Where The Wild Things Are

For two years I've sat baited with the anticipation for one my favourite childhood stories to come to life on the big screen. For a while there was a fear that Spike Jonze's adaptation of the Maurice Sendak story would not get a release; early test screenings revealed that the visuals were too scary for children and enough parents complained that the studio pulled the $75 million dollar project, ordering Spike to start from scratch. Not only was there a concern of the whole thing being left to collect dust on a shelf, but there was also worry that a sacrifice would be made to the quality of work put in. Could director and writer actually produce something true enough to the imagination behind the original 1963 children's book, while at the same time appeal to the producers backing the film? After finally getting my chance to put this anticipation to rest I can say, with all confidence, yes.

Far be it from me to critique a film, I have not studied the art and I couldn't tell you the first thing about the labours which go in to a movie of this scale and caliber. Lack of expertise aside, what I can tell you is how the images, emotions and story on screen affected me. I can also tell you that as a person who refuses to abandon their inner child, imagination and longing for innocence and adventure, I immediately rushed back to the days of my mother reading me this curious story as a child; the strange and scary, yet mesmerizing pictures, and the oddly comforting effect those words and images had on me so many years ago. As such, there seemed no better person to see this tale come to life with than that same person who encouraged my childhood playfulness and creativity, and gauging her response to the picture, it seems my mother had the same joy of revisiting the plot and wild imagination of being a kid that I did.

I'm going to use the word "unfortunately" here because of how much I cherish this book, but certainly without judgement for this fact, it seems a lot of people I talk to have not heard of this story, and so for those of you new to it, a brief summation, without ruining the movie, I promise. At its core, this is the tale of a young boy by the name of Max. He is a child of ambition and a slowly fading youth, whose imagination he refuses to leave behind. Through a series of mischievous events, this imagination quickly finds him grounded in his room without dinner, a fate which only sparks his desire to get away from home. Through the power of his creative mind, he escapes his room and sails away to an island inhabited by giant creatures, The Wild Things. Shortly after arriving on this island and befriending the creatures, he is crowned their king and fantastic adventures ensue; which is where I will stop, lest I give away the ending.

I can't tell you that as a child I understood the multi-layered morals and lessons embedded within the pages Sendak's work, but I do distinctly remember not needing to be afraid of those things, those wild things, which are vastly different than me, and that my imagination could not only take me anywhere I wanted to go, it could also help me to understand situations a little better. As an adult, this imagination is somewhat more limited, confined by the realities of facing responsibility and the limitations of travel thanks to constant increases in gas prices, but that shouldn't mean I can't still explore that creative side of my brain and have fun with life at the same time. Being the extremely proud uncle that I am, nothing excites me more than the wonder and curiosity that appears in the eyes of my nieces, and I can't wait until they are able to explore and describe their own worlds, with their own stories, before growing up to the realities of what we have created for ourselves; and such is the conflict growing inside of Max.

In the movie we are painted a more detailed picture of the world in which Max lives everyday, just on the edge of childhood innocence and facing actually having to grow up. His teachers, his family, his peers on all sides, all seem beyond him in years and are trying to make him understand that all things eventually come to an end, a harsh and horrible reality to face for any individual, and so he seeks solace within his mind and searches for answers to who he is about to become. The story, while more detailed, plays out much the same way as the book, but where those meanings were beyond me as a child, they are so present and touching as an adult. I understand now just what the wild things are; that a child's imagination is not so far outside the real world that it can't be related back to those events happening in our everyday. I felt moved on more than one occasion, and at one point actually felt a tear well up inside me, thankful for the love that exists in my life.

For those who are familiar with the book, and perhaps a little scared of what has been done to this story, fear not. Maurice Sendak worked in partnership with Spike Jonze during production of this movie, so you can be assured that the same quality of story is present. As a tidbit of advice, however, and if I can be so bold, I would recommend that you go into this movie with the same outlook as that child still lingering within you. The dialogue is spoken in the only way it can make sense, and the story pushes forward much the same: through the eyes of a child. And although it is meant as a child's view of the world, some viewers have already claimed that this movie is too scary and not intended for children, but as I heard the young ones sitting behind me carry on with excitement about the Wild Things and their adventures, it is clear that the only fear is coming from the parents. On this note I give incredible praise to the director for making this a movie which doesn't take for granted the intelligence of youth. As parents and uncles and aunts and guardians of our loved, we instinctively want to shield the eyes and ears of our little ones from things which can cause nightmares and fear; and while I am no different from this crowd, I will at the same time, state that I respect the demographic enough to let them have their fun. True, a few scenes may startle, but that's what the imagination does, it sparks emotions and helps us grow; and as it did in me, in Max this imagination brings him to face all of those important things inside of him; things that parents, in all their infinite wisdom and experience, just don't understand, or better yet, seem to have forgotten.

Beautifully told, exquisitely presented, with a perfectly in tune soundtrack provided by Karen O (of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs) and creature effects provided by the Jim Henson company, this movie stands remarkably true to the original, while expanding on its mysticism at the same time. It has brought me back to a time I hold so dear to my heart and a time I look forward to sharing with kids of my own someday. Watch it with a loved one of any age, watch it with innocence, watch it twice, and don't' shut out the imagination behind every scene. Remember what it was like to be a child seeing the world through growing eyes, the wonderment in every event and how those events shaped you to become the person you are today. Lose yourself in the fun of being a wild thing, as the tag line states, "There's one in all of us"

-Phil