Water for Elephants (2011)

A veterinary student abandons his studies after his parents are killed and joins a traveling circus as their vet.

Director:

Francis Lawrence

Writers:

Richard LaGravenese (screenplay), Sara Gruen (novel)

Stars:

Reese Witherspoon, Robert Pattinson, Christoph Waltz

3 wins & 8 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Reese Witherspoon	...	Marlena
Robert Pattinson	...	Jacob
Christoph Waltz	...	August
Paul Schneider	...	Charlie
Jim Norton	...	Camel
Hal Holbrook	...	Old Jacob
Mark Povinelli	...	Kinko / Walter
Richard Brake	...	Grady
Stephen Taylor	...	Wade (as Stephen Monroe Taylor)
Ken Foree	...	Earl
Scott MacDonald	...	Blackie
James Frain	...	Rosie's Caretaker
Sam Anderson	...	Mr. Hyde
John Aylward	...	Mr. Erwin
Brad Greenquist	...	Mr. Robinson

Storyline

After his parents' death, Jacob Jankowski is left penniless and homeless. Events lead him to joining the circus as their vet, working under their unstable boss August whose violent tendencies give everyone reason to be cautious around him, including his beautiful and quiet wife Marlena, whom August is very possessive of and who Jacob finds himself soon falling in love with.

---

Plot Keywords:

circus | elephant | train | traveling circus | falling in love | 

---

Taglines:

Life is the most spectacular show on earth.

---

Genres:

Drama | Romance

---

Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for moments of intense violence and sexual content

Details

Official Sites:

Official site Official site [sp]

Country:

USA

Language:

English Polish

Release Date:

22 April 2011 (USA)

Also Known As:

Agua para elefantes

Filming Locations:

20th Century Fox Studios - 10201 Pico Blvd., Century City, Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$38,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

£1,270,483 (UK) (6 May 2011)

Gross:

$58,700,247 (USA) (5 August 2011)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Fox 2000 Pictures, 3 Arts Entertainment, Flashpoint Entertainment

Technical Specs

Runtime:

120 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital Datasat SDDS

Color:

Color Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Sean Penn was cast but dropped out and was replaced by Christoph Waltz.

---

Goofs

Rex the lion is supposed to be without teeth, but in many shots can be seen with all of his teeth intact.

---

Quotes

Jacob: I'm not running away, I'm coming home.

---

Crazy Credits

In 'The producers wish to thank' section of the credits, the Circus World Museum is listed as being in Barbaroo, WI. The actual town is Baraboo, WI.

---

Connections

Referenced in 2011 MTV Movie Awards (2011)

---

Soundtracks

"Barnum & Bailey's Favorite March"
Written by Karl King

User Reviews

Old Hollywood Movie

Water For Elephants takes us back in time, not just because it is set in the 30's but also because the movie is filmed with such quality and attention to detail, it is very much like movies used to be made. No reliance on CGI or profanity to make up for lack of imagination either. The dialog is crisp and the film adheres very much to the spirit of the book, even if things were consolidated or omitted for the film.

The cinematography is lush and if the film doesn't win an award for it, it will be a travesty.

And the performances are wonderful. Christoph Waltz is captivating as a complex character and Reese Witherspoon walks a fine line (no pun intended) between the role of a dutiful wife and that of a survivor. But it is Robert Pattinson who delivers a range of emotion not seen from him before. He is understated and again reminds me of actors of old - Gary Cooper specifically. He plays a gentleman and a scholar but also shows passion and intensity. Any doubt viewers might have had on his abilities as an actor are wiped away, as he more than holds his own in scenes with two Oscar winners.

This is a must-see movie for anyone wanting to see more quality films and less action-packed/violence ridden/computer enhanced drivel at the theaters. Bravo!