Movies based on acclaimed books are usually pretty good, often generating Oscar buzz months before their release. Unfortunately, “Water for Elephants” is not one of those movies. The movie, based on the novel by Sara Gruen, isn’t all bad by any means, but it doesn’t dazzle either.

There’s a six-foot tall cardboard cut-out of Edward Cullen in my younger sister’s bedroom. It wobbles when she hugs it. She wraps her arms around his shoulders, and one of her hands scrapes his unfinished back. My mom smiles at me from behind the flashing camera, and I turn away. “Vampires are in now,” my sister informs me. I have to wonder when wizards became “out.

Though he may be renowned for turning hordes of squealing teenage girls to a slobbery mess with one single, angst-ridden stare, Robert Pattinson is just like any other bumbling teenager. However, with his portrayal of Edward Cullen, the hero of the “Twilight” trilogy, his normal life is sure to change.