Scarlett Johansson

Very few filmmakers will direct a body of work or create an iconic symbol of himself the way Alfred Hitchcock did. Then again, history tends to focus on the success of men, and rarely reveal the impact of the women behind them. Hitchcock portrays Mr. and Mrs. Hitchcock’s relationship on the edge as the director struggles to re-invent himself while Mrs. Hitchcock wants to pursue a more traditional route. Either way, their long marriage has become a cliffhanger.

Using every wholesome symbol and cliché in American film language, We Bought a Zoo is an unapologetic attempt to garner sympathy towards the largest available audience. Dismissing art for kitsch, the film is a mindless stroll through a predictable and convenient plot despite its real-life basis. Director Cameron Crowe, who has accumulated a long list of iconic images and quotable lines with Say Anything, Jerry Maguire, and Almost Famous, seems to have lost the momentum with this recent effort.