We Bought a Zoo

Benjamin Mee:
You know, sometimes all you need is twenty seconds of insane courage. Just literally twenty seconds of just embarrassing bravery. And I promise you, something great will come of it.

Duncan Mee:
I like the animals. I love the people.

Lily Miska:
[to Kelly during the opening of the zoo] If you had to choose between people and animals, who would you pick?

[Kelly doesn't answer]

Lily Miska:
Me, too. People!

Rosie Mee:
[as Walter Ferris is finalizing his inspection] You know, everybody here thinks you're a dick. I don't know what that means, but I don't think that.

Benjamin Mee:
You seem really calm.

Peter MacCready:
Ah.

Benjamin Mee:
Have you been drinking?

Peter MacCready:
All night long.

Benjamin Mee:
Thanks for that.

Peter MacCready:
Anytime.

Benjamin Mee:
Their happy is too loud.

[last lines]

Benjamin Mee:
Why would an amazing woman like you even talk to someone like me?

Katherine Mee:
Why not?

Benjamin Mee:
I want you to know, I think you're incredibly pretty. Please don't take offense if I don't hit on you.

Kelly Foster:
I'd be offended if you did.

Benjamin Mee:
Good.

Kelly Foster:
I'm a big fan of people being exactly who they are.

Benjamin Mee:
Exactly.

Kelly Foster:
So we think alike.

Benjamin Mee:
We do.

Kelly Foster:
And if I wanted to be kissed by you, you wouldn't have a choice.

Benjamin Mee:
Thank you. I think. I don't doubt that. What did we just say?

Kelly Foster:
I don't know.

Dylan Mee:
I get it now, okay? I get why you can't stand me!

Benjamin Mee:
Okay. All right.

Dylan Mee:
No. At least now I know the real reason why you hate me! Look, I heard you admit it to her! Like you were talking about cornflakes. You hate me! [rushes up the stairs]

Benjamin Mee:
I hate you? Wait second. [follows Dylan] Okay, we've had some problems, man, but we've figuring it out, okay?

Dylan Mee:
Oh, that is bullshit! Admit it! You wish I wasn't here! With that expression in my eyes? I heard you!

Benjamin Mee:
Hold on! Enough with the drama, all right? Knock it off! You misheard me!

Dylan Mee:
I can't stand it here! Look, can't you see that?

Benjamin Mee:
No, but thank you for telling me, again! I keep forgetting, it's all about you! [Dylan looks a little guilty] Why don't I just pack us up? We'll just go on the road together. We could be hobos.

Dylan Mee:
Because you wasted all our money! Some of that belonged to me, Dad!

Benjamin Mee:
I didn't waste our money. I thought you liked it here. And I'm sorry, I thought your friends would come out and visit you, man. I called them all myself and I invited them. And I'm sorry, I thought you and Lily were friends. I thought, I thought, I thought, I thought this was... I mean, I thought you liked me! I thought this was a dream come true for all of us.

Dylan Mee:
It's your dream! You can't force a dream on someone else, Dad!

Benjamin Mee:
Yes, I can, I can force a dream on you!

Dylan Mee:
Why are you yelling?

Benjamin Mee:
[exploding] Because it's a good dream! And it's got cool animals in it and some pretty great people, too! [Dylan is now on the verge of crying] And because I'm your father and I'm the only one you've got! And the line of people in this world who really care about you ends here! So stop moping around this place, man! And pick up a shovel and dig a hole! Do something! You just sit here and feel sorry for yourself, man! Help me with your sister! Help me, damn it!

Dylan Mee:
[now really crying] Help me, damn it! Help me! [Benjamin and Dylan finally stop the argument to look at each other. Benjamin sighs]

Benjamin Mee:
[calmer] I'm sorry that your mother got sick when she did. Believe me. I'm sorry that you didn't get more of a childhood, man. That's just how that one went. But we live here with a seven-year-old girl who still believes in the Easter Bunny. What are we gonna do?

Dylan Mee:
You never ask me how I'm doing. You never even taught me how to shave. [walks away into his room. Benjamin follows him]

Benjamin Mee:
[through the door] Wait, you wanna know how to shave? I would love to teach you how to shave! Let's shave!

