“You know, sometimes all you need is twenty seconds of insane courage. Just literally twenty seconds of just embarrassing bravery. And I promise you, something great will come of it” – We Bought a Zoo
What do you do when faced with tragedy? How do you persevere when life as you know it is irreversibly and permanently changed? For the Mee family, healing began in an unlikely place. Of all the films set to be released this holiday season, don’t miss We Bought a Zoo, the heartwarming and inspirational film about a family who literally invests in a zoo.
As the film opens, we learn that adventure writer and newspaper columnist Benjamin Mee has just lost his wife, and is struggling to juggle a career while raising two children on his own. The Mee family is hurting, and their attempts to continue living in the same neighborhood where so many memories were created is unbearable. Each are grieving in their own way, and for Benjamin’s teenage son Dylan, that translates into misbehavior at school. When Mee learns that his son is on the verge of being expelled, he is compelled to make a much needed change, which translates into a move out of the city where distractions are minimized.
After searching the city for “the perfect place,” they happen upon an expansive property, far removed enough to feel “country and rural,” yet almost close enough to buy butter. The catch? The property just happens to be a zoo…and one in need of some serious TLC. Since Mee is an adventurer at heart, this implausible idea actually works, albeit there is a true story to back it.
Mee, who has no concept of how to run a zoo, let alone what changes are necessary to save one from permanent closure, must rely on the few remaining staff to help prepare for the inspector that will determine it’s fate. What ensues is the raw, emotional, imperfect and at times messy journey of a family working through their grief, all while attempting to save this zoo and the animals they have come to love.
What surprised me most about the film is the fact that I could be laughing one moment, only to find tears streaming down my face the next. There are moments of incredible tenderness and emotion intermixed with laugh out loud comedy. It was definitely more heart wrenching than I expected, and for that, I recommend families reserve the film for their older children who are capable of understanding the deep emotions that accompany grief.
In one of the most beautiful and emotion-filled scenes from the film, Benjamin reenacts the day he met his wife at a restaurant for his children. It’s a brilliant and powerful scene that captures the heart of the film. And as much as I cried during the film, I walked away with a sense of hope and optimism, and for that I know the film is a success.
We Bought a Zoo, which was directed by Cameron Crowe (from Jerry Maguire) and stars Matt Damon, Scarlett Johansson, Thomas Haden Church, and Elle Fanning, opens in theaters today.
No compensation was received for this post. I attended a press junket for the film and meals/accommodations were provided.
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