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Water for Elephants

  • 2011
  • PG-13
  • 2h
IMDb RATING
6.9/10
118K
YOUR RATING
Reese Witherspoon, Christoph Waltz, Robert Pattinson, and Tai in Water for Elephants (2011)
A veterinary student (Robert Pattinson) abandons his studies after his parents are killed and joins a traveling circus as their vet, where he meets animal trainer August (Christoph Waltz) and his wife Marlena (Reese Witherspoon).
Play trailer2:28
7 Videos
99+ Photos
DramaRomance

Set in the 1930s, a former veterinary student takes a job in a travelling circus and falls in love with the ringmaster's wife.Set in the 1930s, a former veterinary student takes a job in a travelling circus and falls in love with the ringmaster's wife.Set in the 1930s, a former veterinary student takes a job in a travelling circus and falls in love with the ringmaster's wife.

  • Director
    • Francis Lawrence
  • Writers
    • Richard LaGravenese
    • Sara Gruen
  • Stars
    • Robert Pattinson
    • Reese Witherspoon
    • Christoph Waltz
  • See production, box office & company info
  • IMDb RATING
    6.9/10
    118K
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Francis Lawrence
    • Writers
      • Richard LaGravenese
      • Sara Gruen
    • Stars
      • Robert Pattinson
      • Reese Witherspoon
      • Christoph Waltz
    • 302User reviews
    • 273Critic reviews
    • 52Metascore
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 3 wins & 13 nominations

    Videos7

    Trailer #2: Water for Elephants
    Trailer 2:28
    Watch Trailer #2: Water for Elephants
    Water for Elephants: Trailer #1
    Trailer 1:59
    Watch Water for Elephants: Trailer #1
    "I'd Hate to Think of It"
    Clip 1:12
    Watch "I'd Hate to Think of It"
    "I'm a Star Attraction"
    Clip 1:20
    Watch "I'm a Star Attraction"
    "Just Come with Me"
    Clip 0:57
    Watch "Just Come with Me"
    "Our Salvation"
    Clip 0:55
    Watch "Our Salvation"
    Water For Elephants
    Promo 1:00
    Watch Water For Elephants

    Photos113

    Reese Witherspoon, Robert Pattinson, and Tai in Water for Elephants (2011)
    Reese Witherspoon, Tim Guinee, Robert Pattinson, Tai, and Uggie in Water for Elephants (2011)
    Reese Witherspoon and Robert Pattinson in Water for Elephants (2011)
    Reese Witherspoon and Robert Pattinson in Water for Elephants (2011)
    John Aylward, E.E. Bell, Brad Greenquist, Tim Guinee, and Christoph Waltz in Water for Elephants (2011)
    Robert Pattinson in Water for Elephants (2011)
    Francis Lawrence in Water for Elephants (2011)
    Reese Witherspoon and Christoph Waltz in Water for Elephants (2011)
    Robert Pattinson in Water for Elephants (2011)
    Reese Witherspoon and Robert Pattinson in Water for Elephants (2011)
    Reese Witherspoon and Robert Pattinson in Water for Elephants (2011)
    Reese Witherspoon and Robert Pattinson in Water for Elephants (2011)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Robert Pattinson
    Robert Pattinson
    • Jacob
    Reese Witherspoon
    Reese Witherspoon
    • Marlena
    Christoph Waltz
    Christoph Waltz
    • August
    Paul Schneider
    Paul Schneider
    • Charlie
    Jim Norton
    Jim Norton
    • Camel
    Hal Holbrook
    Hal Holbrook
    • Old Jacob
    Mark Povinelli
    Mark Povinelli
    • Kinko…
    Richard Brake
    Richard Brake
    • Grady
    Stephen Monroe Taylor
    Stephen Monroe Taylor
    • Wade
    Ken Foree
    Ken Foree
    • Earl
    Scott MacDonald
    Scott MacDonald
    • Blackie
    James Frain
    James Frain
    • Rosie's Caretaker
    Sam Anderson
    Sam Anderson
    • Mr. Hyde
    John Aylward
    John Aylward
    • Mr. Erwin
    Brad Greenquist
    Brad Greenquist
    • Mr. Robinson
    Tim Guinee
    Tim Guinee
    • Diamond Joe
    Donna W. Scott
    Donna W. Scott
    • Barbara
    E.E. Bell
    E.E. Bell
    • Cecil the Barker
    • Director
      • Francis Lawrence
    • Writers
      • Richard LaGravenese
      • Sara Gruen
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      The owner of the circus at the beginning mentions the Hagenbeck-Wallace wreck and the Hartford fire. On June 22, 1918, a troop train crashed into the Hagenbeck-Wallace circus train after the driver fell asleep. The crash killed 86 people and injured 127. On July 6, 1944, a Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey big top circus tent caught fire during a performance in Hartford CT, killing 169 people and injuring over 700.
    • Goofs
      The blueish-grayish tights Reese Witherspoon wears are clearly made of a fabric containing nylon. Natural fibers (cotton, wool, silk...) would not result in the even, semi-opaque aspect with no wrinkles in the knee and foot area. Nylon was not invented before the late 30ies, so the tights are an anachronism.
    • Quotes

