Sometimes tragedy pushes people toward huge life changes. One begins to question their existential nature and looks for ways to redefine their purpose amid the new perspective. That's exactly what Matt Damon is going through in his upcoming flick with director Cameron Crowe, We Bought a Zoo.
And as a recently widowed father who's trying to start over, he manages to pretty much achieve the most sweeping change possible. So how'd he pull it off?
Well, he literally buys a zoo. Specifically, one with 47 various animal species. At first, he thinks he's just buying a new house that could use a little remodeling. But the roar of a nearby lion gives away the fact that this is more than just an old home.
Seeing this as the perfect opportunity to reinvigorate his life and family, he teams up with the zoo's ragtag employees, including Scarlett Johansson, and dedicates himself to turning the struggling business around. After all, as his character says, "They say you don't even need any special knowledge to run a zoo. What you need is a lot of heart."
We actually think you do need quite a bit of special knowledge to run a zoo, but we're confident Matt can pull it off, so we'll give him a chance.
Ready to see Matt and Scarlett get one-on-one with these animals? We Bought a Zoo hits theaters Dec. 23.