Is there a word for a feeling or insight so subtly and perfectly expressed that it touches you and moves you and becomes a touchstone for what a concept — one as large as “love” or “family” or “reconciliation” — truly means?
Where The Wild Things Are is like that. Max, after making mischief of one kind and another, is sent to his room without supper. He journeys to where the wild things are, becomes king and leads a wild rumpus, then feels lonely and wants to return to where someone loves him best of all. He gives up being king and sails back to his room, and there his supper waits for him, and it is still hot.
The movie, to be released in October, has a lot to accomplish in transferring and expanding Max’s evening of exuberance, conflict, fantasy, and forgiveness. Based on the trailer, I’m hopeful.
Bonus: Did you see President Obama reading Where the Wild Things Are in April?
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May 17th, 2009 at 7:30 am
There are a lot of movies based on books that have a lot to accomplish and don’t. Holes is the first one that comes to mind. Charlotte’s Web is two. What else? There are some I can’t watch. Ella Enchanted is the first one that comes to mind. And I probably won’t be in the theater for Where the Wild Things Are. It’s just too dear to my heart to see it any other way. The only movie that might be acceptable in both book and movie version is the original Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. No. No. I take that back.
May 19th, 2009 at 1:31 pm
In general, I shy away from movies that either expand short books or mercilessly slash away at long books. I think it’s a lot to ask of a Hollywood screenwriter to take a short and perfect book like Where the Wild Things Are and add the equivalent of 100 pages. I doubt he or she is any Maurice Sendak.
May 20th, 2009 at 6:18 pm
When I saw the recent Seattle Children’s Theater production of Goodnight Moon, I knew going in that taking a story I recite in under two minutes and turning it into a hour-long play would require quite a lot of padding. All I wanted was the resulting play to be true to the spirit of the book. It failed.
I suppose Where the Wild Things Are could be similarly disappointing, though if my experience with Goodnight Moon is indicative, it won’t impact how I feel about or imagine the book. I think it has it’s own life in my mind that can withstand a poor film interpretation. Though I don’t believe this will be a poor film interpretation. The trailer shows quite a departure from the book, but one that I think honors its spirit.
(Related post: Jane Austen and movies)