History Literature / WaterForElephants

The book is also set to have another adaptation in the form of a Broadway musical, which will begin previews in February of 2024.

* ExplainExplainOhCrap: after [[spoiler: Walter and Camel]]. are thrown off the train, Jacob is at first panicked, then recalls the train wasn't moving very fast, starts to relax and is confident that he'll be able to backtrack and find them, using the trestle they'd passed by around that times a reference point for where to look, then he freezes, as he correctly begins to worry that they were thrown off as the train passed over that trestle.

* AdaptationalKarma: Blackie, the thug whose in charge of throwing people off the train, is a case of WhatHappenedToTheMouse in the book, but in the film, during the climax he's ambushed by some of Jacob's friends, who are last seen preparing to inflict either a NoHoldsBarredBeatdown or KilledOffscreen on him.

* AmbiguousDisorder: In the movie, [[spoiler: August's violence]] is interpreted as him being a heavy MoodSwinger and he can't seem to control his HairTriggerTemper; someone even wonders to Jacob why [[spoiler: August bothers training animals if he can't stop himself from beating them.]] While the other workers call him [[InsaneEqualsViolent a "paranoid schizophrenic,"]] the setting's time period mostly likely means that ''something'' is wrong with him, but people just don't know what it is.

* AluminumChristmasTrees: Inverted, in a way. With all the booze that seems to flow freely throughout the story, you completely forget that this was set during the Prohibition era ([[spoiler:right up until the police show up and raid the party at the speakeasy.]])

* RantInducingSlight: Older Jacob throws a fit when another retiree claims to have worked in a circus and carried [[TitleDrop water for elephants]].

** In the retirement home, one of the other retirees begins to gather all sorts of attention and adoration for himself by telling everyone that he used to work in a circus, carrying water for elephants. This [[RantInducingSlight pisses Jacob off]], partially because ''he'' worked for the circus in his younger years, and knows that elephants drink far too much water to make carrying it by hand practical.

* LaserGuidedKarma: The circus workers that were "red-lighted" (aka getting thrown off a moving train as punishment or as severance from the circus to avoid paying wages) eventually come back and cause the climactic circus disaster by releasing all the animals, and being a scattered group effort, [[KarmaUdini none of the perpetrators get caught]].

* AlliterativeName: Jacob Jankowski.

* TheDogBitesBack: [[spoiler:Rosie kills August by striking him with the stake used to tie her, just as he's about to strangle Marlena to death.]]

* KickTheDog: Or the elephant. The big indication that [[spoiler: August]] is a bad guy despite frequently acting nice, is that he abuses the animals. [[spoiler:And Marlena.]] Also, Uncle Al and Walter postponing feeding and watering animals they want to buy in hopes of getting a lower price.

* SurprisePregnancy: [[spoiler:Jacob and Marlena end up becoming 'secret lovers.']] While there is a huge amount of conflict due to the fact that [[spoiler: Marlena is married and her husband is jealous and violent, the book doesnt ignore the fact that they engage in unprotected sex several times and Marlena becomes pregnant because of this]]

* CompositeCharacter: In TheMovie, the qualities of 'Uncle Al' the ringmaster are instead given to August, who is the ringmaster in the movie adaptation.

When 23-year-old Jacob Jankowski's parents are [[DeceasedParentsAreTheBest killed in a car crash]] a week before he completes veterinary school at Cornell University, he finds himself left with nothing after he fails to reclaim his parents' property. [[HeroicBSOD In a moment of impulse]], he skips out on his exams, runs out of town, and jumps on a train, unaware that it is the train of the Benzini Brothers Most Spectacular Show on Earth circus. He soon makes a deal with circus owner and ringmaster Uncle Al to stay with the circus in exchange for becoming the circus veterinarian. Along the way he gets to know August, -- a [[TheCharmer charming]], but [[AxCrazy sometimes violent]] animal trainer -- his wife, Marlena, -- the star of the equestrian act whom Jacob falls in love with -- and several other workers and performers. However, once the show acquires an elephant named Rosie, a complicated series of events occurs where Jacob soon learns of the circus' darker side, and struggles to find a way to leave the show without bringing harm and danger to himself or his new friends.

* AmbiguousDisorder: In the movie, [[spoiler: August's violence]] is interpreted as him being a heavy MoodSwinger and he can't seem to control his [[BerserkButton boiling rage;]] someone even wonders to Jacob why [[spoiler: August bothers training animals if he can't stop himself from beating them.]] While the other workers call him [[InsaneEqualsViolent a "paranoid schizophrenic,"]] the setting's time period mostly likely means that ''something'' is wrong with him, but people just don't know what it is.