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revdorothyl at 01:40pm on 25/10/2009 under good-enough media mother, movie reviews, pop culture therapy
revdorothyl at 01:40pm on 25/10/2009 under good-enough media mother, movie reviews, pop culture therapyJust a quick note to say that I saw Where the Wild Things Are with a friend last night, and I can see why the critics are raving about it . . . though it was even more difficult to watch than I'd expected, simply because even the scenes on the island with the giant Jim Henson creatures were so REALISTIC (in terms of recognizable emotions and motivations and complications and pain).
I was particularly intrigued by the way that Max's kingship among the 'Wild Things' was a reflection not just of the way that little kids relate to one another in social groups, striving for dominance and forming little alliances, etc., but also of the way that children relate to a parent (not supposed to reply in kind when a kid's being difficult, but to be completely responsible for making the kid feel better, even if that requires being eaten).
Winnicott and Kohut and Melanie Klein would have a FIELD DAY with the biting/eating/devouring images and language, alone!
Definitely worth a look, but not an EASY movie to watch.
I was particularly intrigued by the way that Max's kingship among the 'Wild Things' was a reflection not just of the way that little kids relate to one another in social groups, striving for dominance and forming little alliances, etc., but also of the way that children relate to a parent (not supposed to reply in kind when a kid's being difficult, but to be completely responsible for making the kid feel better, even if that requires being eaten).
Winnicott and Kohut and Melanie Klein would have a FIELD DAY with the biting/eating/devouring images and language, alone!
Definitely worth a look, but not an EASY movie to watch.
not what you'd expect from the book, but ...
There was someone with a young child or two sitting behind us, and they didn't seem to be unduly scared or upset by the 'scary' parts -- perhaps because MAX isn't really portrayed as being afraid of the big furry creatures, most of the time, even when they're stomping around.
As a 'girl' I was appalled by all the rough-housing and rough play (snowball fights, wrestling, tackling, etc.) demonstrated by Max and by the Wild Things, but my friend (who has a son who just graduated from college and who grew up as the only girl with a bunch of boy cousins) kept murmuring 'that's exactly the way boys play!' in a half-laughing, half-'ick!' sort of way.
I suspect your boys would enjoy the island adventure scenes (the vast majority of the movie), though some of the larger themes might go over the younger one's head, at least.
(no subject)