In his 1963 children's picture book Where the Wild Things Are, author Maurice Sendak illustrated the restless mischief of childhood through a young boy's imaginary trip to a land where he could reign as king. It has since become a reading rite of passage, a work of understated genius that expertly captures those long-lamented growing pains. Now director Spike Jonze has undertaken the arduous task of translating this beloved work to the big screen -- and the results are amazing, as scary and as beautiful as being a kid all over again.

When we meet Max (Max Records), he feels like an outcast. Unable to interest his teenage sister in his homemade igloo, he responds with anger. Later, when his mother (Catherine Keener) pays more attention to her new boyfriend (Mark Ruffalo) than him, Max goes ballistic. Biting her, he takes off into the night. Soon, he's all alone and on a boat headed out to sea, finally landing on an island populated by "Wild Things," menacing-looking creatures with complicated psychological issues.

They include the meek Alexander (Paul Dano), the wary Judith (Catherine O'Hara), her calm mate Ira (Forest Whitaker), the quiet Bull (Michael Berry, Jr.), whipsmart Douglas (Chris Cooper) and the angry but approachable Carol (James Gandolfini). Instantly named ruler of all he surveys, Max is given a simple request - get rogue Wild Thing KW (Lauren Ambrose) to come back to the pack and make everyone happy again. This won't be easy, though. Max soon learns that his newfound family is just as complicated and "out of control" as the one he left back home.

Much like their new leader, the Wild Things are a curious and confused bunch; they follow Max's mandates without being totally sure of the consequences. As such, they become our source of insight in the film. Carol's anger management issues parallel the problems within Max, while KW's desire to break free and find new friends and adventures effectively encapsulates the process of growing up. The decision to use a combination of live actors in suits and technologically tweaked facial expressions serves the movie well. It gives everything an organic and tactile feel, completely in line with how young children experience the world around them.

Where the Wild Things Are stands as one of 2009's finest, an emotionally solid, narratively complex movie, visionary in its ability to lock into a confused nine-year-old's perspective. It's also a testament to Jonze's talent and the endearing qualities of the Sendak source. Reinventing the story to reflect post-modern problems and concerns, the script illustrates the trauma of being a kid circa 2009. Not only is Max adrift in his own private universe, he is reaching out all around himself, trying to make connections that never quite seem to be there.

Of course, it's dark. Of course, things get scary and complex. There are no easy answers in Where the Wild Things Are, no last act conflict that clears things up and saves the day. Instead, Jonze suggests that honesty and love go a long way toward conquering fear. In a genre that typically substitutes superficiality and schmaltz for sincerity and substance, Jonze's journey stands apart. Where the Wild Things Are is very special indeed.



Run for the hills.