Where the Wild Things Are
Posted by Gary Sundt on October 20, 2009
Max (Max Records) and KW (Lauren Ambrose) look at each other in Where the Wild Things Are.
Where the Wild Things Are is nothing short of a visual and narrative masterpiece. The film is ostensibly designed for children, but the central story — when mined just beneath the surface — is a rich and complex tale better suited for adults. And why shouldn’t there be a children’s movie for grown-ups? Most people can admit they have a lot of lessons still to learn, and even some basic teachings that could use a refresher.
The film is directed and co-written by Spike Jonze and is based on the nine-sentence children’s book by Maurice Sendak. The story is about young Max, who, after being sent to bed without supper by his mother, uses his elaborate imagination to travel by sea to the island where the Wild Things are. The creatures are giant furry beasts (with features similar to bears, goats, birds and whatever else a child’s mind would choose to throw in), and they quickly declare Max their king.
Stating the source is only nine sentences long is to also suggest with some certainty that the story is very short, and hardly warrants a feature length film treatment. But the script by Jonze and Dave Eggers digs deeper than the original premise and unearths a wonderfully sweet, yet utterly heartbreaking film.
Consider Max (Max Records), who has been developed into a fully realized depiction of childhood: the irrational anger toward adults and their mistakes; the robust talk in the face of adversity; to be laughing one moment over something small, and in tears the next over something just as minute; etc. He finds little solace in his single mother (Catherine Keener), who is too busy with work, and his teenage sister (Pepita Emmerichs), who is too busy with being a teenager.
And what about the Wild Things themselves? Sendack’s art made them monstrous indeed, too scary for kids in some cases, and the live action delineations are not far from the original source. These creatures were and are drawn as mere extensions of Max’s conflicted personality. While the characterization in the book is mostly limited to a “monster walk,” the film develops the Wild Things into fully-fledged representations of Max’s complex cinematic identity, and they individually present the boy with unique challenges as their leader.
The Wild Things are as follows: Carol (James Gandolfini), Max’s favorite and the self-proclaimed leader; Judith (Catherine O’Hara), the know-it-all; Alexander (Paul Dano), the short and ignored Wild Thing; the pleasant Ira (Forest Whitaker); the obedient Douglas (Chris Cooper); and the loving and reasonable KW (Lauren Ambrose). Jonze and Co. have utilized a perfect combination of practical and computer-generated special effects, and the monsters and their environment feel as tangible as any creation in cinema history.
There is a tremendous amount of symbolism in Where the Wild Things Are, and there might be a deeper understanding of basic human nature than general audiences are used to from a “children’s film.” One of the film’s strengths is the careful detail taken to analyze simple events in the human experience. While this focus on simplicity may polarize and confuse audiences, I think it injects into the piece one of the more honest stories ever in a big-budget Hollywood release.
I said at the start this was a film better suited for adults, and perhaps that’s true. But speaking as an adult, Where the Wild Things Are brought out the kid in me, and by that I mean all the joys, sorrows, triumphs and defeats that go with that mindset. I rarely become completely immersed in a film the way I was absorbed by Max and his Wild Things, and I think anybody willing to go the distance for a little adventure might feel the same way.
Rating: 5 stars
Directed by Spike Jonze. Written by Jonze and Dave Eggers. Starring Max Records, Catherine Keener and James Gandolfini. Running time: 101 minutes. Rated PG.
