Regardless of your initial expectations, odds are that Spike Jonze’s ‘Where the Wild Things Are’ will find a way to defy them.
Based on Maurice Sendak’s classic children’s book, ‘Where the Wild Things Are’ tells the story of a complicated young boy, Max, (played by newcomer Max Records) and his journey to a distant land inhabited by some endearing, if not somewhat frightening, creatures. Those expecting the movie to be a straight port of page to screen however will most likely be let down. This interpretation of Sendak’s work is as much about the spirit and energy of the original as opposed to its literal contents.
That being said, for anyone who was enamored with the vivid illustrations in the book, the on screen translation will not disappoint. From the harrowing boat ride to the island, to the amazing combination of costumes and CGI work used to bring the creatures to life, the visuals in this film are an act of mesmerizing nostalgia.
The story follows Max’s travels to the island after throwing a tantrum while his mother (Catherine Keener) has company over. In the awkward embarrassment from both Max and his mom, Max’s anger, confusion and shame drive him away. This leads him to discover a world of equally troubled ‘Wild Things’ that all have issues of their own. In some ways the film appeals to our nostalgia again by using our own memory of being a child, (and for some of us, our still active inner child), to remind us how hard it is to have so many emotions at once with no easy way to reconcile them.
One of the unique traits of the film is this recognition of Max’s complexity. So often films aimed at children, (or those about children aimed at adults), paint very obvious shades of a personality. Whether troubled, depressed, delusional, over-imaginative, or any other number of focused traits, these other films remove the audiences need to question a characters motives, and instead focus just on a path to resolution.
In Jonze’s world however, Max is let loose to experience and play with all of these traits at once. In the process, we see parts of Max in each of the ‘Wild Things’. But this deconstruction isn’t always obvious, which in turn makes for an exciting and surprising journey of discovery for the viewer. Some may be disappointed at the lack of finality to the journey, but it so effectively parallels the exciting, frightening, funny, and personal road that we travel in the real world that it still makes for a satisfying trip, regardless of your starting point.
-Gabe Garagliano
DiscSox Team Member