Cutting “Wild Things”  Some Slack

When I was a kid, I remember thoroughly enjoying a picture book called Where the Wild Things Are. Since growing up, I had forgotten, for the most part, all about Maurice Sendak and his wonderful little book. Until about 6 months ago when I heard that Spike Jonze, known for Charlie Kaufman movies and Bjork music videos, was set to direct an adaptation of the book. “Adaptation?” I said, as I’m sure you did. “How’s that going to work?” At first I was apprehensive over whether or not there was any way to make a real (let alone a good) movie out of a 48-page picture book. But seeing the movie in a packed theater opening night restored my confidence.

Max Records in Spike Jonze's "Where the Wild Things Are."

Spike Jonze began as a music video director. A music video director’s job is to take a song, and make a short film that perfectly fits the feel, the attitude of that song. That’s exactly what Jonze does in this film. He takes the feel of the book, and he makes a movie out of it. The look is the same, the tone is the same; it’s all there. The story is slightly more complex, coming from a longer, beefed up Where the Wild Things Are from celebrity author Dave Eggers. But the feel is the same; anyone who remembers the book will experience it all over again.

The film is set in two worlds – both equally beautiful. First there’s Max’s real-life home. Even though there’s some clear conflict (he fights with his sister, his single mother is trying to date new people) the place feels homely. Max has lots of fun, making a snow fort, chasing his dog down the stairs – being a kid. His play-world will ring true with boys of my generation, who remember when we had fun without video games. Max’s bedroom is beautifully imaginative, a safe place where we see foreshadowing of the other world. When he discovers the world of the Wild Things, we enter an equally imaginative place that’s as much fun to look at as it is to live. The art direction in this film is probably its best attribute. Both in the way the Wild Things are realized and the look of the place, it’s fascinating, exciting, and a little scary. Jonze and the studio made the right decision by sticking with a live-action version instead of going digital. We’ve seen so many Pixar movies now that they don’t look cool anymore. To take an almost surrealistic world and turn it into live action was a challenge, and the film certainly rose to the occasion.

In a film where both the plot and the dialogue were relatively simple, the acting is still stand-out good. The performance of Max Records as Max really can’t be credited enough for the quality of the film. If Max (the character) ever seems fake, intentionally precocious, or looks like he’s “acting,” the movie’s done. We stop being invested in it the moment we see its main character as a spoiled, rich Hollywood kid. But Max (the actor) is believable and lovable from moment one, and doesn’t let up – the kid does a great, great job. As does everyone else in the movie. The voice actors who play the Wild Things all expertly take simplistic dialogue and make it sound rich and tender. Catherine Keener’s performance as Max’s mom is so simple, and that final scene (with no dialogue, mind you) sums up everything the movie has to say to you.

The only complaint with the film is its length – because the plot is relatively simple (again, based on a 48-page picture book), there are moments where it seems to lose pace. When the momentum starts to sag, we get distracted, and there are a few moments in the film where we need to get on to the next bit, even if it means skimping on some character development.

In the time since the movie has been released, there’s been a fierce back-and-forth among critics and audiences. The biggest complaint being raised is that the film isn’t for kids. A lot of parents have complained that the film was too scary, or that their kids were bored, or that they just flat-out didn’t like it. Some audiences have actually been angry with critics for not specifying that the film isn’t for younger kids. There’s a contingency that wants kids’ movies to actually be just movies for kids, bothered by the trend in making a cartoon while still trying to keep parents engaged. And it may be true that Wild Things isn’t intended for children. When asked what he would say to parents worried the movie was too scary for kids, 81-year old Maurice Sendak responded “I would tell them to go to hell.”

Of course, at the same time, there are other accounts of parents who were bored of the film while their kids loved it. So the complaint that the movie absolutely isn’t for kids really isn’t fair. The only safe thing to say for sure is that some kids will like it, some kids won’t. Surprising how kids are like adults in that way, isn’t it?

The bigger question (from a pure “film” perspective) is whether or not it matters. Maurice Sendak himself sought out Spike Jonze to make this movie. Jonze and Sendak and Eggers all worked together to make a movie that captured the spirit of the book. That’s it. They weren’t thinking about what demographic they wanted, they weren’t thinking about who might like it – they just made a movie. And I think that’s much more admirable. Whenever you tailor a movie to a specific group, you compromise the artistic integrity. Why not make the movie, and let the audience sort itself out later? The marketing that took place after the movie was geared less toward the kids market anyway. Seventy percent of the media was spent targeting adult audiences. And by the numbers, a lot more adults showed up opening night than kids. All this is to say that yes, some kids will not like this movie.

But the filmmakers made the film they wanted to make, and the studios marketed that film as it was. Looking at the film outside the audience context, it’s great. If parents want to know whether a movie is right for their kids, it’s easy enough to find the trailer online, and get an idea for what it will be like. If there’s a risk, don’t take them – parents should know their kids well enough to know how they’ll respond.

So many films and filmmakers (especially within the indie movement) focus on regaining childhood. There’s a desire in the collective consciousness to return to the playful innocence of our younger years, and filmmakers are some of those leading the charge. This is a film that brings you back, especially if you were a wild little boy like me, who had this book read to him back in the eighties. It may be thin on story, but it’s not about what happens, it’s about how it makes you feel. Where the Wild Things Are is full of soulful moments that, if you’re paying attention, will pull hard on your heart strings.

Josh Long is a contributing writer for The Film Crusade.