Where the Wild Things Aren't

It's hard to not get excited about a film that had one of the top five best trailers of all time. So my expectations going into Where The Wild Things Are (2009) where needless to say were very high. I wanted nostalgia to pour over me in the theatre, I wanted to feel like a child again, I wanted to go to where the wild things were. That didn't necessarily happen, but Spike Jonze had something else in store for me, something that reminded me that childhood is not all warm nostalgic feelings, but there were also times of loneliness and struggle.

The only skepticism that I had coming into this film was from the many rumors I had heard about the delays, and reshoots that this film suffered. Those didn't seem to be an issue and I hope the final product is something the director is pleased with and it carried out his original vision. And it was only his vision that was at stake but also the author Maurice Sendak who helped produce the film. I have a feeling that Sendak must be pleased because Where The Wild Things Are not only made a 5-10 page book into a feature length film but kept the spirit of the book, the essence that made it such a classic.

This film is not only about the innocence of a child but also about the anger and the rage a child can have. Max's parents are divorced and his mother played by Catherine Keener is dating a new guy (played unnecessarily by Mark Ruffalo). Despite these heavy topics Jonze steers away from cliches and concentrates on the essences of the emotions, something all children have. To escape Max makes up an imaginary land, with imaginary beast, that like him are at once ferocious and kind. All the wild things are different parts of Max's psyche, from the understanding to the outright angry. They serve the purpose to expose Max to his own strength and weakness's, and by the time he leaves them, he is more the wiser.

There are 4 categories in which I would like to see Where the Wild Things Are nominated when it comes Oscar time. The first being Jonze's cerebral direction, and his ability to take the spirit of children's novel and turn it into a full movie without it dragging. The second being Max Records as best actor. Children tend to get nominated for playing more mature characters than there age dictates, (Tatum O'neal, Abigail Breslin) but here Max does an outstanding job of conveying complex emotions of a child his age. Jonze should be ever so grateful he found this kid. The third is with Lance Acord's amazing cinematography and his ability to create a totally imaginary world out of our own. The fourth is a best supporting actor nomination for James Gandolfini as the voice of Carol, the often misunderstood wild thing. Gandolfini brings an emotion and a complexity that outwardly shows Max's struggle.

The question of if children should see this movie has come up a bunch. The answer is yes they should, they can handle and understand more than we like to acknowledge and Where The Wild Things Are provides it to them in just the right way.

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