Wild Things Too Scary?
Kid Reporter Mariam El Hasan has an opinion. How about you?
Some people may think that the movie version of Maurice Sendak’s popular book Where the Wild Things Are is too scary for really young kids. For one thing, the book is for kids ages 4 to 8 years old, but is rated PG (parental guidance recommended). I saw a pre-release screening of the movie last week, and I don’t agree that it is too scary.
Nothing really tragic happens in either the book or the movie, and I think kids can handle a lot more than adults think they can. After all, I was in preschool when I saw Mufasa murdered in the G-rated movie The Lion King and I wasn’t scared at all. I was also pretty small when I saw the Disney movie Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Remember when the Queen demands that a hunter kill Snow White and bring her heart back in a box? Pretty gruesome, huh? I love that movie and it is a children’s classic.
Where the Wild Things Are will also be a classic, although it is a much different experience than any other movie I have ever seen. Director Spike Jonze, told me he did not set out to make a children’s movie.
“I set out to make a movie about childhood,” he said.
I think he did both.
The task could not have been easy. Remember, this movie is based on a 48-page picture book of only about 300 words. The book focuses on Max’s wild behavior and feelings. You don’t get much of a back story in the book.
Jonze changes all that with the making of this movie. It would be interesting to see what kind of story Jonze would tell based on another popular children’s book of few words, The Very Hungry Caterpillar.
Maybe Jonze could answer some important questions about this famous ravenous slug. For instance, why is the caterpillar so hungry? Is he really hungry or is he just an emotional eater? Does the caterpillar feel unloved?
Certainly Max fells unloved, and I think Jonze did a great job of capturing the perspective of child internal turmoil. And in doing that, he has made a very moving and exceptional film.
—Mariam El Hasan
PHOTO: A scene from Where the Wild Things Are. (Photo courtesy Warner Bros. Pictures)
i love this movie.
Posted by: ashley | 10/14/2009 at 12:54 PM
im going to watch this movie
Posted by: Kirsten | 10/14/2009 at 12:54 PM
that book was not scary and i dont think the movie will be
Posted by: stephanie | 10/14/2009 at 12:55 PM
wow i didnt know this :)
Posted by: marissa | 10/14/2009 at 12:58 PM
i love this book i use to make my mom read it to me all the time
Posted by: leah | 10/14/2009 at 01:04 PM
i think that the movie will be fine. they're are some disney movies that look like they maybe scarey. they are not scarey at all. i haven't seen the movie but it looks fine to me:)
Posted by: Katie | 10/14/2009 at 01:09 PM
I remember when I was in library school in the 1970s and my professor had been on the Caldecott committee when Where the Wild Things Are was selected. She said that she was dead set against the book winning because she was afraid that children would be frightened. It is now one of the best loved books ever.
This controversy will probably die down after the movie comes out and children fall in love with it.
Some kids cried when Bambi's mother died. That was far worse.
Posted by: Marilyn | 10/15/2009 at 11:49 AM
This movie made my heart race !!!!! <3
Posted by: Brookie Dawn | 10/15/2009 at 03:28 PM
i love the book and i think it is cool that you made the movie .thank you so much for the movie.
Posted by: Tyler | 10/15/2009 at 11:34 PM
i'm lookig forward to seeing the movie
Posted by: dawson | 10/16/2009 at 10:03 AM
i read both of these books the very hungry catapiler and where the wilds things are and i love this book and so glad they are making a movie about it
Posted by: kaitlyn | 10/16/2009 at 10:05 AM
i think the 3wild things is intresting to watch. i cantg wait for it to come out. i am going to watch it when it comes out. and i want to get a dvd.
Posted by: nat nat | 10/16/2009 at 02:58 PM
it is a great movie!!!!!
Posted by: karolina kujawski | 10/17/2009 at 11:49 AM
yaaaa umm its ok i gess but i think its for babby's
Posted by: josh | 10/20/2009 at 12:10 PM
this movie rocks and why do people think it is scary?
Posted by: jasmine | 10/20/2009 at 01:50 PM
I have never seen this movie but I think it looks like a good movie.
Posted by: Kendra | 10/21/2009 at 09:22 AM
The think that the wild thing is funny not scary
Posted by: dani | 10/21/2009 at 09:22 AM
The movie isn't scary at all, who would say that? An adult? Of course.
Posted by: brandon | 10/21/2009 at 01:10 PM
actually they wer going to eat him at the beginning and the end so i think its pretty scary for kids but...they can still handle it
Posted by: Murphy | 10/21/2009 at 06:12 PM
i think the movie is interesting and the only people who would be scared is babies and adults. ha ha ha
Posted by: john | 10/22/2009 at 09:32 AM
the movie looks scary at first but when you start to watch it it's not scary. mwahahahahahahahahahahaha
Posted by: john | 10/22/2009 at 09:34 AM
this movie is so alsome thanks for it
Posted by: i love bruce more!! lol :p <3333bruce!!! | 10/22/2009 at 09:52 AM
this movie is sweet thank you
Posted by: Alyvia | 10/23/2009 at 10:03 AM
i saw the movie and I think it was awsome but a little to scary for really little kids (like 3, or 4.)
Posted by: person | 10/24/2009 at 05:45 PM
Also the movie a little sad at the end (Idon't know why but for some reason I cryed) :(
Posted by: person | 10/24/2009 at 05:47 PM