Watch and Read: Spotlight on Media Tie-ins
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Joy Fleishhacker -- School Library Journal, 9/28/2009 7:28:00 AM
Welcoming the Wild Things
Where the Wild Things Are (PG), a live-action movie based on Maurice Sendak’s picture-book classic (HarperCollins, 1963), will be released in theaters by Warner Bros. Pictures on October 16, 2009. Director Spike Jonze envisioned the project and cowrote the screenplay with author Dave Eggers (A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius; S & S, 2000), closely collaborating with Sendak throughout the process. The film combines real actors with live puppeteering, animatronics, and computer-generated imagery (CGI) to provide a captivating mix of fantasy and realism.
The story follows eight-year-old Max (Max Records), a sensitive, imaginative, and rebellious youngster who feels misunderstood and unloved at home. His older sister is more interested in hanging out with her teenage friends than in playing with him, and his mother (Catherine Keener) is often too busy to pay attention to him. One evening, looking for something to do, Max dons his old wolf suit. He and his mother have an angry encounter (an out-of-control Max bites her arm) and he runs out of the house and headlong into an amazing adventure. Embarking on a perilous sailboat journey across the ocean, he eventually lands on a strange island inhabited by seven incredible beasts, each one unique in appearance and demeanor, whose behavior and emotions are disturbingly and excitingly unpredictable. These wild things are looking for a leader, and, after he convinces the creatures not to consume him, Max steps into the role, promising to create a world where everyone is happy. The king’s first order of business, “Let the wild rumpus start,” is quickly accomplished, as he and his uninhibited companions romp through this mysterious land making mischief. However, relationships among Max’s subjects can be complex and trying, with emotions often running high, and he soon discovers that it’s quite a challenge to be the king and keep the peace…especially when failure means being eaten up.
Imbued with a distinct personality, each of the wild things was voiced by an actor (the cast includes James Gandolfini, Catherine O’Hara, and Forest Whitaker), physically portrayed by a performer in a meticulously created creature suit, and then enhanced during postproduction with computer-animated facial expressions. Youngsters can journey to the movie’s Web site to watch trailers that reveal the wonders of these amazingly lifelike monsters. Fans of the book may also enjoy watching a “Featurette” video in which Sendak, Jonze, and Eggars comment on Sendak’s original work and the film’s creation. Highlighting the strong sense of collaboration shared by these artists, this mini-documentary also portrays their mutual respect for one another, an admiration for groundbreaking creativity, and the importance of remaining true to one’s own storytelling vision. Inviting scenes from the film are interspersed throughout.
Book Tie-ins
No matter if they first read Where the Wild Things Are years ago or just last week, movie viewers of all ages will want to return to Sendak’s picture book to rediscover Max’s adventures and contemplate the similarities and differences between the printed page and the big-screen rendition. Make sure your copies of this 1964 Caldecott Medal winner are prominently displayed. If your volumes are looking a bit love-worn, fresh copies are available in paperback, hardcover, library, and CD editions from HarperCollins.
Where the Wild Things Are: The Movie Storybook, from HarperFestival, recounts the action in hardcover picture-book format. The text, filled with dialogue and playful language, reads aloud smoothly and clearly expresses Max’s point of view. Photos from the film, ranging in size from small insets to double-page spreads, highlight important moments. Though the wild things can clearly be seen throughout the book, many of the shots have a soft focus, or unusual lighting, echoing the sense of wonder and whimsical possibility that enhances the story’s plot. Kids will love comparing the movie versions of the beasts to their familiar illustrated counterparts (K–Gr 4).
Much more than a straightforward transcription, Eggers’s movie novelization (McSweeney’s, Oct. 2009) follows the screenplay in many respects, again referencing and reimagining Sendak’s work, but also strikes out in new directions. The author really does put readers into the wolf suit, clearly delineating Max’s appealing combination of abandon and enthusiasm, his powerfully reeling emotions, and his attempts to navigate complicated relationships. The narrative shimmers with a believable childlike candor and innocence, and the perspective remains true whether revealing the frustrations of an unpredictable home life, quantifying an unfamiliar and fantastical realm, or divulging Max’s struggles over how to best mollify a group of contentious monsters. Filled with lively description, sparkling humor, and a sense of emotional immediacy, the novel adds detail to Max’s experiences and depth to his character. For those who do like to judge a book by its cover, the novel is also available in a fur-covered edition (Gr 5 Up).
Heads On and We Shoot: The Making of Where the Wild Things Are (HarperCollins) provides an engaging and thorough behind-the-scenes look at the creation of the film. Featuring a unique tripartitioned design (there are three distinctly separate sections—each with its own binding and endpapers), the volume is logically organized into broad sections (Preproduction, Production, and Postproduction) that follow the moviemaking process step by step. Jonze and Eggers’s conversational-style introduction (in which they reflect about their first three-way meeting with Sendak) sets the tone and the text is packed with commentary from this creative duo as well as other members of the cast and crew. The volume begins with Sendak’s picture book and its impact, then moves on to describe the writing of the screenplay, casting, production design, shooting on location in Australia, and postproduction processes (editing, visual effects, etc.). Profiles of the filmmakers are included along with their observations, offering a revealing look at the specific job performed by each individual. This is an enthusiastic, innovative, and freethinking bunch, and their informal commentary percolates with colorful phrasings and interesting insights (be forewarned, Jonze occasionally slips in some strong language to make his point). An abundance of movie photos, production photos, concept art, storyboards, and other eye-catching images make this a browser’s delight (Gr 8 Up).
Pub Info
SENDAK, Maurice. Where the Wild Things Are. HarperCollins. 1963. pap. $8.95. ISBN 978-0-06-443178-1; Tr $17.95. ISBN 978-0-06-025492-6; PLB $18.89. ISBN 978-0-06-025493-3; CD $14.95. ISBN 978-0-06-122740-0.
BERSCHE, Barb & Michelle Quint, adapt. Where the Wild Things Are: The Movie Storybook. HarperFestival. 2009. Tr $12.99. ISBN 978-0-06-165686-6.
EGGERS, Dave. Where the Wild Things Are. McSweeney’s. Oct. 2009. Tr $19.95. ISBN 978-1-934781-61-6. Fur covered ed. $28. ISBN 978-1-934781-63-0.
Heads on and We Shoot: The Making of Where the Wild Things Are. From the editors of McSweeney’s. HarperCollins. Oct. 2009. Tr $39.99. ISBN 978-0-06-164556-3.
