Holiday in the Wild

"Take good care of my elephant."

"OUR elephant!"

Kate Conrad (Davis) is looking for a change.  Her son Luke (John Owen Lowe) is off to college and her husband Drew (Moss) moves out.  She was planning to surprise Drew with a trip to Africa to celebrate a 2nd honeymoon, but decides to go on the trip alone.

As she is preparing to change resorts, she meets pilot / tour guide Derek Hollistan (Rob Lowe).  Mid flight they take a detour to rescue a baby elephant.  Kate was trained as a veterinarian and wants to help.  She follows the elephant to the elephant sanctuary, where she offers her services.  She works alongside Jonathan (Mpela) in caring for the elephants, while growing closer to Derek.  As she falls in love with the elephants, her trip extends from a few weeks to a few months.  Can Africa give her a new sense of purpose?


This is a Netflix original film.  Netflix approached Kristin Davis to star in the film due to her efforts to raise awareness of conservation issues in Africa.  Davis produced a documentary about these issues in the 2014 documentary Gardeners of Eden.  They plan to release additional information about "The Making of Holiday in the Wild."

The Good:
The movie was mostly filmed in Africa.  The scenes with the elephants were filmed at Game Rangers International Elephant Orphanage in Zambia.  The elephants are the real stars here.  They did not use trained elephants, instead working with wild animals and body doubles.

The Bad:
The acting is ok, but not great.  The main focus is on the elephants and the efforts of the elephant sanctuaries / orphanages in Africa, so the story doesn't expect much from the cast.  They are fine, no weak links.  Some characters are one dimensional: Kate's New York friends and Leslie Van De Mere-Jones (who works for the foundation that is funding the elephant sanctuary), and could be condensed into a single, unlikable character.

Other Comments:
-Rob Lowe and Davis have good chemistry.  He is charming and she is passionate, and that works well here.
-Kate's son Luke is played by Lowe's son John Owen Lowe.
-Fezile Mpela was funny and endearing as Jonathan, and I want to watch him in other movies / TV shows.
-This isn't a Christmas classic, but I enjoyed the film.  It doesn't focus on Christmas, although it does take place over the Thanksgiving / Christmas / New Year's time frame.  It was an entertaining film that focused on the plight of orphaned baby elephants in Africa and the people that work to save them and return them to the wild.

Holiday in the Wild (2019) 86 minutes
Director: Ernie Barbarash
Starring: Kristin Davis as Kate Conrad
Rob Lowe as Derek Hollistan
Fezile Mpela as Jonathan
John Owen Lowe as Luke Conrad
Colin Moss as Drew Conrad
Hayley Owen as Leslie Van De Mere-Jones
Faniswa Yisa as Aliyah