Even when all these problems were finally overcome, they needed money to keep all the animals fed and all the staff - many of whom were new - paid. There are dramas and stresses throughout, not only financial when bank after bank seemed to let them down, but also family rifts. Benjamin later wrote about their time together and, a year after his book We Bought a Zoo came out, a film company bought the rights. Carrying and then stroking an anaesthetised tiger on a stretcher to a vet room which we have built, is a privilege of almost unimaginable proportions. He instantly looked right at me as if, ah ok you’re the same as those guys who fed me and were kind to me before, and then he was fine.

Stevens tries to dissuade them from considering it, but as they tour the grounds, Benjamin declares that "it's perfect".Discover the joy of reading with us, your trusted source for affordable books that do not compromise on quality. Benjamin Mee set about persuading his 76-year-old mother that it would be a good idea to downsize and sell the Surrey home in which he and his three brothers and sister had grown up. The film also stars Scarlett Johansson, Maggie Elizabeth Jones, Thomas Haden Church, Patrick Fugit, Elle Fanning, Colin Ford, and John Michael Higgins. While this lifts the zoo workers' morale, Dylan is unhappy about having to stay; he confronts his father, and a heated argument ensues.

Dylan discovers that a fallen tree has blocked the access road with a large crowd of visitors waiting behind it. I also remember that I wanted to eat another ice cream but my mother would not allow me to have another cone. By using the Web site, you confirm that you have read, understood, and agreed to be bound by the Terms and Conditions. Touching a lion under anaesthetic, holding the tongue of a bear so that the dentist can treat his abscess, also knowing that we are helping to improve his life, these are the things which have made the whole experience worthwhile. The Hollywood Reporter commented that the film "has heart, humanity and a warmly empathetic central performance from Matt Damon", although it "doesn't dodge the potholes of earnest sentimentality and at times overplays the whimsy"; ultimately concluding that "Cameron Crowe's film has some rough edges, but it ultimately delivers thanks to Matt Damon's moving performance.We Bought a Zoo is a profoundly moving portrait of an unforgettable family living in the most extraordinary circumstances.