WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE

US, 2009, 101 minutes, Colour.
Max Records, Catherine Keener, Mark Ruffalo.
Voices of: Lauren Ambrose, Chris Cooper, James Gandolfini, Catherine O’ Hara, Forest Whitaker, Paul Dano.
Directed by Spike Jonze.

This is a pleasing didactic fable for younger children and for their parents. It is an adaptation, with the author's approval, of a very popular 1963 story by Maurice Sendak. It has been amplified to create the detail and atmosphere of the island where the wild things are – and it was filmed in and around Melbourne.

Max Records is believable as the young boy who lives in his own fantasy world – there is a nice scene where he is lying on the floor making up a short story for his mother (Catherine Keener) to type and he tells it quietly and with feeling and imagination. But, while Max plays on his own, his older sister does not stand up for him when her friends destroy the igloo he has built, and even his loving mother finds him rude and self-centred with her visitor (Mark Ruffalo). She says he is out of control, and he runs away.

This is the realistic setting for the fable to begin as Max sails away, over the ocean, and arrives, through the storms, at an island which is inhabited by very large, odd-looking characters, wild things, who resemble many of the oddball characters who appeared in the Muppet Show. This is understandable as these creatures were built at the Jim Henson studio. The creatures would not be out of place in Alice's Wonderland or on the other side of the looking glass.

The Wild Things are generally big and bouncy (very bouncy as the earth reverberates when they land) and resemble animals, birds and mutant creations. But they have personality and are voiced by a fine range of actors: James Gandolfini, Lauren Ambrose, Catherine O' Hara, Chris Cooper, Paul Dano and Forest Whitaker. Director Spike Jonze (himself a fantasist in his films with writer Charlie Kaufman, Being John Malkovich and Adaptation) invited the actors to perform their roles while they were being recorded and then asked the actors who were to be inside the creatures to re-play what they saw the voice-ctors doing.

So, who are the Wild Things and what does Max discover by living with them?

It soon becomes clear that they represent a lot of the feelings inside Max himself, the out-of-control side, the angry side, the 'dumb' side, the neglected side, the spiteful side, as well as the kinder side. While adults will pick this up fairly quickly and appreciate that the creatures are representing what C.G.Jung, for instance, characterised as 'the shadow' side of the person, the children will enjoy the looks, antics of playfulness, jumping and bouncing, earth fights, punching holes in trees, making a fort that looks like an enormous ball and believing Max is their king. But, children will soon realise that one of the characters, the leader, Carol (Gandolfini), is behaving moodily and stupidly just as Max did with his mother. And then, Max, because he is seen to be in charge, starts to sound like a parent, frustrated with Carol. The other Wild Things help Max to understand himself better, be honest with himself and then, to calm down and realise what family is, despite the difficulties – and he is ready to sail home.

The film looks very good. The characterisations are entertainingly offbeat. The pace is measured enough for younger children who are alert to realise what is happening to Max and to appreciate the message of this fable.

1. The popularity of the books since the 1960s? An adaptation for the screen? Visual imagination? The insertion of the songs, the significance of their lyrics?

2. The children’s audience, the story, didactic and moral?

3. Parents, identifying with the mother, hard work, care and love, difficulties, the hardships for the single parent?

4. Max’s story: the initial chasing of the dog and wrestling with it, his being a wild thing? The snow, alone, making the igloo, the snowballs and the fights with his sister and the boys, their crashing the igloo? His tears? His sister on the phone, ignoring him, not supporting him, the boys ignoring him? His being hurt, his upsetting his sister’s room? His mother, arriving home, the clean-up? Wearing his animal suit?

5. Max at school, the world, the explanations, the sun to die? Grounds for imagination?

6. Max’s mother, busy, her job, Max telling her the story under the table, her typing it out? Her friend, attention to him, not to Max? The meal, wanting the sister to set the table? Max’s tantrum, on the table, out of control, biting his mother?

7. His running away, through the city streets, into the woods, the sea? The blend of reality and imagination? The boat, sailing, drifting, the storm, the storm and its significance as his own inner turmoil, climbing the cliff, seeing the fires? The island itself?

8. The sound of the wild things? The island, its appearance? The monsters and their appearances, their characters, the different speaking voices, the creatures and the creature suits, the actors inside? The blend of monsters and animals? Life on the island, the community, Carol and his destroying the homes? K.W. and her walking away? The tradition of eating the kings? The initial hostile response to Max?

9. Max and the wild things, meeting them at night, the dark, his fears, then unafraid, The welcome, his telling the stories about kings, magic and powers, Vikings? Their giving him the crown?

10. The wild things and the psychological embodiment of the good and bad aspects of Max’s character? Anger, loneliness, wilfulness, play, silent and ignored, wise, gentle and mothering? Max and his dealing with them?

11. The fire, the chaos, the fights, what Max called the wild rumpus? Carol in charge, his manner? Falling, smashing things, crazy? K.W. leaving the group? Carol and his talking with Max, K.W. leaving and his sulking? His paranoia, feeling people didn’t care for him?

12. Max, running and screaming, hitting the tree? Assembling the group, Carol and his welcome, the competitive destruction between the two?

13. Douglas as sensible, Ira as silent and digging the tunnels, the vision of the big dog wandering the desert, Alex, K.W. and Bob and Terry, Judith and her aggressiveness, love for Ira? The discussions about eating Max? His telling them to be still, their asking why, his giving the answer, “Because”? His becoming king, Carol taking him from a tour of the kingdom, explaining everything? Carol as genial and friendly?

14. The action, for the community, running wild, wild and free, everybody piling on the other? Building the fort, the efforts, collecting the stones, the different jobs, Carol in charge? Playing at war, the clod-bashing? The different reactions and some of the monsters withdrawing?

15. The crises, Max and his having no answers, the mime and people dismissing it, his disappointing them, Douglas knowing the truth, Alexander’s comments? Carol and his being upset at his having favourites? His wanting the secret door in the fort, Carol’s reaction and punching a hole in the wall? Carol and his reactions - the pursuit, his being out of control?

16. K.W., saving Max, swallowing him? Her being a good listener, serving as the confessor for all that Max felt?

17. The visuals of the fort, the enterprise in building it, Carol’s place? His mini fort, the artistry, the water, the little creatures? The concerns of the monsters with the drawing out of the brains and being destroyed?

18. Max’s final decision to go home, the boat, home and happy with his mother?

19. The parallel between Max learning about family, care and responsibility, and the irresponsibility of Carol mirroring him? The final moral of the tale for children, behaviour, parents, aware of their children’s anger, love and care?