We bought a zoo character analysis

LETTING A LITTLE SUNLIGHT IN

Like many other life-affirming stories, ‘We bought a zoo’ addresses universal topics of love and loss, family and child-parent relations, devotion to a dream and the challenges on the way to it, the rejection of painless experiences and reception, doubts and courage, fear and excitement. Both the original novel by Benjamin Mee and the movie adaptation of the same name, directed by Cameron Crowe, tell us the story of the Mee family. Father Benjamin, a teenage boy Dylan, and a young girl Rosie suffered a grievous loss of their beloved wife and mother. The movie sets up only half a year after the tragedy, when the irreparable wounds were so fresh. All three are pitched with grief, particularly father Ben and his son Dylan, who are getting to close quarters almost every single day, being unable to deal with the loss of the most important woman in their lives. Benjamin still can’t return to work, Dylan is one step from being expelled, and Rosie, regardless of her childish age, tries to stick their family back together. 

Benjamin Mee: What I’ve figured out is that when you love somebody that much, that hard, that long, you can never get away from them, no matter where you go. And that only comes once in a lifetime. Just can’t get a handle on it. I cannot let go.

After his wife Katherine passed away, Benjamin Mee shrank into himself in many ways, limiting his social environment and even visiting locations in the town that were strongly connected with his loved one. He admits to his brother that he avoids getting close to cafes, shops, and parks, which he and Katharine had previously favored. But there is more to come, and Ben still stores all his wife’s belongings and clothes, which only fuels his sadness. Here comes the character of an older brother, Duncan, who probably was never married, but who tries to let a little sunlight into the heart of his brother, whom he cares about, and whose mental well-being also influences the lives of Dylan and Rosie. Instead of sharing those old memories and happiness with his children, Benjamin goes into his shell, thus making things even harder for the children to cope with. Duncan does his best to take Ben from that shell by pursuing him at least to try to live further. At the story’s start, Benjamin can’t imagine a relationship with another woman because the grief is too strong, and he regards Katharine as the love of a lifetime. Like millions of spouses before him, Ben rejects any ‘replacement’ for himself and his children. 

Benjamin Mee: I thought if I came out here it would stop. Back home, every place reminded me of her. Filippe’s on Third Street. Balboa Park. Little Dom’s, the coffee shop. That – that’s a big one. I mean, the air, the way it smelled in May and August, because those were the months that her favorite bushes grew flowers all over our neighborhood. They’re all triggers, man. 

While little Rosie has become a new caregiver in the family, Ben’s relations with his son Dylan have deteriorated. On the one hand, the boy had gone to his shell, too. Being unable to cope with his mother’s death, he neglected school, lost friends, and had a barrier to discussing anxiety with his father. On the other side of the spectrum, Benjamin is himself too absorbed with Katharine’s death, so he lacks understanding of how he can help his beloved son. It is safe to assume that even before the tragedy, the two were not close. Benjamin Mee rarely spent time at home because of his work, and when he did, his time was devoted to Katharine and little Rosie. With the loss of his mother, Dylan did not find his father’s attention as a replacement. He limited his interaction with the surroundings and tried to overcome anxiety and depression with creepy drawings. Like Rosie, Dylan is frustrated with others’ happy faces and the fact that life is going on. For some time, Ben seems to ignore Dylan’s vanishing discipline at school until the boy is put on the verge of expulsion. The boy’s words, that children who lost their mother get some preferences, speak not about his self-interest, but about the loss of meaning in life. He probably feels abandoned by his father and alone against the whole world. As we find out later, one of the key reasons behind Ben’s decision to move out of their home was a hope to change things for both Rosie and Dylan. 

Rosie Mee: Daddy, I can’t sleep. The neighbors again.

Benjamin Mee: Come on.

Rosie Mee: Their happy is too loud.

