Comic-Con: The Wild Things Are Here

When I was a child, my favorite books were The Giving Tree, and Where the Wild Things Are. While I still believe a tree can make for a good co-star, Where the Wild Things Are seemed more suited for film. I have read many books and stories that have been adapted to movies, but none so dear to me as Wild Things. After sitting through an extended look at the film, my doubts and fears have been put to rest. The child in me was brought back to Max and his adventures with these marvelous creatures, and I can easily say I have never been so excited for a movie as much as I am for Where the Wild Things Are.

First, we were treated to a videotaped short of director Spike Jones discussing the road to writing the book and then adapting it with Wild Things author Maurice Sendak. Maurice talked about how the publisher was afraid book sales would be hurt because of the nature of the story and at first the story did not do well, but it gained a following and has been one of the most popular children’s book of all time. After the video, the film’s star, Max Records, walked out to introduce the clips the audience would be getting to see. As this was his first Comic-Con and first starring role, the kid did an incredible job not getting nervous. He admittedly felt a bit overwhelmed and wrote some notes on his hand, but I have done the same in situations and I’ve never spoken to a room of 6,500 people before. So kudos to Max.

The footage screened was remarkable. A lot of it is original since the story is so short, and Spike did a great job not only capturing the heart of the story, but expounding a plot and story from there. James Gandolfini’s voice-work for the main creature, Carol, felt exactly the way a gentle giant would sound. Considering they used full suits for the characters and then animated their faces, it looks seamless onscreen. Max stated that Jones wanted authentic reactions from him, so for Max to look frightened or startled, Spike would set off a large flame from a propane tank so Max would jump with startle. From what we saw, it worked very well.

Unlike some adaptations of books to film, Maurice has been very supportive of the project. On his birthday, Max got a phone call from Maurice and told him, “i hope people really like this movie…if not they can all go straight to hell.” The general storyline that Max ends up escaping our world, after being punished by his mom and sent to bed without dinner, and is taken to a world with incredible creatures and he is their king. From the footage screened, I would characterize the story as less of a “coming of age” film, and more of a “growing up” story. The difference being “coming of age” seems to refer to the position adolescents find themselves in that they need to grow up now, and a “growing up” story is when a character realizes that they will ultimately have to grow up, though that time may not be now. Max is still a kid throughout the story and both the film and story celebrate that. All too often we pressure kids to grow up quickly; Where the Wild Things Are seems to relish in youth and that there’s something magical about the wonder and imagination kids have. Where the Wild Things Are hits theaters and Imax screens October 16th.