REEL DEAL: We Bought a Zoo - Elle Fanning SPOTLIGHT

TALENTED ELLE FANNING IN “WE BOUGHT A ZOO

Elle Fanning gives a spirited performance in the true-life story based on the memoir of Benjamin Mee, “We Bought A Zoo” with Matt Damon, Scarlett Johansson, Colin Ford and Maggie Elizabeth Jones.

Benjamin Mee (Matt Damon) is a widower when he moves in with the two children. The plot essentially follows the path of a courageous family and tells the story of the incredible risk they take that transforms their lives.   While Matt Damon’s Benjamin Mee forms a close friendship with the rest of the zoo keeping personnel, a strong bond also develops between Lily (Fanning), a home schooled country girl and Dylan Mee (Colin Ford), a city boy adjusting to country life. 

Q:        What kind of girl is Lily?

A:         “She is actually a lot like me; she will be the first one to say ‘hi.’ Like me, Lily’s very sensitive. I’m not super tough. I’ll just sort of go for it.  I love to laugh and be happy. I guess I’m not shy at all. Lily is definitely one of the most comedic characters that I’ve ever played. She is very quirky and funny.”

REEL DEAL: Scarlett Johannson's Softie Yet Toughie Role WE BOUGHT A ZOO

In Cameron Crowe’s inspiring new film,” We Bought A Zoo,” Scarlett Johansson plays Kelly Foster, a plucky and hard working young woman who is dedicated to her job as a zoo keeper and passionate about the animals in her care.

Benjamin Mee (Matt Damon) buys the zoo, Rosemoor Animal Park, in order to give his family a fresh start in life. His wife Katherine has recently died and he is looking for a new direction for himself and his two young children.  Running and restoring a dilapidated zoo is ostensibly an odd choice and Mee definitely takes on more than he bargained for. With the help of an eclectic staff  and with an assortment of adventures along the way, the family works to return the run down zoo to its former glory and to heal their own pain.

Q: What type of woman is Kelly in this movie?

A: “Kelly is incredibly driven and focused. She has dedicated her entire life to her job and she actually says in the film,  ‘I don't have a life,  this is my whole life. I come here from morning to night and my friends are out enjoying themselves with different guys and going to bars.  I don't do any of that stuff.’ 

Q: What was the appeal and challenge of this character for you? 

A: “What I love about   Kelly is that she’s so totally matter of fact.  There’s nothing about her that’s vindictive.  She doesn’t really want anything from anybody except for an honest day’s work and I appreciate that sentiment. I have never had the opportunity to really play a girl who’s very pure and straightforward in her thinking.”

Reel Deal: Young Stars Shine in Fox's Family Films

Innately talented young actors Maggie Elizabeth Jones, Elle Fanning, Colin Ford, Shailene Woodley and Amara Miller shine brightly on their own footing in upcoming movies from 20th Century Fox – “We Bought A Zoo” and “The Descendants.”  

In We Bought A Zoo starring Matt Damon and directed by Cameron Crowe – Elle Fanning, Maggie Elizabeth Jones and Colin Ford take turns in keeping that familial warmth of the movie where Benjamin Mee (Matt Damon) buys a house with a zoo in order to give his family a fresh start in life. What begins as a rather impulsive fantasy turns into a daunting life-changing journey that is exciting, emotionally taxing, exceedingly labor intensive, often hilarious but ultimately more rewarding than even he could have ever imagined.