We Bought a Zoo (2011)

Amy, Jack, and I chose this for our Christmas day movie and we liked it a lot. A family reeling from the death of the wife and mother makes a new start in a country property that just happens to house a zoo in need of revitalizing. Matt Damon (last discussed in these pages in Contagion) is good as the dad Benjamin (it doesn't hurt that I've seen him talking on late night shows about being a regular dad of three), Colin Ford (at 15 he's already got 38 credits) is good as Dylan, and Maggie Elizabeth Jones (now 7) is awesome as little Rosie.

Cameron Crowe (he was a 15 year old writer for Rolling Stone and immortalized his story in Almost Famous (2000), which won him the Original Screenplay Oscar, was nominated for writing Jerry Maguire (1996) which he directed, also known for writing and directing the iconic Say Anything... (1989) in which John Cusack holds up the boombox) and Aline Brosh McKenna (Devil Wears Prada (2006), Morning Glory, more) adapted Benjamin Mee's memoir to make this. Patrick Fugit, who was the Crowe character in Almost Famous, is in this as one of the zoo workers, but, interestingly, he's almost mute. More support can be found from Thomas Haden Church (Oscar-nominated for Sideways (2004), also great in 123 episodes of Wings (1990-95), Spanglish (2004), Smart People (2008), Another Happy Day, and more) as Benjamin's brother, Scarlett Johansson (covered in Iron Man 2) as the head animal keeper, Elle Fanning (I wrote about her in Super 8) as her niece, Angus Macfayden (perhaps best known as Robert the Bruce in Braveheart (1995), but I like to think of him as wild man Julian in Californication--new season starting January 8!) as wild man Peter, J.B. Smoove (Leon in Curb Your Enthusiasm and the cab driver in Date Night) as the realtor, and John Michael Higgins (last covered in Bad Teacher) as the zoo inspector.

Mention must be made of the magnificent photography by Rodrigo Prieto (after I wrote about him in Broken Embraces, he shot Biutiful and Water for Elephants).

To be expected of Crowe, there's an imaginative soundtrack by Jon Thor Birgisson, AKA Jónsi of the Icelandic band Sigur Rós. As I write this I am listening to his 15 songs from the movie streaming from a page on the Rolling Stone website. In addition, there are 20 more songs, listed here.

This is a nice movie to see with kids of all ages (that reminds me, I need to update my kid movie list). It's been nominated for nothing (critics 63%, audiences 83% on rottentomatoes), but we still enjoyed it thoroughly.