This Love Triangle Is Missing an Elephant

I haven’t read the novel Water for Elephants, but I do know that it was a huge bestseller. It is set in a Depression-era traveling circus and tells the story of Jacob, the young man who takes care of Rosie the performing elephant. Jacob falls deeply in love with the circus owner’s wife, Marlena, and things get complicated.

I also know, thanks to a little sleuthing, that the author of Elephants, Sarah Gruen, is a passionate lover of animals. All three of the books she’s written have been about them, and she donates generously to animal causes. Gruen sees an innocence and honesty in animals that she believes most humans lack, and believes that they can heal us in ways that nothing else can. She said in an interview after the book was published, “I would argue that Rosie the elephant is as much the love of Jacob’s life as Marlena is.” 

How disappointing, then, that in the movie version of Gruen’s book, written by Richard LaGravenese and directed by former music video director Francis Lawrence, Rosie has been shoved into the background. Much more important, it seems, are the beautiful dresses that Marlena (Reese Witherspoon) wears, the lush quarters she shares with her husband August (Christoph Waltz) and the sad, longing eyes of Jacob (Robert Pattinson) as he watches them both. Rosie never gets to show us any of the things that made Jacob fall in love with her in the book, and aside from being a live prop, she has very little to do. The films suffers from a case of style over substance, and it’s a shame, since there doesn't seem to be much story to tell.

Jacob slouches around and smiles occasionally while he pines for Marlena. Marlena is brittle and lacks even an ounce of sexiness, which makes believing that she’s the star attraction of a circus impossible. There is no discernible chemistry between Pattinson and Witherspoon, and both seem to have lost any acting range they might have once had. Even the impeccably talented Christoph Waltz seems lost in a story that never explains his anger management problems. By the time these three finally acknowledge their love triangle we should be on the edge of our seats, but we’re not invested enough in any of them to really care. I found myself wishing we could spend more time with Rosie, who at least has some real charisma and can balance on her trunk.

There are a few nice things about the film. Hal Holbrook makes a wonderful appearance that bookends the story, and visually speaking, the film is impeccable. Cinematographer Rodrigo Prieto’s colors are lush and full of heavy contrast, just the way you want the Depression to look in a big Hollywood movie. And though they aren’t enough to build a performance on, Witherspoon’s costumes, hair and make-up are beautiful. 

Two Patches out of five

Overheard in the Ladies Room:

“Wasn’t that a wonderful show?! I love that man who plays August.”

“He was in that other movie. I forget the title. He won an Oscar for it.”

“Yes, that’s right! Something about a bastard.”