MESSAGE IN THE MOVIES

Where The Wild Things Are Rated PG

Directed by Spike Jonze.  Starring Max Records, James Gandolfini.

Photo © Warner Brothers Pictures
Movie Review by Rev. Bruce Batchelor Glader

In 1963 Maurice Sendak’s picture book Where the Wild Things Are told the story about a little boy who, after misbehaving, was sent to his bedroom to imagine a world of monsters in which he was the king. 

Although the book was initially criticized for featuring a rebellious child, generations of children (and their parents) would return again and again to Sendak’s whimsical monsters and a world of escape from the everyday frustrations of growing up. 

Well, with Spike Jonze’s film of Where the Wild Things Are, the book has grown up, too.  In the process, once again, childhood is lost. 

The film opens with one of the most incredible, destructive, and disturbing temper tantrums ever as Max lashes out against his sister and his mother (it’s a single-parent family in which it is unclear whether Max’s mother is divorced or widowed). 

We spent about 20 minutes in Max’s real life world and then Max takes a boat ride to the land of the Wild Things.  These creatures are pretty amazing and initially fun to be around.  And then they start talking, complaining, and exhibiting jealousy, insecurity, and – well, just about everything Max is experiencing day-to-day. 

Rather than a day on the beach, Max has to deal with fear, joy, and confronting those emotions stirring inside a nine-year-old boy. 

Whew!  Are we having fun yet?  The advance word about this film is that it is “too dark for younger children”, but I’ll simply say that the movie is “boring for people of all ages”. 

About 30 minutes into the movie (that’s 10 minutes with the Wild Things) I figured out that we were going to see Max’s home life depicted in this parallel universe, note by note.  It’s a real shame, too, because the voice cast for the monsters is pretty good, and the creatures are awesome. 

My advice: Go to the toy store and purchase some of the stuffed animals (before they are sold out with the Christmas rush), buy a paperback copy of the book, and enjoy yourself.  And, if you must watch a film based on a children’s book, rent Horton Hears a Who.  They got it right that time.

Pitchfork Rating:
Two halos. (Wonderful-looking monsters and beautiful art direction for an imaginary land that – alas – is all too much like real life.)

One picthfork. (Scenes of a really bad temper tantrum; some selfish behavior in the land of the wild things.]

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