We Bought a Zoo
Based on a true story. When his teenage son gets into trouble, Benjamin Mee gives up a lucrative newspaper job to move his family to the countryside to renovate and re-open a struggling zoo while uniting his family.
12 February 1963, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
10 July 1967, Anchorage, Alaska, USA
7 March 1964, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
22 November 1984, New York City, New York, USA
21 September 1963, Glasgow, Scotland, UK
19 December 1969, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA
24 June 1975, Brooklyn, New York, USA
21 February 1977, Rochester, New York, USA
11 April 1947, New York City, New York, USA
30 June 1981, Louisville, Kentucky, USA
1971, Costa Mesa, California, USA
2000, Alaska, USA
19 April 1991, Los Angeles, California, USA
9 April 1998, Conyers, Georgia, USA
August 11, 2014
Crowe, who aims high to plant a big smile on your face, does so here more than competently.January 09, 2012
Nothing that happens in this movie is in the least surprising, but it's all quite pleasant and even, at times, moving.December 23, 2011
Crowe seems to be making baby steps into new territory, both stylistically and emotionally.June 30, 2013
Packed with too many storylines, this drama feels like a zoo indeed.July 03, 2016
One of the movie's best teachings is the concept that if one commits to '20 seconds of insane, embarrassing courage,' to attain what one desires, good things always come of it. An instant kid classic.March 13, 2012
Crowe, to his credit, is more concerned with insights about family than romance - and some of these are heart-on-sleeve touching if you've got a sweet tooth for the stickier stuff.January 05, 2012
The movie has animals, kids and fine acting from Matt Damon and Scarlett Johansson, but it lacks the emotional honesty and unpredictability that made Crowe's early films so irresistible.October 07, 2015
Since "We Bought a Zoo" doesn't have much on offer, it could and should have at least been a more pointed reminder for us to rediscover nature and support local zoos.October 01, 2012
A muddled focus keeps We Bought a Zoo from being a guaranteed hit with kids or a captivating adult drama but there are enough compelling moments to make it worthwhile.December 28, 2011
The picture annoys you, but it also wrings happy tears, because Crowe pulls at your heartstrings in crafty ways.October 24, 2012
...this is packed with all the warmth, heart and humanity that one has come to expect from a Cameron Crowe film.December 30, 2011
Damon and Colin Ford as his teen son have an affecting hesitancy, their hearts hovering between the living and the dead.