We Bought a Zoo is a 2011 American family comedy-drama film loosely based on the 2008 memoir of the same name by Benjamin Mee. Cameron Crowe directs, and Matt Damon stars as Benjamin Mee, who purchases a dilapidated zoo with his family and takes on the challenge of preparing the zoo for its reopening to the public. The film was released in the United States on December 23, 2011, and received a mixed reception from film critics. It grossed a total of $120 million.