From HitFix:
Somewhat, but not all that surprising in third was “Water for Elephants.” The Robert Pattinson and Reese Witherspoon period romance found $7 million for what could be anywhere from a $16-20 million weekend. Pattinson’s last non-“Twilight” opening, “Remember Me,” dropped almost 20% from Friday to Saturday after his devotees rushed to theaters opening day. If the film is playing broader than Pattinson’s fans it could honestly surprise as pre-release polling predicted around a $15 million debut.
People will like this movie including grandmothers because beside from one scene with Christoph this really is a family movie you can go to.