The latest in a string of well-intentioned but dissatisfying films by journalist turned filmmaker Cameron Crowe ("Say Anything," "Almost Famous") "We Bought A Zoo" is an adaptation of the Benjamin Mee book of the same name. Taking more than a few liberties with the story, including relocating the titular zoo and "we" to the US from the UK, it is essentially the story of widowed single father and self-described "adventure addict" Benjamin (Matt Damon) struggling to hold his family and himself together following the death of his wife.
His solution? To start over by quitting his journalist job and buying a home on the grounds of a rundown zoo. With the aid of young daughter Rosie (Maggie Elizabeth Jones, who steals every scene in which she appears) he sorts through clothes (and memories) and packs up the house. Sullen teenage son Dylan (Colin Ford), who fills the hours following his expulsion from school drawing violent pictures, isn't thrilled about his new home. But once he meets Lily (Elle Fanning), a relative of head zookeeper Kelly (a surprisingly butch Scarlett Johansson), it's obvious that she will have a positive influence on him.