Hammerman Ikon

Hammerman Ikon Film Guide

We Bought a Zoo
2011
**½
Director: Cameron Crowe
Cast: Matt Damon, Scarlett Johansson, Thomas Haden Church, Patrick Fugit, Elle Fanning, Colin Ford, John Michael Higgins

A widower and his two kids buy a beautiful house in the California countryside. The catch is that the property comes with a zoo and a staff of five. This story is loosely based on the 2008 memoirs of English journalist Benjamin Mee, who bought the Dartmoor Wildlife Park in Devon, England. Matt Damon's character name is as close as this adaptation comes to reality, the rest is pure Hollywood wish fulfilment. Cameron Crowe's family film lacks any kind of edge. It's incredibly syrupy, formulaic, and empty, but somewhat likeable all the same. Here are the life lessons I picked up during its 2-hour running time: If you're grieving the death of your wife, buy an animal park, preferably one with a single zookeeper who looks like Scarlett Johansson. If you have a mopey and depressed 14-year-old, remember to give him a hug. If you have a 7-year-old girl, do nothing, she raises herself. If your crazy schemes run into financial woes, don't worry, money will miraculously fall in your lap.