A melodramatic plot, an overdone soundtrack and countless montages make Francis Lawrence’s (I Am Legend) adaptation of Sara Gruen’s Depression-era novel (screenplay by Richard LaGravenese) a two-hour slog. Water for Elephants is told as a flashback in which a geriatric Jacob (Hal Holbrook) recounts his life story: young Jacob’s (Robert Pattinson) parents die the day of his final university exam, so off he flounces to becomes a vet for a traveling circus. Not even Christoph Waltz’s entertaining performance as August, the circus’s tyrannical ringmaster—more of a watered-down Nazi from the Inglourious Basterds Oscar winner—can salvage the boring dialogue. The love story between Marlena (Reese Witherspoon), Christoph’s wife, and Jacob lacks the chemistry it needs to be authentic. Rosie, a bejeweled elephant who doesn’t get enough screen time, should be the movie’s real star.
This article appears in Apr 21-27, 2011.
I totally disagree with Molly Segal. The movie was very good and everyone in the theater I was at seem to enjoy it. The cast was very good including the elephant. I would recommend this movie to everyone.