(Thumbnail image: Warner Bros)
That was a scene from “Where the Wild Things Are”, directed by Spike Jonze. The movie comes out today and is based on the classic 1963 children’s book by Maurice Sendak. Making movies from children’s books seems to be part of a larger trend. This year, well-known directors will take on classic stories including “Alice in Wonderland” and “Fantastic Mr. Fox.”
So, why this trend? Do movies like “Where the Wild Things Are” destroy the legacy of the original work? And to make the story work as a movie, are they made more for adults or too dark for children? We take a look at perspectives on this issue from the Journal and Courier, Washington Post, LA Times, Wall Street Journal and Good Morning Live.
Many have been praising the movie. A movie critic from Indiana’s Journal and Courier says:
“'Where the Wild Things Are' like it’s literacy predecessor, is an instant classic. A movie you can appreciate again and again. The movie is a touching and honest tribute to the turbulence of childhood.”
A column in the Washington Post gives the perspective that the director takes the book to a new level in the movie.
“He's thrown away ‘Where the Wild Things Are’ as a holy text, using it more as a psychological template for a different kind of story about a child grappling with rage and abandonment and his own fearsome power.”
So does the movie destroy the legacy of its 'literary predecessor'? The Los Angeles Times gives a perspective on this.
“The other thing they’ve done is that they’ve turned the wild things into creatures who speak and when they talk they sound whiny and neurotic, kind of like refugees from a bad Woody Allen movie.”
But, like the original book, criticism of the story line is not new. The Wall Street Journal says this may have been exactly what the director was going for.
“When Harper & Row published the book in 1963, it provoked controversy among parents, librarians and child psychologists, some of whom pronounced the story—and its illustrations of hulking beasts—too scary for sensitive children…those were the very elements that Mr. Jonze says he wanted to preserve in his film.”
If the movie is not for children, then what is it about? A perspective from Good Morning Live addresses this question:
“I think we need to step back. This is not a kids film. Its rated PG, kids can go to it. But this is really a film about childhood. And its about a young boy, where the wild things are, are really in his head.”
Lastly, our research shows that President Barak Obama is a fan of the classic book. We leave you with this:
“Where are going to read Where the Wild Things Are. Have you read the Where the Wild Things Are? This is one of my favorite books. This is one of my favorite books…"
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