What Do The Critics Say

"It is one of those films that reveals the power of film itself, and you can feel delighted that this beautiful story, with its oddness and its great capacity for wonder, has survived in a perfect way the transition to screen." Andrew O'Hagan THIS IS LONDON "It's all very clever and very creative. It's intellectually stimulating. But how much of it actually had any emotional impact?" Ken Hanke MOUNTAIN XPRESS "It's ultimately too uneven, contrived and unimaginative." Avi Offer NEW YORK MOVIE GURU "There's just one crucial thing Where the Wild Things Are is missing: wildness." Tom Long DETROIT NEWS "It's not a kid's movie. It's not a movie for kids. It's a movie made from the mindset of a child, and it's a job well done." Jeff Bayer THE SCORECARD REVIEW "The emotionality that is aspired to doesn't rise to the occasion and leaves you as deprived of dramatic nourishment as the poor boy who went to bed without his supper." Jules Brenner CINEMA SIGNALS

"The script is brilliant, lacing the dialogue with dark, melancholy humour and subtly ensuring that almost every line, visual or action on the island echoes something from Max's real life." Matthew Turner VIEW LONDON "It’s all very charming and quirky... But it’s also, ultimately, a little flimsy and unlikely to achieve anything like the iconic status of its source material." Wendy Ide TIMES "It’s a strange thing that this story has had such a hold over generations of children, it’s quite a dark tale. And that darkness is in the film." Margaret Pomeranz ABC AT THE MOVIES "Don't go expecting joyous escapism, but if you're interested in seeing melancholic auteur filmmaking, complete with a lush soundtrack: you won't see a more compelling film this year." Catherine Bray CHANNEL 4 FILM "Jonze's Wild Things is an altogether darker, colder picture: a film about the way children can lose their fear of the world only by losing their innocence." Peter Bradshaw GUARDIAN "A gloomy, self-conscious art movie version of the children's book that received the benediction of the author which should tell you something about the dubious value of the source material." Louis Proyect REC ARTS MOVIE REVIEWS