Rosie is only seven years old, and any other story would probably focus primarily on her frustration after losing her mother. ‘We bought a Zoo’, which was based on the memoirs of Benjamin Mee, shifted our expectations, thus making Rosie the landlady in the family. One of the touchy scenes shows us a seven-year-old girl who cooks sandwiches for her family. In another scene, Rosie unexpectedly shows wisdom while checking her mother’s clothes with Ben. Regardless of her pain after the loss and her age, Rosie takes care of her father and brother, and later of the animals in the zoo. In a wider sense, Rosie replaces her mother as the lady in the house, and she lets sunlight into their lives the same way Katharine Mee had done before. Benjamin catches this transformation with pride and adoration. Ben’s wife can’t be brought back, but his daughter is an extension of her. She is a ray of sunshine. It is Rosie who persuades Ben to buy a house with a zoo. Like her father and opposed to Dylan, Rosie is determined to make a fresh start by moving to another place and directing herself into an adventure. One would say, What can you expect from a seven-year-old child, but her behavior resembles an incredible life force. While her brother closes himself off from change, Rosie and Ben face challenges and do their best to adapt. A father and daughter take a mutual journey full of difficulties, but also with hope and optimism. 

Benjamin Mee: Hey, Rosie? Am I doin’ anything right?

Rosie Mee: You’re handsomer than the other dads. Lots of them don’t have hair. So that’s good.

Benjamin Mee: Awesome. I’m gonna take baldness off my list of things to worry about.

The movie makes no surprise from the fact that what kind of ‘fresh new start’ the Mee family chooses. Benjamin and Rosie not only chose a new house in the countryside, but they also opted to take care of the zoo, which had been neglected for some time. It is quite understandable why Rosie chose this option, though Ben’s motivation was more complex. He wanted a fresh start for himself and his children, he wanted to change the environment so that he wouldn’t walk next to the places that reminded him of Katherine every single day. In the past, he used to be an adventurist, and this new challenge resembled Ben’s nature. More than that, Benjamin finds out that in the worst scenario, all animals were destined to be killed for mercy. He has just lost his wife, and saving some lives sounds like a good idea. Taking care of hectares of land, cages with dozens of animals, and the zoo staff turns out to be a hell of a challenge for the Mee family. Childish dreams to visit the zoo more often leave true challenges behind the scenes. Nevertheless, for Benjamin, Rosie, and even for Dylan, taking care of the animals becomes another ray of sunlight in their lives and changes them. Caring for animals, for his employees, brings Ben out of the lethargy of loss and allows him to turn his care to a greater extent to his children as well. Even Dylan, who is deeply frustrated, finds optimism in their new home, even though he has no strength to admit this to himself or his father. Empathy makes us a better version of ourselves. 

Duncan Mee: It’s great. I get it. This whole spiritual journey or whatever. You know, we’re all in cages, man. I love it. But, at the risk of stating the obvious, you’re insane. Okay?

By deciding to buy a new home, Benjamin did not consider that he might find a beloved woman, especially in the semi-abandoned zoo in the heartland. Scarlett Johansson’s character, Kelly, is a kind of underdog, at least she regards herself as such, while her friends have families and children. Like Benjamin, who spent years on journeys and adventures, Kelly spent most of her life far from large cities and Starbucks. She is an experienced zookeeper and, even without proper pay for months, despite the lack of professional perspectives, she has become so fond of caring for animals and keeping an old zoo afloat. Kelly admits that she had no personal relationships because of her work, since caring about animals consumes most of her day. As the story goes on, Kelly becomes another light of hope in Benjamin’s life, and his attitude toward the possibility of new relationships changes. It is interesting to note, the movie lacks the often-conflicting elements of a new woman as a potential replacement of the mother. This story shows us the Mee family, who honors the memory of Katharine, and also Kelly as a new light in their future. Take the most from the past and be open to something good in the future. 

Benjamin Mee: Look, this doesn’t feel right.

Kelly Foster: Benjamin, it never feels right.

Kelly Foster: You’re doing very well. You know, I expected you to be heading for the hills by now.

Benjamin Mee: Well, we got through today.

Kelly Foster: Yeah, we got through today.

