Where the Wild Things Arej

In my childhood, I was not a raving fan of the classic book Where the Wild Things Are. It was amusing and I was happy to leave it at that. So in 2009 when the eponymous film debuted, I did not intend to see it. But in some inexorable way, the DVD made its way into my living room and I complained "it's for kids" as I queued it up on the ol' MacBook.

The film is a most exhilarating rumination on the human condition. Now, now, stop rolling your eyes, just go and see it and you will see what I mean!

Max is a troubled child and an imaginative loner. He has a blowout with his sister and mom and disappears into the world of Carol and a small band of other assorted creatures. The Wild Things each have their own set of problems and issues. Carol's slightly dangerous level of frustration strikes an instant chord in Max and the two form a bond. Max tells the Wild Things that he has come as their king to make everything right. He embarks them on a project which offers hope and healing, but soon glimpses the dark side of disappointment.

It is to the film's credit that it offers more questions than answers. The things that make us uneasy are ventured but not resolved. Each viewer will take away something different, of relevance to his or her own life. The anxieties of the Wild Things stem from the embittered disappointments of experienced adulthood, contrasting with the relative innocence of Max's childhood. What is leadership? Is healing possible? Are we capable of getting along, finding love, finding fulfillment? The exhilarating part is that these questions have been (touchingly) aired, and thus must indicate some common malady that binds us together.