Water for Elephants (2011) on Netflix
Veterinary student Jacob Jankowski loses his parents in Depression-era 1931, so he jumps a circus train. Ringmaster August hires him to tend the animals. August's wife Marlena rides the horses.
- Netflix3.8/5
- IMDb6.9/10124,665 votes
- Rotten Tomatoes60%
Trailer
Plot summary
On a rainy night after a circus performance, an elderly Jacob Jankowski is separated from his nursing home group, and the workers who take him in learn that he once traveled with the Benzini Bros. In 1931, Jacob is a veterinary student at Cornell when his parents die in a car accident and the bank forecloses on the family house. He jumps a passing circus train, and Camel, an employee, helps him find work. Once ringmaster August hears of his veterinary background, he puts Jacob in charge of the animals, among them a show horse Jacob thinks should be put down. August's wife Marlena rides the horses. August buys an Asian elephant, Rosie, and assigns Jacob to train her. Over dinner, Jacob sees August's possessiveness toward Marlena.
Cast
Did you know?!Facts and trivia about Water for Elephants (2011)
Can contain spoilers, watch the movie first.
- Controversy erupted over Tai, the elephant who played Rosie, after Animal Defenders International released 2011 video from 2005 allegedly showing her being shocked with handheld stun guns and beaten with bullhooks while in the care of Have Trunk Will Travel; the group asked the American Humane Association to re-evaluate how it assesses animal use in films.
- An American Humane Association spokesperson said the scenes of Rosie's abuse were created with special effects and CGI, and that the moaning and crying sounds she makes were audio tracks rather than sounds made by Tai, the elephant who played her.
