Water for Elephants

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Water for Elephants

PG-13

2011

2h 1m

Drama

Romance

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Popcornmeter

60%

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193 Reviews

70%

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50,000+ Ratings

Jacob Jankowski (Robert Pattinson), a veterinary student, is close to graduating when a terrible tragedy forces him to leave school. With nowhere else to go, he hops on a passing train and finds it belongs to a traveling circus. Jacob takes a job as an animal caretaker and meets Marlena (Reese Witherspoon), a beautiful circus performer. Their shared compassion for a special elephant named Rosie leads to love, but August (Christoph Waltz), Marlena's cruel husband, stands in their way.

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Critics Consensus

It's a tale tastefully told and beautifully filmed, but Water for Elephants suffers from a pronounced lack of chemistry between its leads.

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Leah Rozen

TheWrap

Oct 7, 2011

Supporting characters are too hastily sketched in, serving only to further the unsmooth course of true love.

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Jim Schembri

The Age (Australia)

Jun 16, 2011

2.5/5

There's no doubting the luscious detail and feel for the period, but the love triangle that inevitable kicks in is a little too rote, even for those in a forgiving mood.

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David Stratton

At the Movies (Australia)

May 12, 2011

4/5

I think it's maybe the best circus movie since The Greatest Show on Earth.

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Brian Eggert

Deep Focus Review

Jul 31, 2023

3/4

With a bit more style and realism, the film could have been something truly great; however, in this case, good is just good enough.

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Rene Jordan

El Nuevo Herald (Miami)

Oct 11, 2022

Withered and boorish. [Full review in Spanish]

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Don Shanahan

Every Movie Has a Lesson

Mar 8, 2022

2/5

In this film, LaGravenese squeezes the melodrama so well that you may feel like you just had your mouth washed out with soap.

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Frans B

@FransB Oct 6, 2026

Exquisite attention to detail and great cinematography enhance the period correctness gracefully. Fascinating tale, very good storytelling. Enough drama, emotion, intrigue, suspense, romance and flair. The chemistry between the leads seems lacking a little, does not feel "real". Entertaining and captivating

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Jason R

@J-Rush1411 Jun 25, 2026

Reese Witherspoon and Robert Pattinson really sell this movie, good performances, good storyline, definitely a movie to watch at least once

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Yash B

@yashbansal May 9, 2026

"Water for Elephants" has many attributes I admired a lot, including its elaborate costumes and sets, and solid performances. The story starts out interesting enough, but eventually fizzles out and becomes a bit repetitive and very slow. I felt like I wasn't that invested in the storyline or central romance, and that is important to enjoy this movie. Overall, I felt it doesn't pack the emotional punch it should have, and despite many great technical qualities, I found myself struggling to power through the entire two hours at certain points.

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Beks C

@beks22 Mar 8, 2026

I love this film. A classic period drama/ romance. Robert Pattinson and Reese Witherspoon excel in the lead roles and are backed by an excellent supporting cast. Romantic drama at its best.

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Ansley H

@Haydenchristensonlover Dec 8, 2025

SOOO. I have recently read this book, and absolutely adored it. I could not put it down. It was unlike any story line I have ever read, and every aspect of the plot was immensely engaging. So, as one does, I decided to watch the movie, of course going into it knowing it will never live up the book, but always worth watching. From the second I began the movie, I could tell the actors were not going to play the well written characters like they should be. The movie was dull. Of course I can't expect every page to be played out, but nothing about this movie is worth watching. Honestly, if I hadn't read the book, I would be so confused the entirety of it. Robert Pattinson was not meant for this role, and it should've been played with a dramatic demeanor, not a boring and quiet one. This movie is undeniably terrible, disappointed to say the least.

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Steve W.

@sjwasserman Dec 7, 2025

Excellent movie. Characters are real.

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Francis Lawrence

Director

Reese Witherspoon

Marlena

Robert Pattinson

Jacob

Christoph Waltz

August

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Synopsis

Jacob Jankowski (Robert Pattinson), a veterinary student, is close to graduating when a terrible tragedy forces him to leave school. With nowhere else to go, he hops on a passing train and finds it belongs to a traveling circus. Jacob takes a job as an animal caretaker and meets Marlena (Reese Witherspoon), a beautiful circus performer. Their shared compassion for a special elephant named Rosie leads to love, but August (Christoph Waltz), Marlena's cruel husband, stands in their way.

Director: Francis Lawrence
Producer: Gil Netter, Erwin Stoff, Andrew R. Tennenbaum
Screenwriter: Richard LaGravenese, Sara Gruen
Distributor: 20th Century Fox
Production Co: Flashpoint, Gil Netter, 3 Arts Entertainment
Rating: PG-13 (Sexual Content|Moments of Intense Violence)
Genre: Drama, Romance
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Apr 22, 2011, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Oct 1, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA): $58.7M
Runtime: 2h 1m
Sound Mix: SDDS, Dolby Digital, Datasat
Aspect Ratio: Scope (2.35:1)

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