We Bought a Zoo

Movie Details:

Cast & Characters:

• Matt Damon as Benjamin Mee, the father of Dylan and Rosie Mee, the owner of the zoo and the love interest of Kelly Foster, who is trying to restart his life after the death of his first wife, Katherine.
• Scarlett Johansson as Kelly Foster, the 28-year-old lead long-time zookeeper at Rosemoor Animal Park who is Benjamin’s love interest and is a mother figure to Dylan and Rosie.
• Thomas Haden Church as Duncan Mee, Benjamin’s older brother and an accountant and Dylan and Rosie’s uncle
• Colin Ford as Dylan Mee, Benjamin’s 14-year-old son, who is initially drawn to Lily and eventually develops feelings for her and has a strained and rough relationship with his father.
• Maggie Elizabeth Jones as Rosie Mee, Benjamin’s 7-year-old daughter and Dylan’s younger sister, who is very curious about all of the animals in the zoo and thinks living at a zoo is a grand adventure.
• Elle Fanning as Lily Miska, the 13-year old home-schooled cousin of Kelly and worker at the zoo’s restaurant who lives within the zoo. Although she is too young to legally work, she is paid “under the table” out of her cousin’s salary. She likes Dylan, who is at first unaware of this fact.
• Patrick Fugit as Robin Jones, the zoo’s craftsman and Crystal the Monkey’s owner.
• John Michael Higgins as Walter “Walt” Ferris, a strict zoo inspector who earns the dislike of many people, especially Peter MacCreedy.
• Angus Macfadyen as Peter MacCreedy, the carpenter of the zoo who had made many innovative enclosures for the zoo, and he claims that his ideas were “stolen” by Walter Ferris. Because of this, he has a huge and violent grudge against Walter.
• Carla Gallo as Rhonda Blair, the secretary and bookkeeper of the zoo.
• J. B. Smoove as Mr. Stevens, the Mee family’s real estate agent.
• Stéphanie Szostak as Katherine Mee, the deceased wife of Benjamin Mee and mother of Dylan and Rosie Mee.
• Desi Lydic as Shea Seger, a woman with an obvious crush on Benjamin who always brings him lasagna.
• Peter Riegert as Delbert McGinty, Benjamin’s boss before he ‘starts over’.
• Michael Panes as the principal of Dylan and Rosie’s school.
• Dustin Ybarra as Nathan
• Kym Whitley as Eve the Home Depot Clerk.
• Crystal the Monkey as herself.
• Bart / Tank the Bear as Buster, a grizzly bear.
• Taylor Cerza as Zoo Patron (credited as Taylor Victoria)

Storyline:

The story follows Benjamin Mee and his family as they take on the challenge of restoring the zoo and preparing it for reopening to the public. The film explores themes of family, loss, and the importance of pursuing one’s dreams.

About Movie:

We Bought a Zoo is an American biographical comedy-drama film directed by Cameron Crowe, loosely based on the 2008 memoir by Benjamin Mee. The film stars Matt Damon as Benjamin Mee, a widowed father who purchases a dilapidated zoo to create a new life for his family. The cast also includes Scarlett Johansson, Maggie Elizabeth Jones, Thomas Haden Church, Patrick Fugit, Elle Fanning, Colin Ford, and John Michael Higgins.

Production Details

• Release Date: December 21, 2011
• Budget: $50 million
• Box Office Gross: $120.1 million

The film was released on DVD and Blu-ray on April 3, 2012, by 20th Century Fox. It is based on the real-life Dartmoor Zoological Park in Devon, England.

Reception

We Bought a Zoo received generally positive reviews from critics and audiences alike, praised for its heartwarming narrative and performances, particularly those of Damon and Johansson. Overall, the film is celebrated for its uplifting message about resilience and family bonding through shared challenges.

Budget & Box Office Collection: