Let the Wild Rumpus Start!
Posted on 18 October, 2009 | No Comments
By Erin Riley
Take a little boy named Max, seven large furry creatures resembling Muppets and a soundtrack that features howling. Mix all of these ingredients together and you get a modern version of “Where the Wild Things Are.”
“Where the Wild Things Are” is based on the 1963 children’s book by Maurice Sendak. It follows the adventures of a little boy named Max (Max Records). He is a terror because he doesn’t get the attention he wants from his older sister, Claire, or his mom. He dons a white wolf suit to let his “inner wild thing out.” Max chases his dog, destroys his sister’s room and declares to his mom, “Feed me woman!”
After biting his mom as a way of lashing out, he runs away to find an imaginary land inhabited by giant-like animal creatures he declares “the wild things.” He lies to these animals saying he is a king and he has magical powers. From this point Max gets intertwined with the problems involving the creatures named Ira (Forest Whitaker), KW (Lauren Ambrose), Douglas (Chris Cooper), Alexander (Paul Dano), The Bull (Michael Berry Jr), Carol (James Gandolfini) and Judith (Catherine O’Hara).
When I first heard Where the Wild Things Are was being made into a film, I was very hesitant about seeing it. I loved the book as a kid and it was the book fought over mos to read in the first grade of Meramec Heights. I was never a “wild thing” like Max, but I always dreamed of traveling and going off to another world. The book is very simple and straight forward: Max runs away, becomes king of the Wild Things and returns to his home.
The movie is so much more complex with adult themes running rampant that would go over most kids’ heads. For example, Carol, is the most sensitive creature. In the beginning of the film, we first meet him. He’s destroying his home because another wild thing named KW left. He was lashing out with violence just as Max had done to his mom. When he doesn’t like the way things are going, he resorts to violence. In one instance, he snaps off another creature’s arm. Other themes include, love, friendship, loneliness and responsibility. The largest message of the film involves lying. Max lies to the wild things to become king and have friends around him. Eventually, they all find out and their group falls apart.
Overall, I enjoyed and appreciated the film for what it is. I loved the music developed by Karen O, the lead singer of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. Her vocals enhanced the pace of the movie and her howling on the tracks is a treat. “Where the Wild Things Are” deal with a lot of hard themes even adults have a difficult time getting through. This film is not just about running away, but learning to deal with problems that occur in life. There are many different levels to each character thing brings the book to life. I would suggest seeing it! The wild things really freaked me out at first, but after getting to know their personalities, you can’t help but grow to love them.
Have you seen “Where the Wild Things Are”? What are your thoughts?
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