Jacob is a veterinarian who drops out of Cornell university during his final exam due to his parents unfortunate death. With nothing left for him in his home town, he plans to board a train to the city to pick up any available job.Aboard the train, he is caught by some fellows who are part of the circus. They welcome him in, giving him a chance as a circus hand. They ultimately decide to keep him when they discover he is good with the animals, and he becomes the new bull man for the newest attraction... a female elephant named Rosie!Although he is adored by the crew, he finds himself in deep water when the circus leader discovers his affections towards his wife. The ringleader is also incredibly hostile towards the circus animals, beating them when they don't listen. Eventually Jacob realises he must leave with his new girlfriend in tow, but surely he can't leave the elephant behind? Well, the story is beautiful and the ending is lovely. The film is narrated by an elderly Jacob who is attempting to runaway with the circus once again, away from the carehome which he now lives in. I highly reccomend a watch!

First, I should note that I've never read the novel on which Francis Lawrence's "Water for Elephants" is based. I had never heard of it until the movie got released. Now that I've seen it, I'm impressed. I interpreted it as a look at how a person tries to find his place after his initial goal fails, but also gets forced to do the right thing in desperate situations. Although Reese Witherspoon and Robert Pattinson are the main characters, Christoph Waltz is the one who sticks out in my mind. His August is one vile person, the type who would draw the ire of any animal welfare organization. But I suspect that these things happen a lot in circuses. Barnum and Bailey recently closed after 146 years in business. Probably best, knowing how animals get treated; after all, they aren't meant to be our entertainment.It's not a masterpiece, but still a good look at how the characters seek to find a healthy relationship in a cruel setting. I'd like to read the book.

one of films who impress. for the ordinaries sparkles - costumes, recreation of the air of past, young actors and an animal who becomes axis of a story from the circus universe. for the joy of justice. and for a sweet, dramatic, impossible love story. but, more important, for the science to preserve the spirit of novel, recreate a world who becomes inspired mix of the childhood memories, cruel challenges of life and the meet who change everything. America in crisis has a seductive portrait in this film about a long travel to the happiness. sure, it is a good state to discover Robert Pattinson escaping from the cage of Twilight series and doing more than a decent job. but the star is Christoph Waltz who gives great nuances to his August. so, see it !

Directed by Francis Lawrence, and adapted from a Sara Gruen novel of the same name, "Water for Elephants" stars Robert Pattinson as Jacob, a young man who joins a travelling circus at the height of the Great Depression. This circus is run by August Rosenbluth, played by the magnificent Christoph Waltz. Along the way our hero falls in love with Marlena (Reese Witherspoon), the circus' star attraction.Go in with low expectations, and "Elephants" is a fine film. Lawrence captures well the camaraderie of circus life, the cruelty of the times, and the giddy mix of magic and awe which such travelling road-shows oft imparted upon wide-eyed patrons. "Elephants" may collapse into clichés, and it may be bookended by overly saccharine sequences, but considering its genre, it does well. Outside of Fellini (who repeatedly used the "circus" as a metaphor for "life"), Tod Browning's "Freaks", Chaplin's "The Circus", the Marx brothers' "At the Circus" and Lynch's sappy "Elephant Man", there aren't many good films about life under the tents. With fine production design by Jack Fisk.8/10 – Worth one viewing. See "Elmer Gantry".