We Bought a Zoo

Six months after his wife's death, adventure-writer Benjamin Mee (Matt Damon) is having trouble coping with his truculent 14-year-old son Dylan (Colin Ford), who's been expelled from school not only for drawing grotesque pictures but also for stealing. And his precociously adorable 7-year-old daughter, Rosie (Maggie Elizabeth Jones), spends far too much time just being sad. So Benjamin decides that it's time to leave suburban Los Angeles and move to somewhere new: a picturesque, crumbling old country farmhouse that is part of the now-defunct Rossmoor Animal Park. The property comes with a menagerie of 200 animals (some endangered), including several tigers, a grizzly bear, and a lion, along with their devoted, if also eccentric keepers. Headed up by hard-working, no-nonsense Kelly Foster (Scarlett Johansson), the staff also includes Kelly's naïve, free-spirited teenage cousin Lily (Elle Fanning), ill-tempered Peter (Angus Macfadyen), and amiable Robin (Patrick Fugit). Despite repeated warnings from his pragmatic accountant/older brother (Thomas Haden Church), Benjamin is determined to repair and reopen the wildlife preserve by July 4th. Based on British journalist Mee's England-set memoir, the story has been transplanted to Southern California by writer-director Cameron Crowe, who has a penchant for melodramatic, somewhat melancholy stories about love and longing. Affectionate and amusing, this is uplifting, feel-good family entertainment. Recommended. [Note: DVD/Blu-ray extras include audio commentary by director Cameron Crowe, costar JB Smoove, and editor Mark Livolsi, “It's A Zoo: An Insider's Look” featurette (24 min.), and trailers. Exclusive to the Blu-ray release are the “We Shot a Zoo” behind-the-scenes documentary interviews of crew and cast, including star Matt Damon (76 min.), deleted and extended scenes (38 min.), “The Real Mee” on inspiration and author Benjamin Mee (29 min.), a “Their Happy is Too Loud” segment on the music (18 min.), a gag reel (7 min.), a photo gallery, trailers, and bonus DVD and digital copies of the film. Bottom line: a fine extras package for an entertaining family film.] (S. Granger)