ìWhere the Wild Things Are” tells the story of Maurice Sendakís popular childrenís book by the same title. The movie takes the message of the book a step further exploring Maxís feelings of rejection and his subsequent rebellion against society.
One cannot help but have empathy for Max, whose father we believe has died and whose sister, Claire, treats him with disrespect. Maxís rebellious phase is characteristic of anxiety over social change as the events are sparked by his mother beginning to date other men.
Max metaphorically journeys to the land of the Wild Things where he encounters facets of his own character in a land that he is to rule. It is only appropriate that the first Wild Thing we first encounter is Carol voiced by James Gandolfini. Gandolfiniís character rebels against the society in which he lives because he is not content with the dissolution of his friendship with his monster friend CW voiced by Lauren Ambrose. We are probably to understand this as the tension in the relationship between Max and his sister Claire.
Wanting to bring order back to the world of the Wild Things, Carol is willing to place Max in the position of king. In turn, Max instructs the Wild Things to create a fortress that seems similar to the snow fort that was destroyed by Claireís friends at the beginning of the movie. Max becomes self centered believing that the fortress is only for him and not the entirety of the Wild Things population.
As Max begins to exclude members of the population he finds the Wild Things turning against him. At the end of the film Carol has even decided to turn against Max who promises harmony amongst the Wild Things. Max turns to the wise CW in the end seeking guidance as he feels that he has ruined the lives of the Wild Things. Maybe CW is in a dual role, not representing the relationship between Max and his sister, but the relationship between Max and his mother.
In the end, it becomes a coming of age story as Max tries to rectify his wrongs against Carol and show that he is willing to be more inclusive of the needs of others. Maxís internal conflict is ultimately solved by his departure from the Wild Things, when Carol comes running after him for a touching goodbye.
Spike Jonze has done an excellent job bringing Maurice Sendakís book to life. The excellent cast† which includes Gandolfini, Catherine OíHara and Forrest Whitaker brought character to what could have been empty suits with actors.
The set that Jonze chose to portray is beautiful, offering a special dynamic to the story as it explores the versatile arrangements of life. Max Young, who plays Max in this film, was a good choice as people of all ages could sympathize with the actor ó something that was very important for this role.
I would recommend paying full price for this movie, as so many movies today are at best mediocre in a profit-driven film industry. Hopefully, this movie is just the first gem in this holiday seasonís promising lineup of reworked family classics.