Christmas is a special time of year. The impossible seems entirely feasible, the imaginary appears real, and there always seems to be a good miracle or two just waiting to happen. Cameron Crowe's We Bought a Zoo showcases one such miracle as we get to follow a family on an unusual road to recovery.
Matt Damon and Scarlett Johansson light up the screen as a recently widowed father of two and an animal caretaker respectively. When Damon's Benjamin Mee decides to buy the home and 18-acre property containing the once lively Rosemoor Wildfire Park, he quickly learns that revitalizing the now overrun property will take more than he originally thought.
The film is highlighted by its underdog feel. Damon plays Mee to perfection, and while his chemistry with Johansson is strong, their age differences causes a bit of awkwardness when the romance begins to kick in. Quickly rising star Elle Fanning steals the show as Lily Miska, a young zoo employee who takes a liking to Mee's son Dylan. And while Colin Ford's turn as Dylan leaves much to be desired, Fanning holds her own amongst the A-list heavyweights, bringing a smile to your face every time she graces the screen.
We Bought a Zoo deals with serious situations in a very lighthearted way. Animals are occasionally used to metaphor a human struggle, and you really get to see how nature can overwhelm ones emotions. The film steadily makes its way to its forgone conclusion; and while the ending is plain to see from the opening credits, its arrival isn't any less spectacular. Sure the film gets a bit campy at times, but during the holiday season campy is golden. Oh, and I'll warn you now - there will be tears, plenty of tears.
