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Water for Elephants

2011
Become a fan of its genres:
6.9/10

Release Date

15/04/2011

Popularity

🍅 Rotten Tomatoes
60%
🎬 Internet Movie Database
69%
Ⓜ️ Metacritic
52%

Life is the greatest show on earth

Charlie O'Brien owns the Circus Vargas. One day he comes across Jacob Jankowski, an elderly man who has wandered away from the residents of his nursing home and is aimlessly roaming around. Charlie tries to help him, and soon the two strike up a conversation. Jacob, played by Hal Holbrook, reveals that in his youth he had a career in the circus world and was present at one of the worst circus disasters in history. The film, directed by Francis Lawrence, alternates between the present and memories of those years, and in those flashbacks Jacob is played by Robert Pattinson alongside Reese Witherspoon and Christoph Waltz.

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Facts about Water for Elephants

Releases, age ratings, box office, post-credit scenes and more.

Post-credits sceneNone
Worldwide premiereApril 15, 2011
Runtime2 h
Original languageEnglish
Original titleWater for Elephants
CountryUnited States
Production companiesBig Screen Productions, Fox 2000 Pictures, Dune Entertainment
Budget$38.0M
Worldwide box office$117.1M
Box office in the U.S.$58.7M
Return on investmentx3.1 Box office hit
Based onWater for Elephants by Sara Gruen
Trailer views39K

More ratings

3.2/5Letterboxd72/100Trakt6.9/10Metacritic (público)3.0/4Roger Ebert

Awards for Water for Elephants

4total awards
13total nominations

Water for Elephants Cast

Robert Pattinson
Robert PattinsonJacob Jankowski
Reese Witherspoon
Reese WitherspoonMarlena Rosenbluth
Christoph Waltz
Christoph WaltzAugust Rosenbluth
Paul Schneider
Paul SchneiderCharlie
Jim Norton
Jim NortonCamel
Hal Holbrook
Hal HolbrookOld Jacob
Donna W. Scott
Donna W. ScottBarbara
Richard Brake
Richard BrakeGrady
Stephen Monroe Taylor
Stephen Monroe TaylorWade
Mark Povinelli
Mark PovinelliKinko / Walter
Ken Foree
Ken ForeeEarl
Scott MacDonald
Scott MacDonaldBlackie
James Frain
James FrainRosie's Caretaker
Sam Anderson
Sam AndersonMr. Hyde
John Aylward
John AylwardMr. Erwin
Brad Greenquist
Brad GreenquistMr. Robinson
Tim Guinee
Tim GuineeDiamond Joe
E.E. Bell
E.E. BellCecil the Barker
Kyle Jordan
Kyle JordanRuss
Aleksandra Kaniak
Aleksandra KaniakMrs. Jankowski
Ilia Volok
Ilia VolokMr. Jankowski
Bruce Gray
Bruce GrayProctor
Jim Jansen
Jim JansenDean Wilkins
James Keane
James KeaneChaplain
Ivo Nandi
Ivo NandiGrocer
Karynn Moore
Karynn MooreCatherine Hale
Andrew Connolly
Andrew ConnollyWeehawken Officer
Doug McDougal
Doug McDougalBig Top Band Leader
Tracy Phillips
Tracy PhillipsCoochie Girl (Nell)
Michelle LaVon
Michelle LaVonCoochie Girl
Rowan O'Hara
Rowan O'HaraStampede Girl
Uggie
UggieQueenie
Ice
IceSilver Star
Major
MajorRex
Chris Grabher
Chris GrabherClown
Tatum Etheridge
Tatum EtheridgeJacob's Daughter
Chris Blim
Chris BlimBig Top Band
William Morse
William MorseBig Top Band
Glen McDougal
Glen McDougalBig Top Band
Stefan Rollins
Stefan RollinsBig Top Band
Sita Acevedo
Sita AcevedoCircus Performer
Danny Castle
Danny CastleCircus Performer
Aloysia Gavre
Aloysia GavreCircus Performer
Chobi Gyorgy
Chobi GyorgyCircus Performer
Bianca Sapetto
Bianca SapettoCircus Performer
Katia Sereno
Katia SerenoCircus Performer
Vladimir Sizov
Vladimir SizovCircus Performer
Lee-Anne Telford
Lee-Anne TelfordCircus Performer
Sebastien Stella
Sebastien StellaCircus Performer
Dreya Weber
Dreya WeberCircus Performer
Russ Stark
Russ StarkCircus Performer
Molly O'Neill
Molly O'NeillShowgirl
Kacie Borrowman
Kacie BorrowmanShowgirl
Shannon Freyer
Shannon FreyerShowgirl
Kelsey McNamee
Kelsey McNameeShowgirl
Tara Ferguson
Tara FergusonShowgirl
Brad Potts
Brad PottsSideshow
Mary Newman
Mary NewmanSideshow
Jackie Zane
Jackie ZaneSideshow
Kacie Borrowman
Kacie BorrowmanSideshow
Robert Kestler
Robert KestlerCircus Roustabout
Julianna Piechoczek
Julianna PiechoczekFoxtrot Dancer (uncredited)
Ashley Palmer
Ashley PalmerFoxtrot Dancer (uncredited)
Melissa Johnston
Melissa JohnstonFoxtrot Dancer (uncredited)
Sarah Karijan
Sarah KarijanSpeakeasy Socialite (uncredited)
Rob Crites
Rob CritesSideshow
Jonathan Moore
Jonathan MooreSideshow
Larry Gómez
Larry GómezSideshow (as Gabriel Ramos-Gomez)
Aryiel Hartman
Aryiel HartmanCoochie Girl
Eddie Medrano
Eddie MedranoClown
Stephen Simon
Stephen SimonClown
Duff Dugan
Duff DuganBig Top Band
Joe Langer
Joe LangerBig Top Band
Evan Silverman
Evan SilvermanBig Top Band
Beresford Bennett
Beresford BennettSideshow Band
Johnny Britt
Johnny BrittSideshow Band
Garnett Brown
Garnett BrownSideshow Band
George Harper
George HarperSideshow Band
Todd Cochran
Todd CochranSpeakeasy Jazz Band
Keith Fiddmont
Keith FiddmontSpeakeasy Jazz Band
Karl Vincent
Karl VincentSpeakeasy Jazz Band
Bonzai
BonzaiHyena

