Where the Wild Things Are, my review...

One of my favorite books is The Penderwicks by Jeanne Birdsall. When it was published it received a lot of criticism for being too light, too innocent, not realistic. I read an interview from Jeanne who said that she did not have a great childhood and she never liked reading books about kids who were having hard childhoods, she wanted to escape. She was living a hard reality, she didn't want to read about one.

I wonder if people who are having hard realities or lived through them as children will relate to this movie in a positive way or a hard way...

As I was sitting there in the theater with a dear friend and her two children, all of whom had just gotten through a divorce, I wondered what children of divorce think about movies that are so obviously about a child surviving a divorce and the out of control feeling that thier life has. Maybe they really relate and understand that each of the Wild Things represented something in Max's life, or were a part of Max himself. But, my nine year old son, who blessedly has not had anything overly bad touch him yet, leaned over and said, "this is a movie about depression. Nobody is happy." Later he said, "there were a few parts that made me laugh but the rest was anger and sadness."

Now, I am not saying this is a bad movie at all. It was so cool to see and it was well done, I just don't think we will buy it nor do I have any desire to see it again. Unless, and I fervently pray not, divorce were to ever become a reality for our family, then it might be handy.

And for people who argue that you need to show kids the reality of the world I say sure. But, there are still families who make it. There are still kids who have great childhoods. There are still parents who spend time with their children. We can also celebrate those families in books and movies. Childhood doesn't have to be gloom and doom.