Not many books both fascinate and expand the imagination of children. Maurice Sendak’s children’s book, “Where the Wild Things Are” has implored an entire generation of young minds to think beyond reality to teach valuable lessons about life. The recently released movie adaptation of the story “Where the Wild Things Are,” directed by Spike Jonze, is sure to capture the minds and hearts of children and adults alike visually as its literary counterpart has for a generation.The story’s premise surrounds the life of an energetic and creative young boy named Max (played by Max Records) whose ploy for his mother’s (Catherine Keener of “40-Year-Old Virgin”) attention leads him to trouble and inevitably to a dreamland of make-believe friends. Max lives his life in reality playing make believe games with his busy mother and sister. Through his dreams he comes to find reality and appreciation for his sometimes too preoccupied family.

Max bites his mother when she attempts to tell him what to do before dinner with her boyfriend one night. Jealous of her attention toward another male and weary of having no one to play with he flees into the woods, setting sail in a boat on the river.

In the movie there is no clear distinction between the dream world and the actual one. Jonze does this on purpose to show the very vivid imagination of the boy and his inability to tell between real life and fantasy.

Max battles a storm in his boat and lands on an island amongst a group of monsters: Carol, Alexander, Ira, Judith, the Bull, Douglas and KW. Max informs them he is King and will take care of them all. The band of wild things, eager for guidance and desperate for attention, crown him king.

Carol, the main monster, likes to destroy things, he is sad and often misunderstood much like Max with his family, therefore they relate with one another and bond more than Max does with the other monsters.

Max and the monsters live comfortably and happily for awhile, playing with one another until the struggles of responsibility begin to weigh on Max and he realizes it is hard to care for these wild things and they expect too much. The moral of the story is imbedded in Max’s time with the wild things. He soon realizes his mother’s love for him, that she isn’t perfect and that he doesn’t make it easy to care for her.

Although the book is short, Jonze pulls a full-length movie out of the story line. There is no sense, however, that any part is unnecessary. It all ties in and flows, creating a childlike perception of reality, no matter your age.

This film is great, for children and families alike. It’s practically guaranteed that if you enjoyed the book as a child, your inner child will love the movie. If you find yourself curious and full of wonder, go and see and you will discover, where the wild things are.

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