Benjamin Mee:
What happened with you and Lily?

Dylan Mee:
I don't know. I guess I didn't listen to something she told me or something? I mean, I liked her. It's like you embarrass yourself if you say something, and you embarrass yourself if you don't. [Benjamin chuckles. Dylan smiles as well]

Benjamin Mee:
I like it when you talk. You know, sometimes all you need is 20 seconds of insane courage. Just, literally, 20 seconds of just embarrassing bravery. And I promise you, something great will come of it. [Dylan looks thoughtful, but doesn't say anything for a while]

Dylan Mee:
I never know what to say to you.

Benjamin Mee:
I'm the same way. Why don't we just tell each other what we wish the other guy would say?

Dylan Mee:
"I'm sorry I brought you out to the sticks."

Benjamin Mee:
"You're a great dad." [both Dylan and Benjamin laugh]

[Dylan sees letters that spells "If you love me, let me know" on the store window, and decides to run towards Lily's cabin]

Dylan Mee:
20 seconds of courage. 20 seconds of courage. Okay. Okay. [knocks on Lily's window. She squeals a disturbed noise, turns around and sees him. She walks to the window and opens it]

Lily Miska:
Hi.

Dylan Mee:
Hi. Look, am I nuts to say that I missed you like crazy a lot? A lot! [Lily shakes her head] I was... I wasn't named after Bob Dylan. I was named after a dog named Dylan.

Lily Miska:
[laughs] I don't really care. Who cares. Sorry about the rain.

Dylan Mee:
No, I love it. I love your hair, I love your sign, Lily, I love you. [Lily stops laughing the moment he says the word "you". They look at each other for a while, then smile before they move in for a hug through the window opening]

Peter MacCready:
[to a lion] You don't want me. I am filled with Scotch and bitterness and impure thoughts.

Dylan Mee:
It's like he was expelling me for my artwork.

Benjamin Mee:
I can live almost with the artwork. I mean, if Charles Manson needed a personal muralist, you'd be the guy.

Duncan Mee:
I said "human" interaction. This is what happens when people have a you-know-what occur in their lives. They wake up one day and they say, "I'm going to quit my job and try something completely different with my life." But then they wake up another day and they say to themselves, "Thank God my older brother didn't let my blow Dad's inheritance by buying a broken-down zoo in the country nine miles from the nearest Target store."

Benjamin Mee:
But maybe my older brother didn't see this place.

Rosie Mee:
[to Walter] Hey, mister. Everybody says your a dick. I don't know what that means, but I don't believe it.

[first lines]

Dylan Mee:
My dad is a writer who specialized in adventure.

Benjamin Mee:
This is Benjamin Mee. I am surrounded by hundreds, probably thousands of killer bees. If I wasn't wearing this suit, I would be dead in an instant.

Dylan Mee:
He interviewed dangerous dictators.

Hugo Chavez:
Take this message to that American cowboy. We already gave a 10 billion dollar oil credit to China. Swallow that, Mr. Danger!

Benjamin Mee:
What's your favorite movie?

Hugo Chavez:
Toy Story. [to his staff] The first one or the second one?

Segundo:
The second.

Dylan Mee:
He even flew into the center of Hurricane Charley.

Benjamin Mee:
[shouting over air noise] How far are we from the eye?

Pilot:
About two minutes. This hurricane, sir, Charley is really kneading us well, sir.

Benjamin Mee:
Tell me when it gets severe!

Dylan Mee:
He knew the ins and outs of strange and exotic adventure, backwards and forwards. But nothing prepared him for this one.

Benjamin Mee:
[loosing track of Rosie at the zoo] Oh God, I keep her home one day from school and she gets eaten!

Duncan Mee:
Travel the stages of grieving, and yet, stop just *before* zebras get involved.

Rosie Mee:
Dylan likes Lily.

Dylan Mee:
Please, she's way younger than me. She's 12. It doesn't work like that.

Rosie Mee:
She's about a foot taller.

Dylan Mee:
I guess I just can't talk to girls that well.

Kelly Foster:
Well, talking to girls is easy. They'll tell you everything. The secret to talking is listening

Duncan Mee:
You do somethin' for the right reasons, nothing can stop you.