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Let the Wild Rumpus start!
Spike Jonze's adaptation of the classic 'Where the Wild Things Are' soar
The Advocate
“Where the Wild Things Are” by Maurice Sendak consisted of 10 sentences, but as a child, I read these 10 sentences so many times I lost count.
Since it was published in 1963, the book has been made into two animated short films and even an opera. The most recent adaptation, however, now comes to us in the form of Spike Jonze’s live action film, released Oct. 16 and still in theaters.
When I first heard of the film’s impending release, I didn’t really know what to think. When Hollywood is confronted with adapting a children’s book, viewers can often leave the theater gagging from an overdose of artificial sweetness and cheap morals, or wondering if the director or screenwriter even read the original material.
But Jonze, with help from his co-writer Dave Eggers, doesn’t let us down.
Before seeing this film, I recommend reading the book again. This goes for parents, children, grandparents, teenagers, movie theater ushers, projectionists and everyone else who might wander into the movie theater.
Because the book is pretty dark.
Max is a child protagonist like no other. A “Wild Thing,” according to his mother, Max has his share of heavy emotions, including anger. Sent to bed without supper, Max travels to a distant island to explore his wild side and tame his fellow “Wild Things.” The book isn’t without mention of “terrible teeth” and “terrible roars,” and a lonely boy who just wants to go home.
With that in mind, the movie doesn’t miss the mark.
From the beginning, Jonze’s adaptation of “Where the Wild Things Are” doesn’t hold back, diving right into the story. Max (played by Max Records) is a typical young boy growing up in Any Suburb, U.S.A. All he wants is his mother’s attention and his older sister to admire the igloo he carefully constructed. While Jonze doesn’t dwell on these small instances of neglect, the film suggests that Max might spend more quality time with his imagination than his family.
Dealing with a sister more interested in hanging out with her friends, a busy, single-but-dating mom and a slew of overwhelming emotions, Max runs away to a park after a dramatic fight with his mother. Beautifully done, the park becomes more and more wooded and unruly until Max is at last where the wild things are.
And then it is as if the book has come to life. The wild things, created by Jim Henson Creature Shop, are so real and natural. Instead of many variations of the same wild thing (like the oompa-loompas of “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory”), viewers are able to visualize each wild thing as someone special and distinct.
The dialogue of the film enriches the experience with each wild thing having its own unique personality and depth. While Sendak treats the wild things as a single entity, Jonze and Eggers do something completely unexpected. Throughout the film, the wild things represent various aspects of Max’s life and subconscious in a way that is purely Freudian. In this, the film is by far superior to the book. Viewers see a wide-eyed Max delivering advice in a way only a child can: with brutal honesty.
In fact, the entire film is so honest it might be discomforting for some viewers, especially those expecting a light-hearted experience. As the wild things are more or less the only special effects in the film, “Where the Wild Things Are” is able to explore emotions such as rage, anger, loneliness, disappointment and sadness without a fine, Hollywood gloss.
These are also emotions that are kept as far as possible from the average children’s movie, which is what most viewers are expecting. While the film is rated PG, it is more deserving of a PG-13 rating. I was expecting some actions in the book would gain a level of intensity from being acted out. Viewers should note that an illustration of a temper tantrum looks and feels much different than seeing a child act one out on the screen.
However, while as a child I don’t remember feeling particularly terrified or worried that the wild things might actually eat Max, the film is another story. Toward the end, as the famed “wild rumpus” nears its end, it seems anything might happen and the consumption of our protagonist seems entirely possible. And though I’m well over the age of 10, I can only imagine how a 4-year-old might feel in a dark theater confronted with an even darker theme. That might serve as a warning for parents of younger children. While they might be ready for the book, it might be wise to hold off on letting the nursery set view this film.
While moments of darkness are constant through the film, what makes it a five-star classic are the touching scenes that are just as prevalent. Though the final scene has little to no dialogue, it will warm the hearts of viewers as the actors are just that good. The moments between Catherine Keener, as Max’s mother, and Records as Max are so real, one would think Jonze had filmed an actual family. Even at the age of 12, Records has such a presence on film that he literally becomes the character of Max.
Though the book went from 10 sentences to an hour and half film, the expansion doesn’t feel forced. If Sendak had expanded his book into something more lengthy, I can’t help but feel this is the direction he would have taken. Jonze’s film can be loved by anyone who has ever felt as if they don’t belong. The film’s slogan of “There’s one in all of us,” couldn’t be more true. Jonze manages to touch on emotions and themes that will be recognized by anyone ages 10 to 92 and beyond. We all get out of control sometimes, we all have our wild side, but we can always apologize and come back home to the hot soup that awaits us. Remember: When it comes to the wild things, as the film’s slogan says, “There’s one in all of us.”
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