Where the Wild Things Are

Max (max records) is a young boy who feels misunderstood and wants to have fun all the time. After making a scene in front of his mothers boyfriend, He bites his mother and runs away. He keeps running through a forest untill he stumbles upon a small boat, he gets inside and sets sail. After a few days on the sea, he arrives on a strange island at night. He leaves the boat on shore and walks to where he hears voices in the woods. Max eavesdrops on a few creatures arguring.

book synopsis
The book tells the story of Max, who one evening plays around his home, “making mischief” in a wolf costume by chasing the dog with a fork and growling at his mother. As punishment, his mother sends him to bed without supper. In his room, a mysterious, wild forest grows out of his imagination, and Max journeys to the land of the Wild Things. The Wild Things are fearsome-looking monsters, but Max conquers them “by staring into their yellow eyes without blinking once”, and he is made “the King of all Wild Things”. However, he soon finds himself lonely and homesick, and he returns home to his bedroom, where he finds his supper waiting for him, still hot.

REVIEW: I haven’t read this book in almost 30 years so I didn’t really remember the story line, I did know that it was a 14 line story. I thought that it looked cute and would be something that my boys would enjoy, however we decided that we could wait till it came out on DVD to see it. However this afternoon my sister in law mentioned that she wanted to see it and asked if we had wanted to see it. We decided to go. I have to say that I really liked it.

The movie is based on the book, however it goes way beyond the book. Max is a misunderstood kid. He is around 8-9 years old and his older sister is a teen-ager that doesn’t want to be around her little brother. His mom has a demanding job and a boyfriend. When he gets made at her for not paying him any attention he acts out making a very large scene (as most kids do). He runs away and finds himself on an island with these creatures that are fighting.

There is Carol who is always angry because things aren’t the way that he wants them. Alexander who know one ever listens to. Judith who is always pessimistic. Ira who is quiet and willingly to most anything for Judith. The Bull that never says much of anything but looks scary. Douglas who tries to keep Carol calm, and KW the one person that Carol loves above all else however she can’t take him anymore and is trying to decide to if she wants to stay with them.

As I watched this movie and watched Max’s interactions with the different characters you come to realize that each character is an emotion that Max himself feels. There is a point in the movie when the fighting is really bad when Max realizes that what the creatures need isn’t a King like he is playing at, but a mom. It is at this point that he decides to go home.

I loved this movie because it gave me great insight into my own son that sometimes I feel is trapped in his own mind and emotions. It was like the writers tapped into his brain. Everything that Max did is something that Mik has done, well minus the biting. The acting out, the running away, the living in his own imagination.

This is one movie that every parent should see, not because it is a great kids movie, but because it taps into the mind of a child.

I give this movie a 5 out of 5.