We Bought a Zoo

"A true zoo story."

2011 2h 4m EN

👍

6.8

SOLID

★6.8TMDB · 3,030

DramaComedyFamily

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Benjamin has lost his wife and, in a bid to start his life over, purchases a large house that has a zoo – welcome news for his daughter, but his son is not happy about it. The zoo is in need of renovation and Benjamin sets about the work with the head keeper and the rest of the staff, but, the zoo soon runs into financial trouble.

“A true zoo story.”

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Cast

Matt Damon
Benjamin Mee
Scarlett Johansson
Kelly Foster
Thomas Haden Church
Duncan Mee
Colin Ford
Dylan Mee
Maggie Elizabeth Jones
Rosie Mee
Angus Macfadyen
Peter MacCready
Elle Fanning
Lily Miska
Patrick Fugit
Robin Jones

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Cameron Crowe
Writers: Aline Brosh McKenna, Cameron Crowe
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Mid-budget at $50M — the now-extinct middle tier of Hollywood.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Released 15 years ago.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Cameron Crowe, shot by Rodrigo Prieto. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Jon Thor Birgisson. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Mark Livolsi shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Matt Damon and Scarlett Johansson and Thomas Haden Church carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "A true zoo story.".

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt1389137 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Cameron Crowe directs. Rodrigo Prieto behind the camera. Jon Thor Birgisson scores. Mark Livolsi cuts. Profitable at the box office. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Mid-budget at $50M — the now-extinct middle tier of Hollywood.
2Released 15 years ago.
3Directed by Cameron Crowe, shot by Rodrigo Prieto. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
4Original score by Jon Thor Birgisson. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
5Editor Mark Livolsi shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
6Matt Damon and Scarlett Johansson and Thomas Haden Church carry the top of the cast.
7Marketing tagline: "A true zoo story.".
8IMDB entry: tt1389137 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
9Classified under 10 themes, including "countryside", "rain", "zoo", "based on true story".