We're buying a zoo

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Movie
German title We're buying a zoo
Original title We bought a zoo
We-buy-a-zoo-Logo.svg
Country of production United States
original language English
Publishing year 2011
length 123 minutes
Age rating FSK 0
JMK 0
Rod
Director Cameron Crowe
script Aline Brosh McKenna
Cameron Crowe
production Cameron Crowe
Marc Gordon
Julie Yorn
music Jón Þór Birgisson
camera Rodrigo Prieto
cut Mark Livolsi
occupation

We're Buying a Zoo is a 2011 American drama based on the memories of Benjamin Mee. Directed by Cameron Crowe . The film tells the story of the Mee family who took over a dilapidated zoo . The film premiered on 12. December 2011 and was in a budget of about 50 million US dollars US dollars to import up to 14 March 2012 on 100 million. He was seen in Germany since May 5, 2012.

The film is based on the story of Dartmoor Zoological Park in Devon , England .

action

Journalist and single father Benjamin Mee lives in town with his two children, 7-year-old Rosie and 14-year-old son Dylan. His wife, the mother of the two children, recently passed away and Benjamin is still in grief. When the artistically gifted Dylan is expelled from school after several offenses, Benjamin wants a fresh start and looks for a new home for himself and his children. He visits a house with a huge plot of land far away from the familiar urban environment. When he learns that it is a private zoo that is being financed from increasingly scarce funds from a foundation, he decides, contrary to an initial reaction, to buy it and try to continue operating the zoo, also through the necessary use of his own funds and to reopen to the public. Little Rosie is immediately enthusiastic about this idea. However, Dylan, who misses the city and his friends, is withdrawing more and more. The staff, initially skeptical of Mee, let themselves be infected by their optimism and drive. The small team, first and foremost the idealistic head keeper Kelly Foster, who will soon take a liking to Benjamin, is working diligently to bring the grounds and buildings into shape - there are strict requirements to be met, which the relentless representative of the State power Walter Ferris must be examined very carefully.

When the financial resources run out, the morale of the employees also falls as they fear the zoo will be sold again. In the meantime, Dylan befriends Lily, a girl of about the same age, who is completely carried away by Dylan without him noticing. Benjamin finds out that his late wife left him an investment portfolio. This cash blessing increases the motivation of the employees. Before the opening, there is a strict acceptance test and a few days before the opening date, a bad storm threatens to let the grand opening fall into the water.

The sky clears up just in time, but on the opening day the guests keep waiting and everyone is wondering if anyone is coming at all. Benjamin, his children and the zoo employees find out that a tree that fell in the storm is blocking the access road. The guests waiting behind did not know whether the zoo was even open. Kelly confesses her love to Benjamin and they kiss. Since she can't handle her feelings yet, they both decide to repeat the kiss on New Year's Day. The film ends when Benjamin shows his children the place where he first saw and met their mother. His narration makes the moment so vivid that the children can feel their mother for a moment.

Soundtrack

The Icelandic musician Jón Þór "Jónsi" Birgisson took over the composition of pieces for the soundtrack. The complete soundtrack includes many titles from various artists:

The real zoo

The fictional zoo depicted in the film is named Rosemoor Wildlife Park and is located in California. The real zoo is called Dartmoor Zoological Park and is located in Devon, England. The story was adapted for American production and changes made with the permission of the author Benjamin Mee.

There are some differences between the plot in the film and what actually happened. For example, Benjamin's wife Katherine only died after the family bought the zoo and moved in. In the film, she dies before that. The film also showed a bear that had run away from the zoo, in fact it was a jaguar named Sovereign that escaped. Benjamin's children were much younger in real life, namely four and six years old.

The zoo was much easier to buy in the film. In fact, it took Benjamin Mee almost two years to do it in real life. His first offer was rejected on the grounds that he had no zoological experience.

The BBC documentary Ben's Zoo was filmed about the real zoo .

criticism

“A nice, child-friendly family fun, which despite some lengths entertains relaxed and is based on a true story. Which is probably less important in this context. [...] "We Bought a Zoo" - touchingly cheerful family film with an obligatory love happy ending! "

- Cinema.de

"The chronicle of a new beginning, accompanied by a fine selection of rock and pop songs, hardly does justice to the subject of death and transience, but entertains quite charmingly as a well-designed wellness cinema."

- Lexicon of international film

"While his [Cameron Crowes] warm-hearted tragicomedy shines with a great soundtrack and a convincing Matt Damon, it lacks the momentum and Crowe conveys his life-affirming message (" If you do something for the right reasons, nothing can stop you ") without any narrative originality. "

- filmstarts.de

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Release certificate for We are buying a zoo . Voluntary self-regulation of the film industry , December 2011 (PDF; test number: 130 852 K).
  2. ↑ Age rating for We're buying a zoo . Youth Media Commission .
  3. ^ Greg Mariotti: Sigur Rós frontman Jónsi Scoring We Bought A Zoo . In: The Uncool . August 1, 2011. Retrieved September 27, 2011.
  4. ↑ a b c d e f Benjamin Mee: My Family & Other Animals . In: The Guardian . June 23, 2007. Retrieved April 20, 2012.
  5. ↑ Ben sees Dartmoor Zoo rebuilt in Californian hills . In: This is Plymouth . July 23, 2011. Archived from the original on April 28, 2012. Retrieved on April 20, 2012.
  6. ↑ Cinema.de
  7. ↑ We're buying a zoo. In: Lexicon of International Films . Film service , accessed April 17, 2017 .Template: LdiF / Maintenance / Access used 
  8. ↑ filmstarts.de