Zookeeper 2011

Griffin Keyes is a Boston-based zookeeper whose life revolves around the animals at Franklin Park Zoo. He proposes to his girlfriend, Stephanie, only to be turned down—she says his career keeping the zoo’s creatures is the real reason for breaking his heart. Fast-forward five years, and Griffin has become the head zookeeper, deeply devoted to the animals in his care and the daily rhythm of zoo life. He still carries the sting of that rejection, but he remains steadfast in his work and his bond with the creatures who rely on him.

One evening, Griffin hosts an engagement party at the zoo for his brother Dave. He’s blindsided when he sees Stephanie among the guests, and Dave suggests a plan to win her back: join him at his car dealership’s sales floor and pose as the newly reenergized man she might fall for. Griffin wavers between nostalgia and responsibility, caught in a tangle of mixed emotions and loyalty to the animals who live and work with him.

That night, the zoo’s animals convene their own meeting, determined to help Griffin without defying their home. Jerome the brown bear proposes teaching Griffin their mating rituals to win Stephanie’s attention, while Joe the lion loudly protests the idea, noting that it would violate animal code to reach out to humans. Donald the monkey urges a subtler approach: make Griffin look like a heroic, desirable partner. The plan hangs in the air until the next day, when Donald releases Joe to confront Stephanie and Dave’s fiancée Robin. Yet Griffin bungles the first attempt by not leaping into a lion enclosure; Joe ends up captured by Kate, the zoo’s veterinarian. Joe’s frustrated roar prompts Griffin to believe he’s losing his mind, and panic overtakes him as he screams and runs away, pursued by Donald’s scheming, yet the animals press on with a new resolve.

Griffin spends another day watching Joe, hoping to catch the lion in the act of talking, but nothing materializes. When Griffin feeds Barry, Joe approaches and asks to talk, only to be knocked unconscious in a chaotic attempt to escape. That night, the animals reveal themselves to Griffin, breaking their code of silence to declare that they will teach him how to win Stephanie back—an education in their own unique rituals that culminates in a humiliating showcase at a party for Griffin and the zoo’s staff and guests.

A turning point arrives with Bernie, a forlorn Western lowland gorilla who has spent years behind a reinforced enclosure after a troubling incident with a zookeeper named Shane. Bernie’s tale of mistreatment and a lie that closed his enclosure—Shane’s false claim that Bernie attacked him—helps Griffin feel a human empathy he hadn’t fully allowed himself before. Bernie’s pain mirrors Griffin’s own longing for authenticity, and Griffin decides to help Bernie by taking him out on the town, disguising him as a man in a costume so they can bond away from the zoo. The two form a genuine friendship as they share moments of companionship and trust.

Griffin soon discovers that Stephanie is dating another ex, a bully named Gale. After a cycling showdown with Gale ends in defeat, Joe’s mate Janet tells Griffin a simple truth: a display with another woman can draw a potential partner’s attention. Seizing the opportunity, Griffin asks Kate to accompany him to Dave and Robin’s wedding. The plan works—Griffin impresses Stephanie by pairing with Kate and then stands up to Gale. Stephanie invites him to dinner, and a fashion show outing becomes a catalyst for change. She convinces Griffin to quit his zoo job because she believes it holds him back. Reluctantly, Griffin takes Dave’s offer to work at the car dealership, and Kate grows increasingly concerned that Stephanie is shaping Griffin into someone he isn’t. Bernie also warns that quitting the zoo could signal a loss of faith in humanity, and Griffin leaves with a heavy sense of doubt about his path. Before departing, he warns Shane to stay away from Bernie, and Kate ultimately leaves the zoo to pursue a new life in Nairobi.

At the dealership, Griffin excels and becomes a star employee, yet the longing for the zoo and its animals never leaves him. When Stephanie unexpectedly proposes, Griffin refuses without hesitation, recognizing that her love was conditional and not grounded in who he truly is. He returns to the zoo to reconnect with Bernie, who has suffered a beating at Shane’s hands. The animals inform Griffin that Kate is heading toward the airport, and he races to intervene. He first goes to Shane’s house to defend Bernie, and with Bernie’s help, he tracks Kate to a bridge where he finally admits he was wrong to try changing himself to win love. He confesses his true feelings for Kate, and they share a kiss.

Six months later, Griffin and Kate are happily together, rebuilding their relationship at the zoo. Bernie, too, finds a new sense of peace in a refreshed enclosure that offers him a splendid view of the city. The story closes on Griffin’s renewed sense of belonging—with the animals who helped him find his way, with Bernie’s resilience, and with Kate by his side—an enduring reminder that the best love is the one that accepts you as you are.