The Inside Story "I didn’t set out to make a children’s movie; I set out to make a movie about childhood,' says director Spike Jonze, whose big-screen adaptation of the captivating Maurice Sendak classic "Where the Wild Things Are" was truly a labour of love. In it, he further explores the themes Sendak introduced and which Jonze believes remain relevant to every generation. "It’s about what it’s like to be eight or nine years old and trying to figure out the world, the people around you, and emotions that are sometimes unpredictable or confusing: which is really the challenge of negotiating relationships all your life," the 2000 and 2009 Independent Spirit Award winner says. "It’s no different at that age." "Where the Wild Things Are" offers a fresh look; and for many of us, a look back,into the many facets of childhood. It invites audiences of all ages to join in the discovery and challenge and pure feral joy of a young boy’s brave journey to the island of the Wild Things, a special place that’s sure to stir thoughts of the wild things that live in all of us. "In a way, it’s an action movie starring a nine year old. There’s a lot of physical mayhem like dirt clod fights and rampaging in the forest," Jonze, winner of the 1999 FIPRESCI Prize at the Venice Film Festival ("Being John Malkovich") explained . Indeed, the island offers up every youngster’s fantasy: the freedom to run and jump and howl, to build and destroy and wrestle and throw things as far as he can. But most of all, to do only the things he wants to do, with no one saying he can’t. Resplendent in his wolf costume, young Max soon becomes King of the Wild Things by proving his superior ferocity over the giant creatures who live there. But it’s an uneasy reign because the Wild Things are just that: wild; and there is always the possibility they might decide to eat him after all, with their great sharp teeth. Being king just might not be as easy as Max imagined. At the same time, the story follows Max’s first steps toward growing up as he becomes aware of the complex relationships the individual Wild Things have with each other and with him, and how doing everything he wants isn’t always the best choice. Told with unabashed honesty from a child’s point of view, "Where the Wild Things Are" reveals Max’s increasing understanding of his own feelings and the feelings of others. The film began with Jonze’s abiding affection and respect for the book, written and illustrated by Sendak, another strong believer in not talking down to young people. Published in 1963, it earned a Caldecott Medal and went on to touch millions of readers worldwide, perpetually ranked by Publishers Weekly as one of the ten all-time best selling books for children since the 1970s. Its enduring appeal, notes Jonze, is in how it "taps into genuine feelings that kids have and takes them seriously without pandering. Kids are given so much material that’s not honest, so when they find a story like this it really gets their attention. I remember myself, at that age, being so eager to hear that other kids were going through the same things I was and having similar thoughts." Max Records, who makes his film debut as Max agrees. "The book reflects what it’s actually like to be a kid. It’s a book that could not only be respected by kids but it really gets to the heart of everything you feel growing up and even beyond that." Adapting the slim volume into a feature film gave Jonze the opportunity to take the adventure further, to delve deeper into Max’s world, the unknown terrain of the island and the impetus that brings him there. Jonze selected acclaimed novelist and fellow Wild Things fan Dave Eggers to collaborate with him on the screenplay, though Eggers had never written for film. This did not surprise Vincent Landay, Jonze’s long-time collaborator and a producer on the project who offers, "Spike’s instinct about Dave was based on knowing him as a person and knowing he had the right sensibility and the right take on what he wanted out of these characters. Spike likes to put people into situations where they might not have been in before because you often end up with a fresher result." Before long, the two met with Sendak in his Connecticut home to go over their plans for the movie. Unquestionably, they wanted to keep it true to the author’s values and intention; otherwise they would not attempt it. Of their initial discussions, Eggers remembers, "We wanted to make a movie that didn’t look down at a kid but got inside him. Most kids in movies are 'de-fanged'. They have no wildness. What we figured out pretty quickly was that we all clearly remembered what it was like to be a boy, to be a little wild and get into trouble. We understood who Max was. We didn’t need to focus-group it or ask a child psychologist about what a child thinks or believes; we knew it in our guts." What ensued was an old-fashioned brainstorming process of two first-time screenplay writers locked in a room, hammering out ideas and dialogue together, acting out characters and melding their very different methods. "Dave is a very disciplined writer. If he gets stuck, he puts in a placeholder and keeps going whereas, for me, if it doesn’t feel right I will stay in that place until I find what works. I don’t want to let it go," Jonze admitted. "Spike’s method is the definition of organic. I often saw myself as the facilitator, helping to put his ideas on paper and fill it out," Eggers recalls. "First and foremost I was concerned with who Max was and what was going on in his life," says Jonze. "I wanted to make a movie that takes kids seriously but Maurice said, 'Make sure you don’t just take the heavy side of the kid seriously; take his imagination seriously, his sense of joy.' We never set any rules about whether it would be for kids or adults. We just went where it took us." Serving as a producer on the film, Sendak was fully involved from those early conversations and throughout production. "Spike immediately had his own point of view. I trusted him. I knew he had a vivid sense of what the book was about in his head, which was the same with me when I wrote it," Sendak said. "He’s given me a renewal of respect for young people", noting that so few people he encounters have Jonze’s 'bite', nor his interest "in history, or the world they came from. They just want to be what they want to be, without the luxury of learning about it. Spike is like a throwback, in that he reminds me of the young people I remember from the 1960s; kind of crazy but in the most wonderful, adventurous way. For me, the 60s was an exuberant and splendid time." It was an inspired creative match, attests producer John Carls ("Open Season"), who has worked with Sendak for seventeen years, since the two formed Wild Things Productions in 1992. "He and Spike are very similar as artists. They’re both bold and innovative thinkers, constantly challenging the status quo; they’re both hard-working perfectionists who pour everything into their work; and they’re both in touch with their childlike selves, which gives them a perspective that connects authentically with children." Casting for the actor who would play the lead role of Max was crucial to their success. It involved a search of more than a year and spanned continents. Their determination would eventually succeed. The filmmakers employed not only standard methods with casting agents but also reached out personally to friends and colleagues who might know of a youngster who fit the criteria. "I wanted a real kid; not necessarily an actor who was going to give a 'movie kid' performance, but someone who was going to give a real, emotional performance," says Jonze, who went on to concede, "As we progressed, it became clear that it was going to be hard to get the two sides of Max in one kid. He would have to be a really deep, internal kid, who had a lot going on in his head. A close-up of him should reveal his thinking and feeling. Simultaneously, we needed him at times to be totally out of his head gleeful and wild. We could find one or the other, but finding both was hard." Jonze found this duality in a boy coincidentally named Max: Max Records. Not entirely inexperienced in front of a camera, Records had appeared in a couple of music videos. He and the director immediately connected. As part of his preparation, Jonze ("What's Up, Fatlip?") sought to get to the bottom of children’s genuine concerns from their own point of view, saying, "I interviewed a lot of kids to get inspiration and ideas. I talked to them about things that made them angry, fights they had with their parents, how it makes them feel. It’s dramatic, when you’re that age." 2000 Golden Satellite Award winner Catherine Keener ("Being John Malkovich") was cast as Max’s loving but stretched to the limit single mum. "The whole experience of working with Max resonated very deeply with me," she stated. "His naturalness and purity of spirit really come through in every scene." The film is an extraordinary merger of live action, state of the art puppetry and computer animation, putting Max directly into the company of nine foot tall (2.74m) monsters in all their fanged, tufted, striped and wide-eyed glory, simultaneously ferocious and endearing. The beasts were given heart and soul by voice performances from a stellar ensemble cast led by Lauren Ambrose, Oscar ® winner Chris Cooper, Golden Globe winner James Gandolfini, Catherine O’Hara and Oscar ® winner Forest Whitaker, then put through their paces on location by costumed actors who melded body language to the dialogue. Finally, their already expressive faces were digitally enhanced for the range of movement and subtlety their thoughts and actions required. "I knew it was going to be a complicated process. It seemed that every choice we made turned out to be the hardest possible way to do it. Building the creatures alone took eight months< Jonze revealed. "But we decided what we wanted it to feel like and worked backwards from there on how to achieve that, and stuck to it." Producer Landay, integral to the daily hands-on effort and the master plan, admits, "I’m pretty tenacious. I feel if something’s not happening it's because we didn’t try hard enough or we didn’t look into enough ways to make it happen. The only way to get through something this massive is to break it down and solve each component, step by step. It’s all a puzzle, and making movies is just a gigantic crossword. Luckily, we’ve built a great team over the years, with a strong vocabulary." In addition to Producers Guild Of America Award winner Landay (who also worked with Jonze on "Being John Malkovich" and "Adaptation"), Jonze’s creative team on "Where the Wild Things Are" reunited many of his long-time colleagues, including cinematographer Lance Acord, production designer KK. Barrett ("Lost in Translation"), editor Eric Zumbrunnen and costume designer Casey Storm ("Zodiac"). He also re-enlisted the musical talents of former collaborators Karen O and Carter Burwell. The Verdict "The success of "Where The Wild Things Are" (a damn good yarn), will be limited because of its narrow appeal. This dark tale of a young boy who runs away from home, sails across the ocean to an island inhabited by nine foot high creatures, and then becomes their King will appeal in the main, to young boys in the main and old boys who can still remember what it was like growing up in those tender pre-teen years. Best enjoyed by allowing your imagination run wild. 3 1/2 STARS." Synopsis

