A Child's Eye View of Where the Wild Things Are: Lessons from Spike Jonze's Film Adaptation of Maurice Sendak's Picture Book

Abstract

Many children's books have inspired films, however, few of these movies have sparked the intense debates engendered by Spike Jonze's adaptation of Maurice Sendak's Where the Wild Things Are. While most professional critics warmly embraced Jonze's film, the work left parents with mixed feelings, which were documented in news reports that coincided with its American debut in the fall of 2009. In fact, numerous moviegoers and even some journalists, voiced the opinion that Jonze's adaptation was not a film for children, but rather one for the adults who had grown up reading Sendak's book. Nonetheless, the movie depicts a child using fantasy and play to cope with, and better understand, his changing reality. In this regard, the 2009 movie is very consistent with Sendak's original work. Therefore, Spike Jonze's adaptation is not only suitable for younger viewers, but could serve to teach them how to navigate through difficult emotional circumstances.