From Book to Film 2024: Where the Wild Things Are (2009) 15th Anniversary
Director: Spike Jonze Run Time: 101 min. Rating: PG Release Year: 2009
Starring: Catherine Keener, Lauren Ambrose, Max Records, Ryan Corr, Spike Jonze
Country: Germany, United States, Australia
Language: English
From Book to Film at Gateway Film Center
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About the film:
Innovative director Spike Jonze collaborates with celebrated author Maurice Sendak to bring one of the most beloved books of all time to life in Where the Wild Things Are (2009), a classic story about childhood and the places we go to figure out the world we live in.
“for anyone who’s ever climbed trees, grazed knees or basked in the comfort of a parent’s sympathy as they’ve pulled you off the ground… It’ll make your inner child run wild.”
—Dan Jolin, Empire Magazine
The film tells the story of Max, a rambunctious and sensitive boy who feels misunderstood at home and escapes to where the Wild Things are. Max lands on an island where he meets mysterious and strange creatures whose emotions are as wild and unpredictable as their actions.
The Wild Things desperately long for a leader to guide them, just as Max longs for a kingdom to rule. When Max is crowned king, he promises to create a place where everyone will be happy. Max soon finds, though, that ruling his kingdom is not so easy and his relationships there prove to be more complicated than he originally thought.
About the filmmaker:
Spike Jonze is an Academy Award-winning director and producer known for his visually arresting and innovative music videos and films. His has crafted the critically acclaimed features Being John Malkovich (1999), Adaptation (2002), Where the Wild Things Are (2009), and Her (2013), along with music videos for major artists, including Beastie Boys’ “Sabotage” (1994), Weezer’s “Buddy Holly” (1994), and Fatboy Slim’s “Praise You” (1999) and “Weapon of Choice” (2001). Jonze is the creator and executive producer of the television show Jackass (2000–2002) and the subsequent films Jackass: The Movie (2002) and Jackass: Number Two (2006). He directed the televised comedy performance Aziz Ansari: Right Now (2019), and in 2020 he helmed the documentary Beastie Boys Story.
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