parents beware of this movie.... (animation, boys, 8 yr old, college)
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I'm sure if you are one who actually monitors what movies your kid sees, you will not let them see this one.
Just another movie condoning rebellion and portraying parents as the bad buys.....IMO.
The message should be parents, realize that this isn't some fluffy feel-good piece.
And for those who wonder about Sendak's own response to parents who criticize the movie as being too scary, or having other such issues: "I would tell them to go to hell. That's not a question I will tolerate."
I found an interesting story about the movie that addresses this discussion. Here's an excerpt by the author that addresses my question about the age demographic of the book versus that of the movie:
I'm a bit conflicted about this. I abhor the common practice of dumbing down a film and sanitizing it to be kid-friendly, but...come on. This is a book aimed at five year olds. If anything, this is smelling more like a case of edging it up to appeal to grownups. There's nothing wrong with that, either, but I really think the film needs to appeal to the book's target demographic and not exclude them just because Spike Jonze and Dave Eggers want to be dark and edgy.
I saw a preview for WTWTA in the theater today and thought it looked kind of like the Narnia movies in terms of lighting and cinematography and my take is that the movie looks like it will be good but maybe a bit dark in tone for kids under 8. Naturally, all kids are different so the experience with a specific younger child may vary. :-)
Kids *should* rebel. In order to become strong and capable individuals, they must have and exercise the desire to make their own independent decisions. That means taking the decision making process away from adults. That may or may not include conflict, depending on the adult in question. But rebellion against arbitrary authority is the behavior of a self-realized individual.
Parents *are* the bad guys. We're also the good guys. We're also teachers, and guides, and friends, and monsters and comfort and danger and safety. We are, ultimately, whatever our children need to grow and become capable individuals.
I will let my son see it, he loves the book, was the little boy in a play, but like haggardhouseelf, we will wait until it comes out on DVD, going to the movies is to expensive.
It's also nice to watch at home where you can talk about stuff, even pause if you want to, without having people shoosh you and throw popcorn at you! Not to mention those potty breaks... plus homemade popcorn is so much yummier! If the film is too dark, things feel safer at home anyway... where you can turn the sound down a bit (it's so crazy loud in theaters...) and cuddle up under your favorite blanket.
Harry Potter is dark and scary and creepy, yet kids and families love it. Same with films like Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and The Nightmare Before Christmas. Even The Wizard of OZ is pretty creepy, and it's rated "NR". Those flying monkeys and army of - winkie's? - scared the heck out of me when I was a kid. But I still loved it.
Four out of the five Harry Potter films that have come out were rated PG, and so is the Wild Things film. A PG rating can be very different than a G rating. Parents need to remember that. If dark or creepy films like this disturb you, or you think it might harm your child somehow, stick with G-rated films - Veggie tales comes to mind. But even then there will be parents with issues. Even the Wallace and Grommit films - which are rated G - have some creepy, dark, and scary things in them.
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Not to mention those potty breaks... plus homemade popcorn is so much yummier! If the film is too dark, things feel safer at home anyway... where you can turn the sound down a bit (it's so crazy loud in theaters...) and cuddle up under your favorite blanket.
