Spike Jonze might not seem like the first choice for directing the film adaptation of a classic children’s book.  Through his commercials and music videos, he has shown himself to be a very playful person.  Still, he remains adult in theme, especially in his features Adaptation and Being John Malkovich. But Maurice Sendak, the beloved author and illustrator of the 1963 classic children’s book, Where the Wild Things Are, has trusted Jonze alone to faithfully adapt his work and make it his own.

Jonze is now in his late 30s, nearly the same age Sendak was when he penned the book, and the director recalls the material resonating strongly with him.  It’s more than nostalgia; it represents all the thoughts, feelings and experiences of being 9 years old. That’s the focal point, but as a stage in life we all pass through, it still bears relevance. Jonze took pains to make the film ring true for himself, so there was never any question of dumbing it down for kids. In making a film about childhood that adults will enjoy, Jonze eschews the trite moralities and excesses typical of the worst in children’s cinema. The result is also a lot better for kids.

The people complaining that nothing much happens in the way of plot aren’t strictly wrong. Most everything in Jonze’s adaptation comes straight from the 339-word book. The 9-year-old Max, played with incredible imagination and emotional range by Max Records, acts out and is scolded by his mother. He then ventures where the wild things are, becomes king, returns home and—I won’t spoil the ending.

The qualification “sparse” only applies to this retelling. The actual film is rich beyond measure. The real world makes up little more than a bookend for Max’s adventures abroad, but through wonderful performances and expert cinematography by Lance Acord, the audience becomes cemented in this reality.

These sections highlight common elements from childhood and show their dramatic effect, more powerful than we realize.  Adolescence is not a period of slow growth in a pod, a la science fiction. It is a time of big emotions, a time of wild rompings.

The other world is packed with depth and meaning.  The monsters represent big emotions, fragments of Max’s psyche and characters from the real world.  But they remain unbeholden to symbolism.

They are multi-dimensional characters with their own funny traits and desires. The monster Carol, voiced by James Gandolfini, elicits the deepest connection with the audience through his parallels with Max.

It’s no Rocky Horror Picture Show, but to really enjoy the film requires a degree of intimacy.  If no one howls alongside Max and the monsters in the theater, they will be howling outside.  Age really shouldn’t be a concern here. Anyone with a heart will find the capacity to fall in love with this film.