We Bought a Zoo

"Sometimes, all you need is 20 seconds of insane courage.  Just, literally 20 seconds of just embarrassing bravery.  And I promise you, something great will come of it."

This quote represents to me both the success and the shortcoming of this latest film by Cameron Crowe.  There are a handful of film makers who, when a film of theirs is released, I will see it without fail.  There are two documentaries that he directed that I have not yet seen, but I have seen all his feature films.  The quote above represents something that is the hook of his films.  Crowe is an anti-cynic, and it shines through in his work.  In his best films, this lack of cynicism always comes across as spontaneous and natural.  In this film, it feels less spontaneous and more manufactured.  That is not to say that this film is not worth seeing.  It is a charming and fanciful film, complete with a heartbreaking depiction of loss and a man who finds a way to rebuild his family after that searing loss.

Matt Damon plays Benjamin Mee.  He is a recently widowed father of two who is in the midst of moving his life along after losing his wife.  His son is a teenager with whim he is having constant power struggles.  His daughter is a 6 or 7 year old who worships him.  When his son gets expelled from his school after one too many missteps, Mee decides to move out of the house that is haunted by his late wife and move to a new place.  They happen upon an old two story house that seems perfect for them.  The catch is that the land is a zoo, and if he buys the land he will become the zoo's owner, and all of the responsibilities that come with that will follow.  Scarlett Johannson plays the zookeeper (only in Hollywood) with whom Mee becomes attached, and the whole crew rushes to reopen the zoo and make it a success.

There is so much here to admire.  Cameron Crowe captures genuine human emotion on film better than anyone.  However, as I watched, I was reminded how rare truly great films are.  Some of the dialogue here comes across as overly aware of itself.  When we come to the quote found at the beginning of this review, we know that it is the cornerstone quote of the movie.  That is confirmed when the quote is referenced later in the film.  My wife also made an astute observation.  Cameron Crowe seems to be able to write better about the troubles of love than about being in love.  In "Say Anything", "Almost Famous" and in "Jerry Magurie", the main characters are all dealing with trying to deal with the pains of love lost or the struggles of heartbreak and disappointment.  Here, the falling in love process between Matt Damon and Scarlett Johansson feels a bit forced.  On the bright side, the love story between Mee's son and the young 13 year old who lives on the land (Ellie Fanning) is genuinely sweet and poignant.  This story line shows how strong Crowe is in writing about young love with all of its trials and drama.

All in all, this is an enjoyable movie.  It has its weaknesses, but some of that may come from the fact that Cameron Crowe has set his own bar so high.  He is one of those few film makers that I would genuinely like to get to know, because he is so in love with life, and his sentimentalities always come through on the screen.  This movie still communicates that tone.