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Where the Wild Things Are, a classic book by Maurice Sendak, has been made into a motion picture from director Spike Jonez and hits theaters on Friday, October 16.
The story is filled with elaborate images of one boy’s imagination. The main character, Max, was sent to bed without supper after behaving wildly (his mom actually calls him a “wild thing”). In dealing with his anger, Max turns his bedroom into a fantasy world filled with an ocean, an island, “wild things” and a boat that he sails on. When he gets to the island full of wild things, they realize that he is the wildest thing of all. He enjoys making a lot of rumpus, but soon misses being with people that he loves and people that love him back. He ends up sailing back to reality and finds supper waiting for him.
The movie is about hope, fear, adventure, and the “wild things” inside all of us. Young children who deal with anger can relate to Max. The characters in the film are similar to the ones that were created for the book. There are certain parts in the movie that mirror the images in the book. From Max’s outfit in the book, to the appearance and characteristics of the wild things, these details are just as elaborate as the images displayed in this classic story book.
Where the Wild Things Are is a film for children as well as adults. Everyone who has read the classic storybook at one time will enjoy this dark and emotional film about one little boy’s imagination and his experience in dealing with this anger.
October 2009
*Photo on magazine cover is courtesy of Flickr.com/allerleirau
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