Village Roadshow/Legendary/Warner Bros. Pictures

Written By:

Spike Jonze and Dave Eggers

Often thought to be unadaptable for the big screen, Maurice Sendak’s 1963 book,”Where The Wild Things Are”, is iconic children’s literature.  The book’s long-lasting appeal has caused film studios through the years to take on the challenge of adapting the 10 sentence, approximately 350-word book into a feature film.  Through the years, efforts were made to make a full-scale animated feature, but after years of dead ends and stalled projects, Sendak approached Academy Award nominated director, Spike Jonze, about turning his book into a live-action film.  To Sendak’s delight, Jonze signed on and Sendak finally found his director.  After a long and controversial shoot, which began in 2005, we now have the final product.

And what a mesmerizing and exhilarating final product this is.

From the very beginning, we meet 9-year old Max (Max Records, in a tremendously understated performance), who lives in a broken household.  His older sister has her own friends and largely ignores her brother.  His recently divorced mother (a terrific Catherine Keener) is doing the best she can, trying to rebuild the broken pieces of her life and family.  Left to his own devices, the world is an unfriendly and intimidating place for Max.  We need not be told how tough a time Max is having.  Jonze stages early moments in the film with an underlying sense of loneliness and frustration, even as we may be amused at how Max gets through his day.  An extremely intense and affecting argument with his mother leads to Max running away to a world where the Wild Things are.  Here, the film takes flight and delivers a powerful and emotional experience.

Despite the large majority of the film taking place in Max’s imaginary world, or kingdom, the film does not constantly deliver adventure and excitement; at least not as one would expect from a Disney or DreamWorks production.  Jonze and cinematographer Lance Acord have framed much of the world Max inhabits with his new friends as a dark and largely colorless place.  The woods are subdued in faded greens and dirty browns and everything appears to be covered in a layer of dirt.  Max quickly develops a bond with a seemingly kind and self-deprecating Wild Thing named Carol (James Gandolfini), and in a subtle moment, their discovery of an orange/red flower reminds them, and us as well, of the beauty which exists in the simplest of things.  There is ambiguity in what and perhaps, whom exactly the Wild Things represent.  Are they Max’s individual personality traits?  Are they Max’s perceptions of those closest to him who are either present, or no longer present, in his life?  Jonze and co-writer, Dave Eggers, opt to let you decide for yourself who these Wild Things really are.

With Sendak’s blessing, Jonze and Eggers have given names and identities to the Wild Things and devote just enough time to flesh out their personalities and character traits.  The voice work is across-the-board top notch, with James Gandolfini in the lead as Carol, Max’s closest friend, and an exceptional Lauren Ambrose as KW, a sad and depressed girl trying to figure out her place in the world.  Forest Whitaker and Catherine O’Hara play Judith and Ira, a bickering couple who provide a sweet and sour flavor to Max’s kingdom.  Sadly unwritten is Douglas the Bird, voiced elegantly by Chris Cooper, an Oscar winner from Jonze’s 2002 film, “Adaptation”.  Douglas provides a thoughtful and conscientious cornerstone for Max at the time when Max discovers that escalating tensions amongst the Wild Things threaten to undo his utopian kingdom.

Mention must be made of the music of Karen O, from indie rock band The Yeah Yeah Yeahs, as well as the beautiful score written by Carter Burwell.  Although it may be difficult to envision Karen O performing on the Oscar stage, both artists deserve to be recognized for their stunning work.

Many will wonder whether a film like this is truly meant for kids and frankly, it is a film that kids can watch, but is not necessarily made for them.  Jonze and Eggers take Sendak’s work and flesh out themes of abandonment, self-worth and identity, unconditional love, and for all of us, the sad realization that no matter how desperately we look for it, there is no such thing as a perfect place, a perfect person, or a perfect world.

Spike Jonze’s film may prove to be a polarizing one for audiences and as a filmmaker who runs from convention, “…Wild Things…” does not deliver the big studio/family film experience most will be expecting.  However, don’t underestimate the achievement; this is perhaps, Jonze’s most realized vision yet.

Yes, at times it’s a bit dark, gritty, and unpolished.  However “Where The Wild Things Are” is without a doubt a more emotionally affecting experience than I, or anyone I viewed the film with, ever could have anticipated.  Simply stated, “Where The Wild Things Are” is one of the best films of 2009.

Should I See It?

If you are a fan of Spike Jonze’s uncompromising and unique approach to filmmaking.

If you are a fan of the book, Sendak has fully embraced the film and Jonze’s interpretation.

The film offers the chance for adults to see the world through a young adolescent or “tween” mind and lays the groundwork for families to have discussions relating to its subject matter.

NO

If you are anticipating something lighter in tone and more in line with more traditional and digestible family entertainment.

As stated above, this is not a fast-paced, Disney-style adventure.  It is a deep, thought provoking film that has periods of minimal action and lots of dialogue.

If you have young children, this might bore them and there are a handful of intense moments, which might startle younger viewers.