We bought a zoo

This topic contains:

• overall comments and recommendations
• details about We bought a zoo's classification and consumer advice lines
• a review of We bought a zoo completed by The Australian Council on Children and the Media (ACCM) on 2 January 2012.

Overall comments and recommendations

About the movie

This section contains details about the movie, including its classification by the Australian Government Classification Board and the associated consumer advice lines.

ACCM review

This review of the movie We bought a zoo contains the following information:

• a synopsis of the story
• themes
• use of violence
• material that may scare children
• product placement
• sexual references
• nudity and sexual activity
• use of substances
• coarse language
• the movie's message

A synopsis of the story

Benjamin Mee (Matt Damon) is the father of two children; 14 year old Dylan and 7 year old Rosie. The family are battling with grief following the loss of their wife and mother six months earlier. Benjamin, a courageous journalist with many exciting stories of his previous adventures, is struggling to support his children’s different needs - Dylan’s behaviours that result in his expulsion from school and Rosie’s innocence and need to remember her mother.

In an attempt to provide his family with a fresh start away from painful memories, Benjamin buys a run down old zoo. The catch to his purchase is that he is required to keep the animals and the remaining colourful staff, including head zoo keeper, Kelly (Scarlett Johannsen).

Benjamin battles the challenges that arise with trying to get the zoo up to a standard so they can reopen as a successful business. Along the way, he has to continue to support his family as well as deal with his own grief.

Themes

Children and adolescents may react adversely at different ages to themes of crime, suicide, drug and alcohol dependence, death, serious illness, family breakdown, death or separation from a parent, animal distress or cruelty to animals, children as victims, natural disasters and racism. Occasionally reviews may also signal themes that some parents may simply wish to know about.

Death of a family member; animal distress

Use of violence

Research shows that children are at risk of learning that violence is an acceptable means of conflict resolution when violence is glamourised, performed by an attractive hero, successful, has few real life consequences, is set in a comic context and / or is mostly perpetrated by male characters with female victims, or by one race against another.

Repeated exposure to violent content can reinforce the message that violence is an acceptable means of conflict resolution. Repeated exposure also increases the risks that children will become desensitised to the use of violence in real life or develop an exaggerated view about the prevalence and likelihood of violence in their own world.

There is some violence in this movie including:

• Benjamin is chased by a small animal that lunges at him. In response, he screams at it.
• Benjamin kicks a barrel when frustrated.
• Dylan kicks a snake that is in his way
• A bear is shot with a tranquilizer gun after escaping
  

Material that may scare children

Under eight

Children under eight are most likely to be frightened by scary visual images, such as monsters, physical transformations, the death of a parent or child abandoned or separated from parents, children or animals being hurt or threatened and / or natural disasters.

In addition to the above-mentioned violent scenes, there are some scenes in this movie that could scare or disturb children under the age of eight, including the following:

• Animals growl and bare their teeth (including lions, tigers and bears)
• Snakes escape from a box and are scattered outside the family’s front door. One slithers over a young girl’s foot and she screams
• A bear is walking down the road and claws a family’s car window while they are inside
• Dead animals and live insects are talked about as animal feed
• Dylan’s artwork is very dark and shows some images that may be scary for young children.

Aged eight to thirteen

Children aged eight to thirteen are most likely to be frightened by realistic threats and dangers, violence or threat of violence and / or stories in which children are hurt or threatened.

Some children in this age group may also be disturbed by the idea of children losing their mother and the family reactions to her death.

Over the age of thirteen

Children over the age of thirteen are most likely to be frightened by realistic physical harm or threats, molestation or sexual assault and / or threats from aliens or the occult.

Nothing of concern

Product placement

The following products are displayed or used in this movie:

• Subway
• Ford
• Apple
• Century 21
• Stella Artois

Sexual references

None of concern

Nudity and sexual activity

There is some mild sexual activity in this movie, including:

• Flirting between two teenagers. They hug through a window
• A kiss on the lips between Benjamin and Kelly

Use of substances

There is some use of substances in this movie, including:

• Medication is shown on the bathroom shelf – it is inferred that this was the mother’s sickness medication
• Medication is prescribed for animals (for depression and illness)
• Adults are seen drinking alcohol in a bar

Coarse language

There is some coarse language in this movie, including:

• shit
• arsehole
• bullshit
• hell
• stupid

The movie's message

We bought a zoo is based on the true story of the Mee family, struggling to cope with the loss of their wife and mother. They seek a fresh start away from painful memories. There are themes and scary scenes that may disturb younger children and at 123 minutes the film is also rather long for under 8s

The main messages from this movie are

• “20 seconds of insane courage can change your life” – Benjamin’s motto by which he had lived and uses to guide him when he buys the zoo
• That people have different ways of dealing with grief
• You should follow your dreams – Against all odds, Benjamin, along with the staff at the zoo believe that they can make the zoo successful again and save the animals.

Values in this movie that parents may wish to reinforce with their children include:

• bravery
• love and support
• family and friendship
• teamwork/co-operation
  

This movie could also give parents the opportunity to discuss with their children attitudes and behaviours, and their real-life consequences, such as:

• that internalising your feelings can result in external behaviours such as stealing
• Issues around keeping animals in zoos, saving endangered animals and euthanasia for suffering animals