We Bought a Zoo (2011)

This is a solid movie based on a true story. Benjamin Mee (Matt Damon) is a recently widowed father who thinks his children would be better off if they moved away from their noisy neighbors and into a better house. He finds a place that seems like a great fit, but there's a catch: the property includes a zoo and is 9 miles from the nearest grocery store. While initially uncertain about the land, he decides it will provide a good experience and adventure for his family. The unpaid zoo staff includes 28-year-old Kelly Foster (Scarlett Johansson) who spends so much time working she doesn't have a social life.

The real Benjamin Mee is British and the actual zoo he bought is Dartmoor Zoological Park, located in Devon, England. His wife Katherine died after they bought the house which took two years to finalize, and their children were only four and six. It was a jaguar, not a bear, which escaped. While the movie takes place in 2010, the summer calendar that is shown actually corresponds to the years 2007 or 2012. The BBC ran a 4 part television documentary on the family in 2007 called Ben's Zoo.

Benjamin Mee wrote an article for The Guardian on June 22, 2007.