      Jacob: You're a beautiful woman, you deserve a beautiful life. Nothing less.

    • 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
      Featured in The Tonight Show with Jay Leno: Episode #19.111 (2011)
    • Soundtracks
      Ciribiribin
      Written by George Wilson and Alberto Pestalozza

      Courtesy of APM

    User reviews302

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    9/10
    A truly spectacular movie!
    OK, I'll try to tell you a bit of what I thought about "Water for Elephants", without spoiling anything. I have not read the novel (even though I plan to do it now) so I'm only offering my views on the movie.

    First of all: It's amazingly beautiful. The costumes and sets are gorgeous, the cinematography is exquisite, the animals are cute (especially Rosie the elephant) and the three leads are very easy on the eyes as well.

    Robert Pattinson was actually quite good. This was a surprise to me, since I didn't really think he was anything special in any of the Twilight movies or "Remember Me". He looked very appropriate for the time the movie was set in, and even though I love Emile Hirsch (who auditioned for Jacob too) I'm confident that Robert was the best choice there was for this role, it was perfect for him. Hal Holbrook was also very fitting for the role of older Jacob. The two actors really made me believe that they were the same person in different stages of his life.

    Reese Witherspoon was okay. She looked beautiful, was charming and cute but it felt like something was missing - however, I can't think of any other actress I would have liked better in the role, so I came to the conclusion that it was probably the character Marlena that was a little bland, not Reese.

    But the true star of this movie was Christoph Waltz. I may be a bit biased since I loved him in "Inglorious Basterds", but he was even more perfect in this movie. His portrayal of August was amazing, he made him likable and interesting and I was always compelled by his scenes. The character reminded me a lot of Miles in "King Kong" (played by Jack Black), a character that also wanted fame and success more than anything and used questionable and even cruel methods to get it. He was terrifying in some scenes too, but always believable. Also, in the beginning of the movie i really felt the chemistry between August and Marlena, which made the character even more interesting; however, I did feel like Jacob and Marlena had chemistry too, and in my opinion this way it was more realistic (both men loved her and she also cared about both of them).

    I loved the movie, and I really recommend it to everyone. I would sincerely give it 10/10 stars. Of course there was some parts of the movie I didn't like (particularly towards the end of it), but overall it was a magical, spectacular and epic period movie, and I can't wait to see it again!
    helpful•213
    74
    • GlimmerBunny
    • Apr 13, 2011

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    FAQ3

    • What is "Water for Elephants" about?
    • Is "Water for Elephants" based on a book?
    • How does the movie end?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • April 22, 2011 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Official site
      • Official Facebook
    • Languages
      • English
      • Polish
    • Also known as
      • Ngôi Sao Gánh Xiếc
    • Filming locations
      • Chickamauga, Georgia, USA
    • Production companies
      • Fox 2000 Pictures
      • 3 Arts Entertainment
      • Flashpoint Entertainment
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $38,000,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $58,709,717
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $16,842,353
      • Apr 24, 2011
    • Gross worldwide
      • $117,094,902
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      2 hours
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Dolby Digital
      • Datasat
      • SDDS
    • Aspect ratio
      • 2.35 : 1

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