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"WATER FOR ELEPHANTS"
(2011) (Robert Pattinson, Reese Witherspoon) (PG-13)


Alcohol/Drugs Heavy
Blood/Gross Stuff Heavy
Disrespectful/Bad Attitude Extreme
Frightening/Tense Scenes Heavy
Gun/Weapons Moderate
Imitative Behavior Extreme
Jump Scenes Moderate
Music (Scary/Tense) Moderate
Music (Inappropriate) None
Profanity Mild
Sex/Nudity Heavy
Smoking Heavy
Tense Family Scenes Extreme
Topics to Talk About Extreme
Violence Heavy


QUICK TAKE:
Drama: Following the unexpected deaths of his parents, a Depression era veterinary student drops out of school and inadvertently joins a traveling circus, only to find himself falling for the owner's wife.
PLOT:
Jacob Jankowski (HAL HOLBROOK) is an older man who's stopped by too late to catch a circus that's already heading out of town. He tells the owner, however, of his experience long ago with the Benzini Brothers Circus back in 1931.

A veterinary student, Jacob (ROBERT PATTINSON) dropped out of Cornell following the unexpected deaths of his parents in a car accident. After losing the family home and business, he hits the road and, hoping for a faster way out of town, hops aboard a train, unaware that it's off the official one for the Benzini Brothers Circus.

Old veteran Camel (JIM NORTON) shows him the ropes and gets him a part-time job shoveling manure, with the circus' owner, August (CHRISTOPH WALTZ), ready to have the interloper thrown off the train until Jacob lies that he's a vet. August is intrigued, mainly because his star attraction, a white stallion, has a bad hoof. Jacob reports it should be put down, but August disagrees, what with the Depression era circus needing every means of making money. That mindset isn't anything new to August's wife, Marlena (REESE WITHERSPOON), who performs on the horse during the shows.

Despite them clashing, August decides to hire Jacob as the circus vet, and has him room with Kinko (MARK POVINELLI) on the train when not training their newest big attraction, Rosie the elephant. Jacob and August also differ on how to deal with the pachyderm, with August's brutal behavior not sitting well with anyone, especially Jacob and Marlena. When August realizes that those two might be becoming romantically interested in each other, it's only a matter of time before things become perilous for everyone.

WILL KIDS WANT TO SEE IT?
Fans of anyone in the cast (such as those who liked seeing Pattinson in the "Twilight" films) might be interested in seeing it, which could also hold true for anyone interested in circuses and circus life.
WHY THE MPAA RATED IT: PG-13
For moments of intense violence and sexual content.


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