We Bought a Zoo (2011): PG Matt Damon

Matt Damon may still be a hunk, but he is no longer a kid. I nearly always enjoy watching him. He came to our attention as a young striver in Good Will Hunting (1997) and a series of subsequent films emphasizing his boy next door good looks, his intelligence and his youth. This was followed by a number of films including the Bourne series and the Oceans 11, 12, 13 series emphasizing his manly toughness, intelligence and good looks. Now 41, it appears he is moving into cinematic middle-age.   

In a supporting role in Contagion (2011), Damon played a caring father, newly widowed, trying to protect his children in a challenging situation (worldwide pandemic). In We Bought a Zoo, he stars as a caring father, again recently widowed, struggling to help himself and his children move on. To the best of my knowledge, these are the first two roles, in Damon’s twenty year career, in which he has played a dad. He’s also rediscovering romance. Quick, can you name two Damon films in which he is paired with a love interest (after Minnie Driver in Good Will Hunting)? I can’t think of any, until last year’s The Adjustment Bureau.

We Bought a Zoo is based on the book of the same name by Benjamin  Mee. The book was a memoir about Mee’s experiences dealing with the death of his wife, struggling to raise his children as a widower, buying a decrepit, private zoo in Devon, England on the verge of foreclosure, and saving it and his family. The film transfers the action to Southern California and plays around a little bit with other facts, but can still say that it is based on a true story.

Now, I saw Zoo on a long-distance airplane flight (good sound, but small picture), so I am not going to get too deep here, but I can say that it is an engaging, entertaining and ultimately heartwarming picture. Damon makes a convincing dad. As for romance, his costar is Scarlett Johansson, as one of the zoo employees he inherits with his purchase; and although she definitely plays down the glamour and sex appeal, it is not hard to anticipate where Scarlett's relationship with her new boss will be heading.

This is a film you can watch with the kids (or grandkids) or just for light entertainment. Writer/director Cameron Crowe (Say Anything [1989], Jerry Maguire [1996], Almost Famous [2000]) tells the story in a straightforward way: no real surprises, no jarring notes. There's some light drama, a mild villain,  a troubled son, a cute -as-a-button daughter. Thomas Haden Church, Angus McFadyen, Elle Fanning, and Patrick Fugit contribute to the ensemble nature of the project. The  zoo animals, as well as the actors, are cute.

Available on Blu-ray and DVD, including from Netflix (not yet streaming); also available from Xfinity OnDemand and Amazon Instant Video.