Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak is one of the greatest children's books ever written. The book is widely considered a classic and has been a part of many childhoods, including mine. Therefore, the film adaptation of this beloved book arrived with lofty expectations and had as many detractors as supporters. I finally had the opportunity to see this film and walked in hoping the film would not ruin my memories of the book. Known for his unique, and some would say quirky, filmmaking style, director Spike Jonze has directed some divisive films over the years, including Being John Malkovich and Adaptation. With Where the Wild Things Are, Jonze has constructed a powerful and moving adaptation that gets to the heart of the beloved book and truly encapsulates both the wonder and the terror of childhood.
The film stars newcomer Max Records as Max, the protagonist of the story. We meet Max as he is having a terrible day. His older sister ignores him and lets her friends treat him horribly and his single mom (played by the always-reliable Catherine Keener) does not have time to spend with him. Max acts like a spoiled brat during dinner one night and runs away from home. This is where the film’s fantasy sequences begin, with Max drifting away on a sailboat to a mysterious island, where the titular wild things live. At first, the Wild Things do not know what to do about him and declare that they are going to eat him. Max, being ever resourceful, however, uses his wild imagination and convinces them that they cannot eat him. They then decide to appoint him their king, and with that come great responsibilities. Such notables as James Gandolfini, Catherine O’Hara, Paul Dano, and Chris Cooper voice the Wild Things. Each actor imbues their respective Wild Thing with personality and humor. Indeed, each Wild Thing has a very unique personality and represents different aspects of childhood.
Although some may not like how slow the film moves, the pace drew me in, and I found it to be lyrical and fascinating. The score alone is fantastic and deserves some recognition. It strikes just the right tone and sets the mood for each scene perfectly. I think the film more than adequately captures everything both good and terrible about the nature of childhood. Max's reign as king does not prove to be as easy as he had hoped and indeed almost backfires on him. He learns that power comes at a great cost and that sometimes being king is not as great as it might appear. The Wild Things start to question his authority and why he has to be in charge.
Each Wild Thing has a very distinctive look and sound, and congratulations are in order to the puppeteers who made them look so realistic. They do not look cheap and indeed the craftsmanship involved is staggering. The design for island the Wild Things live on is wonderful and has a desert, beaches, forests, and even caves. It looks vast and expansive. Everything about this film is so well done and convincing. Max Records does an outstanding job in his debut feature. He perfectly encapsulates the character of Max and holds his own opposite a bunch of puppets. Spike Jonze has created a beautiful and haunting film about the beauty and the terror of childhood and all that it entails.
The film might seem slow and disjointed to some, but I believe that is intentional, as it represents the sometimes randomness and disjointedness of childhood. What we have here is one of the best movies I have seen about how being a kid can be glorious and tragic at the same time.
It is well worth seeing and is one of the best films of 2009. Grade: A+
