Movie Review: Water for Elephants

 

Title: Water for Elephants

Author: movie based on the book written by:

Directed by: Francis Lawrence

Genre: Drama, Romance,

Distributed by: Fox 2000

Format: DVD

Starring: Reese Witherspoon, Robert Pattinson, Christoph Waltz

 

Synopsis: (provided by: http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/water-for-elephants/production-details.html)

Against all odds, a veterinary student and a beautiful circus performer from a bygone era, meet and fall in love through their shared compassion for a special elephant. But their secret romance incurs the wrath of her dangerously volatile husband.

 

 

My thoughts:

 

First, let me start out by saying I haven’t read this book. It isn’t that I don’t want to read, I actually do. But I haven’t. For the same reason it took me this long to watch this movie. I’m afraid of it. I knew just by looking at it that this movie was going to make me feel, was going to make me cry and it was going to be an emotional experience to watch/read.

But I have heard the great reviews and listened to people say how good it was and I kind of felt like my chickeness was holding me back from experiencing something I really did want to experience.

So, I took the easy way out and watched the movie instead of reading the book. LOL. Now, I realize that I probably missed a lot in the book that wasn’t in the movie and I am sure the book is fantastic because the movie was really good. But… baby steps, people, baby steps.

I loved the way this movie started out, with the old man in the parking lot. I love that this movie was basically a flashback to his life. It made the movie and the story seem a lot more real and to be honest it gave me something to hold onto during those parts that were hard to watch. I knew that Jacob was going to make it. I might not have known the how’s or the why’s but I knew he would be there at the end and that made a difference in the way I felt while watching.

This was beautifully written and the setting was equally as beautiful. I thought this was the best movie that I have seen Robert Pattison act in. He did a really great job. I could feel his excitement as a young man just starting out in the circus and the wonder of it all. I could feel his sadness and anger in the parts where it was appropriate. I actually got very attached to him (Jacob) during the movie. I really admired the way he stuck with his beliefs even when it would have been easy to just let them go. I admired his humaneness, his kindness and his bravery with the animals.

Reese Witherspoon did a great job portraying Marlena as well. She is such a talented actress and she looked and acted the part of a star attraction and abused wife well. She looked so beautiful with that white blond hair and gorgeous clothes. Is it any wonder that all the men looked at her and maybe even wanted her given the bleak time that this movie is set in (the great depression). She was also courageous in her own right. Sometimes I got mad at her and yelled at the TV (lol) because I wanted her to really whack that husband of hers but she did what she thought was right and in the end it all worked out.

So was the movie as emotional as I thought it would be? Yeah, it was. I have a really hard time watching violence, especially against animals and people that I have become attached to – or feel for. So there were some scenes in this movie that made me angry and made me cry. I cheered for Jacob every time he stood up for what he believed in. Sometimes I wondered what would have happened to some of those people and animals if he never got on that train. I thought he was a real champion.

I am so glad that I watched this movie, that I finally pushed myself past my hesitation because it is a movie worth watching. It is a movie worth getting involved in. And at the end I felt glad to have known Jacob and heard his story. I am not sure if I will ever read the book, I might eventually, but for now I am happy knowing Jacob and Marlena on the big screen.

I would recommend this movie to anyone who likes this genre and even to those who don’t. You might find something in it that you haven’t anywhere else and be glad to have seen it.

So there you have it. My opinion.