Where the Wild Things Are

Up for discussion in my very first post is Spike Jonze's adaptation of Maurice Sendak's classic children's book "Where the Wild Things Are". Starring Max Records as Max, Catherine Keener as Max's Mom, and with the voices of James Gandolfini, Lauren Ambrose, Catherine O'Hara, and Forrest Whitaker, this movie is a beautiful, unique exploration of a child's world.

The movie starts out with Max, a child of around 8 or 9, playing in the snow. He's built himself a fort and is imagining all sorts of adventures. We see over the next few scenes that Max feels helpless, out of control of his life, and unimportant in his family dynamic. His mother is overwhelmed trying to make ends meet, while simultaneously caring for her children and exploring a budding relationship with a new boyfriend. His adolescent sister is too busy living her own life of phone calls and social outings to pay much attention to a bratty little brother. His father is absent.

After a confrontation with his mother, young Max runs away. To where the Wild Things are. In this new environment, the Wild Things elect him to be their king. And just like that, Max goes from being the child in his own family to being the parent-figure to a bunch of Wild Things.

This movie really captures the loneliness and confusion that children of divorce often experience. Being a small child, with their family falling apart, and having no control over anything, these children often act out in seemingly random ways. They become "wild things", in essence.

It really hit home for me, particularly. Being both a child of divorce and the parent of children of divorce, I have the (maybe not so) unique perspective of both Max and his mother. I remember being small and not being able to understand exactly what was going on. Especially since my parents couldn't make up their minds if they wanted to be together or not. And I've also had to comfort either or both of my kids when their dad didn't pick them up as expected for his weekend.

Where the Wild Things Are is a good movie. The cinematography is amazing. The look of the Wild Things instantly evokes memories of curling up with the book as a child. The movie was very bittersweet and poignant. However, it is not a "children's movie". There was a little, but not much action or humor in it. It was essentially made for older children and adults who are fans of the book. It's emotionally engaging and taps into that nostalgia we often have for our childhood, be it good or bad.

So that's it. Let me know what you think - but be kind. It is my first blog.