Trust Hollywood to transpose an eccentric and quintessentially British tale into an overly sentimental tearjerker set in the US.
Directed and co-written by Cameron Crowe, We Bought A Zoo is based on freelance writer Benjamin Mee's book about how he, his mother and his siblings bought Dartmoor Zoo and turned it into a tourist attraction.
The film centres on Mee losing his wife and soul-mate to cancer and purchasing a run down zoo to give a fresh start to his two young children.
Essentially about grief and overcoming adversity, it’s saved by the fine performances from its A-list cast Matt Damon, Scarlett Johansson and Thomas Haden Church.
In typical Crowe fashion it is funny, moving and passionate.
Yet it bears merely a passing resemblance to Mee's truly awe-inspiring story.
No doubt it will help to encourage thousands to flock to the real-life Dartmoor Zoo.
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