One week ago, the film inspired by the true story of a man who bought a zoo opened in theaters nationwide. We Bought A Zoo, the poignant, inspirational film that is capturing hearts across the country, was written by Aline Brosh Mckenna, the accomplished storyteller who’s work includes The Devil Wears Prada, 27 Dresses, and I Don’t Know How She Does It. During my visit to LA, McKenna sat down with us to talk about her involvement with the film, her passion for storytelling, parenting, and her upcoming projects.
If you’ve seen the film (or read my review), you understand the depth of emotions that are evoked as the Mee family attempt to work through their grief to begin a new chapter in their lives. Every great film begins with a compelling story, and for Aline Brosh McKenna this was what drew her to the project. “I loved the book…I loved the story,” she states. The entire movie is really in the title and it’s a unique, intriguing idea. McKenna goes on to describe a page in the book that captivated her where author Benjamin Mee describes all of the things he misses about his wife and all of the things that remind him of her. The film, much like the book, beautifully and completely portrays how much Mee loved his wife and how meaningful she was to the family. The other strong draw for McKenna was delving into the zoo workplace and all that goes into readying it for re-opening. Aline Brosh McKenna’s repertoire of screenplays include stories about the workplace. Scarlett Johannson plays the part of head zookeeper, and we learn as the film progresses that she doesn’t have much of a social life outside of the zoo. Similarly, McKenna was drawn to that person…the one who has so much passion for their craft (in this instance it’s for animals) that they devote their entire lives to it.
Being that the film was based on a true story, there were all of these “bits of expertise,” like the tiger who bites and then repositions its victim’s aorta, that were intriguing. Sometimes, a film is set in a certain place and to audiences, it’s just not believable. It is those details and specifics that really validate the authenticity of even the more minute details in this film.
Photo Credit: Fox
We Bought a Zoo, which is brilliant, inspirational and redemptive, captures the raw emotions of a family struggling through a deep loss. In one particularly moving scene, Ben (Matt Damon) and Dylan (Colin Ford) get into a heated argument. As a parent, McKenna can identify, as very often, “there are things that you find yourself saying that you didn’t realize you felt until you said them.” Her favorite part of this scene (which was actually written by Cameron Crowe) is when Ben says “Why don’t we just tell each other what we want the other guy to say.”
As a writer, McKenna felt honored…privileged to be writing about Katherine (Ben’s wife) in that way. And while she only has one line, McKenna felt like Crowe really brought her to life in the film, which is why the film feels more joyful than tragic. There is quite a bit of loss and pain in the film, yet in the end, Ben has found a way to keep her spirit alive by talking about her and uncovering all the ways she’s still present.
McKenna, who’s work includes a variety of films I thoroughly enjoy, continues to write because of those moments of discovery. She’s currently working on a new version of Cinderella for Disney and an adaptation of a graphic novel for Fox.
We Bought a Zoo is in theaters now!
No compensation was received for this post. I attended a press junket for the film and meals/accommodations were provided.
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