Max is a singular, rambunctious and sensitive boy who feels misunderstood at home. Everyone around him, it seems, has friends: but not Max. He entertains himself by using his imagination. Jealous that his sister chooses her friends over him, he vents his rage by trashing her room. Later when his mother has her boyfriend over, Max rages out of control. He flees the house, steals a sailboat and escapes. His journey lands him on an island where he meets mysterious and strange creatures whose emotions are as wild and unpredictable as their actions. The Wild Things desperately long for a leader to guide them, just as Max longs for a kingdom to rule. When he is crowned king, he promises to create a place where everyone will be happy. Max soon discovers, though, that ruling his kingdom is not so easy and his relationships there prove to be more complicated than he originally thought.

Who Plays Who?

Max Records Catherine Keener Steve Mouzakis Mark Ruffalo Pepita Emmerichs James Gandolfini Paul Dano Catherine O'Hara Forest Whitaker Michael Berry Jr Chris Cooper Lauren Ambrose

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Max Mom Teacher The Boyfriend Claire Carol Alexander Judith Ira The Bull Douglas KW

The Production Team

Director Screenplay From Producers Original Music Cinematography Film Editors Casting Production Designer Art Direction Set Decoration Costume Design

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Spike Jonze Spike Jonze & Dave Eggers the book by Maurice Sendak John B Carls/Gary Goetzman/Tom Hanks Vincent Landay/Maurice Sendak Carter Burwell & Karen Orzolek Lance Acord James Haygood & Eric Zumbrunnen Justine Baddeley & Kim Davis K.K. Barrett Sonny Gerasimowicz/William Hawkins Christopher Tandon/Lucinda Thomson Simon McCutcheon Casey Storm

Run Time 101 minutes Rated PG [AUST] Copyright ©2009 - Warner Bros - All Rights Reserved Copyright ©2009 - Impact Internet Services & The Movie Pages - All Rights Reserved ©1999-2009 All Rights Reserved The Movie Pages - Protected by Australian & International Copyright. Trademark Laws Apply.