We Bought a Zoo
A true zoo story.
2011 • 124 min • Drama · Comedy · Family
Synopsis
Benjamin has lost his wife and, in a bid to start his life over, purchases a large house that has a zoo – welcome news for his daughter, but his son is not happy about it. The zoo is in need of renovation and Benjamin sets about the work with the head keeper and the rest of the staff, but, the zoo soon runs into financial trouble.
Our family guide
Best from age 8- 68 Audience · 2979 · 100%
After losing his wife, a father buys a dilapidated zoo, hoping for a fresh start for his two children. Renovating and reopening the zoo proves to be a challenging but ultimately rewarding journey for the family and staff. It’s a heartfelt story about grief, resilience, and finding new purpose.
- Violence & peril
- 1/10
- Language
- 1/10
- Drinking, drugs & smoking
- 1/10
- Romance & sensuality
- 1/10
- Scary moments
- 2/10
Heads up
- Discussions of a parent's death
- Some emotional moments related to grief
- Brief depiction of a character drinking alcohol
What it models well
- Grief and healing
- Family resilience
- Importance of community
- Caring for animals
Talk about it after
- Coping with loss and change
- The challenges of starting over
- Responsibility of caring for animals
- Working together as a team
Written by the Movie Knight editorial team for We Bought a Zoo. Our own words, our own scoring — always double-check against your family's standards.
Where to watch
Stream
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Amazon Video
Apple TV Store
Google Play Movies
YouTube
Fandango At HomeBuy
- Amazon Video
- Apple TV Store
- Google Play Movies
- YouTube
- Fandango At Home
Links go straight to each service. Some are affiliate links that support Movie Knight at no cost to you. Availability data by JustWatch via TMDB.
Top billed cast
Director: Cameron Crowe • Crew: Cameron Crowe, Aline Brosh McKenna
Trailers & clips
Reviewer notes
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Details
- TMDB audience
- 6.8/10 (2,979)
- Age rating
- PG
- Status
- Released
- Budget
- $50,000,000
- Box office
- $120,081,841
- IMDb
- tt1389137
