A few spoilers, stop reading if you haven't seen Wild Things yet. Coming out from seeing Where the Wild Things Are my ten year old remarks that the parts that were good were great and other parts could have been a lot better. It has a mythic power to it at moments that will have staying power in the mind long after many other films have been forgotten. A random remark about a dog made us both wish for more of that, the wonderful random, and less (slow) angst. The dirt war put me right back in my childhood running through yards with the Flynn and Gotte kids. Unfortunately, at other moments the film feels like the school social worker was busy taking notes about anger issues. But praise for not making these beasts cuddly nothings, but like the best things you love, uncertainty and difficulty makes love and growing up the brave, hard things they are. The child actor playing Max is superb, the scenes at home strong and true, and, hey, it's the Wild Things. I have hearted the Wild Things for decades.(Still own the copy a college roomie gave me for consolation after I accidentally burned down half our dorm room) I do wish Judith Wild Thing had taken a moment to step off the screen and eat the two toddlers and their unspeakably indulgent parents in the front row. That would have been something to really hoot and howl at with wild glee. Crunch crunch Yum.
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We watched it on Saturday night. (after I flew in from an exhausting week, but I digress)I had similar reactions to the movie. for the most part, I loved it, but the anger issues were a little forced at times. But, for people who do not know the book, maybe it was neccessary. Hard to believe that no one knows the book, but probably sad but true. J and I bought our copy used at a local bookstore about 2 weeks after we were married. Since Saturday, my youngest daughter has taken to biting me gently on the shoulder and growling when she is slightly miffed.
I've always been a big fan of growling (alternating with purring at times, not to mention the ever popular and soul-cleansing howling).
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