentially speaking to all of my faithful readers out there on the World Wide Web, I was choked up and even though I knew how it was going to end, a few tears jumped out of my eyes.

Cameron Crowe is back, and this is his best work to date. Bring the kids and enjoy the heartwarming story. Visit the Dartmoor Zoological Park if you're in Southwest England. That's right, the actual family lives in England and although the events are true, it didn't actually happen in San Diego. Letdown for certain, but still an amazing story. 8/10.