Where the Wild Things Are

“Where the Wild Things Are” is a celebration of imagination. While it may be too scary for children under the age of 10 anyone older will be missing out if they don’t go see it. Any parents who don’t take their children are missing an unusual opportunity to promote maturity and perspective in an entertaining and unexpected way.

Using a deceptively simple story line that everyone can relate to there are dimensions beyond the obvious touched upon and developed in this movie. Parallels cause role reversal. How strange does it feel when our parents words pop out of our mouths unbidden, unasked for? How often is this change in perspective experienced as a child?

Childhood is not all warm and fuzzy. In reality big, warm, fuzzy piles are fleeting, rare and somewhat smothering. Life is not all warm and fuzzy. People who love each other sometimes hurt each other especially when caught up by intense emotions. Going too far is easy to slip into, you can’t take it back, and is hard to extricate ones self from.

Seeking out new experiences like Bob and Terry changes perspective, it doesn’t change who one is but it can change how one sees the world. Change can be perceived as a threat by others.  Change can lead to lack of control. Frustration and hurt stemming from lack of control in a situation can be exhibited through anger, destruction and the desire to lash out and hurt in return. The balance between losing control, being controlled and learning control is a process that takes a lifetime to master, the scale balanced with maturity, empathy and knowledge. Realizing that control does not extend beyond one’s own fingertips is a difficult lesson to learn.

Simple situations, competitions, and challenges can spiral exponentially to a plateau where play crosses a line into hurt in a self sustaining escalation that is no longer fun anymore. Intent determines the line where hurt can be forgiven and where it can’t. It is easier to hug hurt close and ride the emotions generated than it is to let hurt go and move on. Someone allowing you to step on their head in retaliation does not give the same satisfaction and spontaneous absolution acting in the heat of the moment would. Being granted control is not the same as actually being in control.

A perfect world, a perfectly controlled world is a static world, an artistically beautiful diorama, awesome to perceive but unchanging, unchallenging, and unforgiving of imperfections.  The differences corresponding to individuality also create discord.  Imperfections can be perceived as negative character traits but perception and reality don’t always sync, whether one is filled with blood or sawdust, whether one is a king or a normal person, isn’t determined by perceived character traits however, the way others treat us is. Outer shells shown to the world are deceptive.

Is there any way back after going too far? Yes. Always. If love exists there is. Is there a place where only the things we want to happen, happen? In our dreams, in our imaginations, on television, in books and movies but not in real life. Should the pursuit of happiness be abandoned or is it enough in and of itself? Goals don’t have to be attainable to be worth striving for. By turning expectations upside down artistic dreams can be realized.

This is not a feel good movie. It is melancholy, giddy, scary and sad. It is controlled and wild, beautifully harmonious and darkly morbid and destructive. There are times when everyone needs to howl.  The impression is left that those who’s artistry and creativity went into the making of this movie “get it” and “it” is very hard to define. Let the wild rumpus begin.