"Let the wild rumpus begin!

By Jackie Ammons     10/22/09 7:00pm

Despite its origins as a children's book, the film adaptation of Where the Wild Things Are is not a kid's movie. It's dark and deep, melding haunting images with equally haunting themes. Yet the film reminds us of what it was like to be a child - both the good and the bad - and touches audiences in a way that few films can. Based on the children's picture book by author and illustrator Maurice Sendak, Where the Wild Things Are is the coming-of-age story of a young boy named Max (The Brothers Bloom's Max Records). He struggles in a world in which his mother (The Soloist's Catherine Keener) doesn't understand his "wildness" and his sister (Blue Heelers' Pepita Emmerichs) starts to make new friends and ignore him.

Thus, Max escapes to a place of his own imagination where he is the King of the Wild Things, whose ranks include Carol (The Taking of Pelham 123's James Gandolfini), Judith (Away We Go's Catherine O'Hara), Ira (Powder Blue's Forest Whitaker) and KW (Love and Other Impossible Pursuits' Lauren Ambrose). The Wild Things become his new friends, and, through a unique psychological portrayal of himself within them, Max begins to better understand his world.

Directed and written by Spike Jonze (Adaptation), the film is startlingly accurate at depicting the sensations and emotions of childhood. In the real world, Max plays by his mother's feet while she works on her computer; he shows his anger when his sister no longer wants to play with him and finds new friends; and he expresses frustration at having a broken family. In his imaginary world of the Wild Things, Max parallels his real-life feelings by projecting them onto the individual creatures. Judith embodies his pessimistic side; he better understands his sister through KW; and, as King of the Wild Things, Max gains perspective on the great responsibility his mother has as head of the family. The costumes in Where the Wild Things Are are perhaps the most creative part of the movie. Built by the Jim Henson Company (The Muppets series) and designed by Casey Storm (Adaptation), the Wild Things' costumes are giant foam outfits worn by actors, with CGI animation used to create the emotions on their faces. The cozy, grimy footie-jumpsuit Max wears as King of the Wild Things is an example of the classic costume a child never wants to take off. Amazon.com has even begun to sell Max's costume in pajama form, complete with the hood with ears.

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Beyond the costuming exists the breathtaking means and angles for viewing the designs. The cinematography of Where the Wild Things Are is extremely unique, capturing life from the perspective of a child. It seeks out the beauty of a sandy desert plain, and it also senses the danger and confusion that a fire-filled forest can present.

As with most adaptations, the minds behind the movie took some liberty with the original material, and readers of the children's book will immediately see the differences between the written work and the film. Instead of being sent to his room and embarking on his adventures with the Wild Things from there, Max runs away from home - just a few blocks away - and happens into the world of the Wild Things. But rest assured, when Max returns home, a bowl of soup is waiting for him, just as the book describes.

Because of its dead-on perspective on childhood emotion, the one drawback to Where the Wild Things Are is that it's too disturbing at times. Because it reaches such deep, angst-filled emotions of childhood - sadness, anger and, at times, violence - the portrayal of these emotions is stark and unsettling, too dark for those who would otherwise be endeared to the fuzzy Wild Things.

But while the film has disturbing moments, it still includes many funny parts. Max listens to knock-knock jokes from two of KW's owl friends, and when one Wild Thing loses his arm in the "wild rumpus," he comically sighs, "Oh! That was my favorite arm." The humor in the film shines through as a carryover from the source material, much like the thoughts and dreams of childhood are carried over and brought out in any audience member who is lucky enough to see this film.

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