A conflict that Benjamin postponed for months finally erupted with Dylan. The boy heard his father’s revelations to Kelly and confronted him. As we understand, Ben did not pay enough attention to Dylan, hoping that the tension would go away by the fact of moving to a new place. Previously devastated by the loss of his mother, the boy now feels abandoned by both his town friends and Benjamin. As the father explains, he feels sorry for the fact that not a single Dylan’s friends expressed a desire to come here and see him. He loves his son and wants Dylan and Rosie to be happy. The point here is that Benjamin should have spent more time with his son, supporting him, explaining casual things, discussing girls and school, and sharing thoughts about their new home and duties in the zoo. Later on, the two peacefully speak on simple things next to the cages, and Dylan even shares his adoration toward Lily. This warm-hearted young girl came up into Dylan’s life as a ray of sunlight, just like Kelly appeared to be for Benjamin. Lily showed Dylan that he is important and he is not alone in this world, and that she supports him and his family in the challenges they all face. As the story comes to an end, Dylan realizes that his father and sister are the most precious people, as is now Lilly. He should not be upset because of friends who did not value him. He has a family, people around him, and now a zoo – his new home. Here he is needed and here he is loved. 

Benjamin Mee: I just want you to be happy, man. Unless you don’t want to be happy.

Dylan Mee: What is so great about being happy?

Benjamin Mee: That you’re happy.

While a storyline between Benjamin and Dylan, Rosie and Kelly is dominating, ‘We bought a zoo’ suggests to us a few revealing subplots, which help to form Benjamin Mee character analysis. During his first discovery visit to the house with the zoo, Ben is confronted with the news that all animals here may be killed if the financial situation of the place does not improve. Though he is concerned with that fact, his specific attention and care go to an old tiger called Spar. The point here is that in trying to save Spar, Benjamin Mee saw a chance to save someone from death, as he failed to do this with Katharine. Caring about this old tiger, even at the expense of Ben’s last saving, turns into a crusade of empathy and struggle for the life of the animal, who was unfortunately on the edge of his life. Ben sees echoes of his fight for his wife’s life. He feels that if he saves the animal, he will atone for the guilt of not being able to save Katharine. For some time, Benjamin feels frustrated to let Spar go with peace, finding hope again and again to keep struggling. He can’t overcome the loss of Katharine, so it is difficult for Ben to make a delayed decision. It is important that Ben and Dylan finally reconcile; they do this in front of Spar’s cage – another reminiscence to Katharine Mee. At the end of the story, a memory about Spar continues to live as a symbol of the reborn zoo. 

Another underestimated storyline, though lacking real conflict, was Duncan’s efforts to help his brother, niece, and nephew. It seems that Duncan never had a family of his own, and he spent years in loneliness, trying to find himself. As the story goes on, he did his best to try to take Benjamin out of the shell, and try to meet another woman. Duncan’s precautions regarding buying a zoo were very reasonable, and without Katharine’s financial plan B, Benjamin could have lost his home and animals. At the same time, Duncan is always nearby to help his brother and children, even though he expresses skepticism. He admitted that in his journeys, he lacked communication, and people around us, especially our close ones, are the most important treasure in this world. In one of the final scenes, Lilly and Kelly also share a thought that, despite their love for animals, they appreciate people. Kelly has found a soulmate in Benjamin as well, and Kelly may have met her future husband in Dylan. As key challenges of the zoo opening left behind, Ben takes his children to the cafe where he had met their mother, and finally tells them this incredible story. 

You gotta let a little sunlight in. Okay? Human interaction is a good thing. Take it from a guy who spent six months on a commercial fishing boat in Bali trying to find himself. Remember that?

Yeah. 

And you know what I found? I missed people. So just do me a favor. Attempt to start over.

20 SECONDS OF COURAGE

Even though Benjamin put himself in a shell after his wife’s death, what distinguishes him from many other people is his superpower to face challenges, try something new, experiment, take a risk, and do the right things day by day. A grievous loss in the Mee family did not change Ben’s true nature as an adventurer and a man of his word. The movie intro introduces Benjamin Mee as a brave, enthusiastic journalist who used to struggle with nature, visited exotic locations around the globe, and got acquainted with unique personalities. In his previous life, before Katharine’s illness and death, Ben lived courageously and unorthodoxly. Evidently, he was too easygoing considering having a loving wife and two small kids back home. The time has changed, and not only has his life gone through unbearable loss with a change of priorities, but the time of such print-oriented writers has gone as well. Considering the date of the movie release, Benjamin could probably find himself on YouTube, showing his new adventures, but his life has changed inevitably. At the beginning of the story, he suggests a grotesque coverage idea to his editor, but both understand it goes nowhere. 

