This was another movie I watched a couple of days ago. I haven't seen this many movies in years! I've rediscovered how entertaining and thought provoking a good movie can be. "Where the Wild Things Are" has haunted me since I've seen it. In fact here I am blogging about it at 4:00 in the morning.
This is the best movie I've ever seen that deals with some of the more raw and difficult emotions of childhood - anger, loneliness, fear, wanting to be heard and accepted. A young child doesn't always know how to recognize or deal with these feelings, hence the term "acting out" which is basically being out of control and wild. I remember this as a kid and I see it in my children.
The story of this movie is pretty simple, a young boy has a fight with his mom and runs away and ends up on an island inhabited with some very strange and immature creatures. They threaten to eat him so he convinces them that he's really a king, in fact their king (they're not very bright). Each of the creatures represents his different emotions. At first everything is fun and great but things slowly but surely spiral downward and out of control. In the end, he escapes the island and goes back home where he knows he's loved.
I know this sounds so basic, but it really was a great film, beautifully shot. There really are no solutions offered, these are emotions all humans deal with and being able to handle them, well, really the only cure is growing up. Oh and by the way, I've never read the book. From what I understand it's a really short children's book. Now I'll have to check it out. I must say, though, the movie does seem more geared towards an adult or teenage audience. I know it's too intense in places for my five year olds.
Afternote: After watching the trailer again, one of the reasons I liked this movie so much was the beautiful way it portrayed the fun and wonderful imagination of a child. It's a good reminder to get in touch with that part of my inner child and appreciate and enjoy this with my children.
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