** This Blu-Ray is factory sealed and unopened.**

Sara Gruen's bestselling novel comes to glossy life in this period romance. A
sparkle-free Robert Pattinson plays Jacob Jankowski, who studies veterinary
medicine during the Great Depression. After a family tragedy, he loses
everything, including the chance to graduate from prestigious Cornell, so he
hops a train, where he finds himself part of the struggling Benzini Brothers
Circus. Ringleader August (Christoph Waltz, echoing his Oscar-winning
Inglourious Basterds performance) has doubts about the softhearted lad,
but a fellow Pole smoothes the way, and Jacob becomes the company vet, which
leads him to platinum-blond equestrian Marlena (Reese Witherspoon), August's
wife. The two make eyes at each other, but an affair would surely end badly, so
they concentrate on their work. When Marlena's prize steed falls ill, August
purchases an elephant, hoping Rosie will turn their fortunes around, and enlists
Jacob to train her. Unfortunately, she's slow to respond to commands until
Jankowski unlocks her secret--and after August has beaten the poor thing into
submission. After that, things start to look up until Jacob steals a kiss from
his dream girl. As in The Notebook, the film it most closely resembles,
an elderly version of the central character (Hal Holbrook, touching) narrates in
the present day (screenwriter Richard LaGravenese also adapted The Bridges of
Madison County). He tells an interesting tale, so it's too bad the leads
strike so few sparks. For those who find big-top classics like Nightmare
Alley too dark, however, Francis Lawrence's feel-better variant may be just
the ticket. --Kathleen C. Fennessy

Disc 1: Theatrical Feature
Blu-ray
Robert Pattinson Spotlight
Raising the Tent
The Star
Attraction
Feature Performer Reese Witherspoon
The Traveling Show - Page to Screen
Working Without a Net: The Visual Effects of Water for
Elephants
Secrets of the Big Top
Audio Commentary with Director Francis
Lawrence and Writer Richard LaGravenese

Disc 2: Digital Copy