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Cast of Water for Elephants by the numbers

48average cast age in years
11years of age gap between the leads
15%women in the cast
33%women in the crew

The youngest in the main cast: Robert Pattinson, age 24 at release. The oldest: Hal Holbrook, at 86.

Cast ages at release

Cast heights

Cast nationalities

United States 6United Kingdom 2Germany 1

Crew

  • AddressFrancis Lawrence
  • WritingRichard LaGravenese
  • Original novelSara Gruen
  • MusicJames Newton Howard
  • PhotographyRodrigo Prieto
  • EditingAlan Edward Bell
  • Production designJack Fisk
  • Costume designJacqueline West
  • CastingDenise Chamian
  • Visual effectsPaul Graff
  • ProductionGil Netter, Erwin Stoff, Andrew R. Tennenbaum

Trivia about Water for Elephants

Filming began on May 20, 2010 in Los Angeles, Piru, Fillmore, Chattanooga, Kensington, and Chickamauga, and wrapped on August 4, 2010.
Witherspoon and Pattinson had previously co-starred in a deleted Vanity Fair scene (2004), in which he played her estranged son.
The locomotive used in the circus train scenes was the McCloud Railway 18, which today runs tourist trains on the Virginia and Truckee Railroad.
The audience polled by CinemaScore gave it an average grade of "A−" on a scale from A+ to F, while Metacritic assigned it 52 out of 100 based on 35 critics.

Sources: Wikipedia (English)

What it's about Water for Elephants

based on novel or bookelephantclowngreat depressionelephant trainerveterinarygrandappreciativemelodramatic

What Water for Elephants is called in other countries

It was released in 29 countries, each in its own language.

  • SpainAgua para elefantes
  • FranceDe l'Eau pour les Éléphants
  • GermanyWasser fuer die Elefanten
  • ItalyCome l'acqua per gli elefanti
  • BrazilÁgua para Elefantes
  • PortugalÁgua aos Elefantes
  • Japan恋人たちのパレード
  • South Korea워터 포 엘리펀트
  • China大象的眼泪
  • RussiaВоды слонам!
  • BulgariaВода за слонове
  • CroatiaVoda za slonove
See the remaining 17 countries
  • CzechiaVoda pro slony
  • FinlandVettä elefanteille
  • Georgiaწყალი სპილოებისათვის
  • GreeceΝερό για ελέφαντες
  • Hong Kong情約奇藝坊
  • HungaryVizet az elefántnak
  • Israelמים לפילים
  • LatviaŪdens ziloņiem
  • LithuaniaVanduo drambliams
  • PolandWoda dla sloni
  • RomaniaApă pentru elefanți
  • SlovakiaVoda pre slony
  • Taiwan大象的眼淚
  • Thailandมายารัก ละครสัตว์
  • TurkeyAşkın Büyüsü
  • UkraineВоду слонам!
  • VietnamChuyện Tình Gánh Xiếc

Where it was filmed Water for Elephants

Filming

Filming locations

Source: Wikidata. Map: © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Water for Elephants Stats

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Popularity of Water for Elephants

18KWikipedia views (30 days)
▼ 20%compared to the previous month

Daily visits to their English Wikipedia article over the last 60 days.

Where to Watch Water for Elephants

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More info and links

Soundtrack from Water for Elephants

Original music by James Newton Howard

Water for Elephants (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
SoundtrackWater for Elephants (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)James Newton Howard · 2011 · 20 songs
SpotifyApple MusicDeezer

Songs

  1. 1
    Did I Miss It?
    1:53
  2. 2
    The Circus Sets Up
    2:32
  3. 3
    Circus Fantasy
    3:45
  4. 4
    Jacob Sees Marlena
    5:01
  5. 5
    Button Up Your Overcoat (Excerpt)
    0:32
  6. 6
    Prosze, Rosie, daj noge
    4:12
  7. 7
    Rosie
    3:25
  8. 8
    Speakeasy Kiss
    1:34
  9. 9
    I'm Confessin' (That I Love You)
    1:41
  10. 10
    Barabra's Tent
    1:18

30-second previews on Deezer and Apple Music.

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