BY CAMILA RYDER

In print | Published October 29, 2009

The 1963 children’s book “Where the Wild Things Are” captured the essence of the childhood world of reality and fantasy. Written by Maurice Sendak, the story of Max, who fought with his mother and escaped to the imagined island of the Wild Things, was well-received by critics, parents and children and held a place in many hearts as being one of the best children’s books.

When the trailer for the big screen movie version hit the Internet, ecstatic joy (I admit I teared up when I saw the Wild Things jumping around to Arcade Fire’s “Wake Up”) and slight hesitation generated lots of buzz about whether Spike Jonze’s directing and Dave Eggers’ screenplay would live up to the acclaim of the book.

In the first scene, a growling and maniacal Max (played by Max Records, “The Brothers Bloom”) tears through the house in his wolf costume after the family’s dog. Though there’s this aggressive side to Max, he also has a soft side, as seen when he wishes for his sister and mother (played by Catherine Keener, “The 40-Year Old Virgin”) to pay attention to him rather than be with their friends or boyfriend. He hopes his imagination will make everything better. When he arrives at the Island of the Wild Things, their world is in chaos. Max finds a friend in Carol (voiced by James Gandolfini, “The Sopranos”), and though the others suspect Max is more suitable for a dinner rather than the all-powerful position, they name him king.

With Sendak’s book being only ten sentences, Jonze and Eggers stretched some of the ideas, especially regarding the personalities of the Wild Things and their interactions with Max. The Wild Things embody fragments of Max’s psyche and experiences, resulting in a bunch of confused and neurotic furry animals. Max’s first order of business as king is to “let the wild rumpus start!” More like “let the psychiatrist session begin.”

The issues the Wild Things face relate only to adults, making this less of a movie for the children who love it now, but rather for the adults who loved reading the book then. Though it was seemingly marketed toward the adult crowd with the hipster appeal of a Karen O. soundtrack, there was a lack of endearment in the movie. The most beautiful part of it, however, was Records’ keen, nuanced performance of the frailty of childhood and the ability of a child’s unscathed imagination to run wild. Though there were many show-stealing scenes, it was Max’s realization that he could not be a king that was the standout moment in the movie.

Though the film version of “Where the Wild Things Are” seems more for those over 13, it’s the preservation of the book’s essence that makes the empty feeling at the end of the movie not so bad. Whether it’s the six-year-old boy who was wearing his wolf costume a few rows ahead, or the older couples who read the book as kids, the sheer beauty of the ten-sentence picture book creates the realization that the movie couldn’t be as good as the book, and that’s okay.

“Where the Wild Things Are.” Directed by Spike Jonze. Screenplay by Dave Eggers and Spike Jonze. Featuring: Max Records, James Gandolfini, Forest Whittaker, Catherine O’Hara, Lauren Ambrose. 1 hour, 34 minutes. Playing at AMC Marple 10.

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