My dad is a writer who specialized in adventure. He interviewed dangerous dictators. He even flew into the center of Hurricane Charley. He knew the ins and outs of strange and exotic adventure, backwards and forwards. But nothing prepared him for this one.

What Benjamin does not grasp at the beginning of the movie is that his greatest adventure is still waiting for him ahead. It is not wild bees, dictators, or hurricanes, but a duty to raise his children without their mother. Support them not only with food and education, but also give them caring, love, and hope in this life. As it turns out, this adventure demands no less courage and creativity than any of his past achievements. As we learn from Ben’s reminisces, he had to show great courage to win the attention of his future wife, even though he was a successful and courageous reporter at the time. ‘We bought a zoo’ does not show Ben’s old adventures as something bad, but now he has to compensate former absence from home to Dylan and Rosie, as well as try to compensate them for the loss of their mother with his improved care. Journeys and adventures are a great part of our life, which add purpose to everyday routine, but often this ‘routine’ forms values ​​that are worth living for, such as the love of family and friends and their presence in your lives.

Benjamin Mee: Why would an amazing woman like you even talk to someone like me?

Katherine Mee: Why not?

Let’s be clear: few would be willing to buy such a house, with a zoo as a liability. Zoo, which has gone through dark times of underfinancing, a lack of faith, changes of owners, and despair among its own staff. One may say that Benjamin was too reckless and easy-minded without giving proper consideration and analysis to the idea of buying this property, but that’s just Ben. When an idea of taking his kids abroad for a news coverage of ‘Ipocalypse’ fails, Benjamin seeks a new opportunity, a new adventure he can take on with Rosie and Dylan next to him. One of the brightest ideas to build or improve relations with someone is to join an undertaking together, to move toward a mutual goal. The movie does not tell us how many people have given up on a house with a zoo before the Mee family. Even a realtor was skeptical about offering such a thing to clients. For Ben, it is a challenge to go forward where others have retreated. He goes against the advice of his brother Duncan, an accountant, and chooses the bulky road, definitely not easy to go. Some people support Ben in his undertaking, and people who oppose, like Rhonda Blair and zoo inspector Walter Ferris. Knowing that the zoo inspector will likely not approve the opening anyway, Ben moves on. He knows that not all of his staff are on board of faith in their goal. Eventually, he gets rid of the accountant (Rhonda Blair), who only serves to undermine the others. 

Benjamin Mee: Complicated’s okay. Complicated can be great. We love complicated. “You know, sometimes all you need is twenty seconds of insane courage. Just literally twenty seconds of just embarrassing bravery. And I promise you, something great will come of it.”

Similar to Tiger, where Ben had to muster up the courage to decide to let the animal go, there was another interesting incident involving a local bear, Buster the Bear. When the giant animal escaped the enclosure, it was Benjamin who found Grizzly first in the open field and confronted Buster face to face. The giant leaves his owner weaponless, and Benjamin has to master his fear until another zookeeper uses a tranquilizer. The most interesting point with this subplot lies not in the courage that Ben showed facing he bear, but with the upcoming decision. Benjamin understands that Buster left his enclosure because he did not have enough space, and Benjamin decides to spend additional money on expanding the territory for the bear. Here we can find a reference to the whole Mee family, who needed this additional space to overcome the loss of Katharine. At the end of the story, Ben tells the staff that all this work was worth it, even if the zoo doesn’t become profitable. They have become very close, united by a common goal and effort, and that’s worth a lot.

Benjamin Mee: It is what it is.

Mr. Stevens: It is what it is. Sometimes you don’t know what it is until you see what it is, you know? Once you see what it is then you can figure out what it is. You understand?

Benjamin Mee: No, but we can move on.

 

It’s not about where an adventure ends, ’cause that’s not what an adventure’s about. So anything that happens from here on out is a bonus. And I love you guys. Okay! Let’s open the gates!