Sleep Needed

I am unsure whether or not the time change truly effected me, but I am extra tired. To a point where I might be able to fall asleep at my desk with a room full of children. What can I do? Blogging doesn't even seem to help. THIS is a problem, if I do say so.

Today I am suppose to discuss movies, but I honestly haven't been awake enough to watch a full movie through. However, I recently watched "Where the Wild Things Are", and I was pleasantly surprised. I was afraid it would be too out there (if that makes sense). But I loved it. I laughed. I cried. I cried some more. It was just as eerie, magical, and fantastic as I hoped for.

Max is a character that most children, and adults could relate to. This is an adaption of Maurice Sendak's classic story, where Max, a misbehaved boy is sent to bed without dinner, and creates a world of his own. In the movie version, viewers get the impression that Max feels alone in the world, even when he is surrounded by people. He has a wild imagination, which allows him to escape to a place where he is King. The movie captures the uncontrolled behaviors of the boy, as he reacts to his family, who pay little attention to him. He wears a ratty old costume, though he is too old to be dressing up. He hides away in this outfit, pretending to be places in his head. After a terrible fight with his mother, he runs away, stumbles upon a rowboat which leads him to this barren land filled with odd shaped creatures.

The monsters are amazing. I couldn't get over the costumes, and how wonderfully imaginative the design was. I remember reading this book as a child, and after watching the movie I wanted to go back and reread this. I didn't remember it being so sad! Though it is based on a children's book, I wouldn't necessary say this is a children's movie. The plot line is deep, and some parts could be deemed as frightening. As a child, I always found this book to be sad, dark and depressing at times. However, at the end of the paper version, there is a shred of hope for Max, when he wakes up and realizes that time has stood still while he was on his adventure. However, in the film version, I ended the movie still feeling upset for the boy. I am not sure what was truly resolved. The boy, who felt abandoned by his family, and reacted to their lack of attention in the real world, was a leader amongst monsters in his fictional world. He had to take on the role of a parent, tending to the monsters' problems and needs. They looked up to him for guidance and support. A heavy role for a child. If you are looking for a "feel-good" movie, this isn't it. However, the characters on Max's island represent a twisted mix of his family and his twisted view of himself. This is a story exemplifies the power to forgive, and the healing powers of reconciliation for families by wounded children.

I don't know if this is a movie I could see again and again, but it is definitely something worth watching at least once. It may bring you back to a point in your life where you felt small, abandoned, and unneeded. This movie captures that feeling, and makes every character, big or small, lovable.