Trailer for 'Where the Wild Things Are' released

By Sarah Sluis

Warner Bros. just released its (extremely well-made) trailer for Where the Wild Things Are. Unlike most movie trailers, this one seems targeted not for children, but for twenty- and thirty-somethings that grew up

with Maurice Sendak's acclaimed book, published in 1988 and the winner of the Caldecott Medal.

First, it's set to the Arcade Fire song "Wake Up." Second, Dave Eggers penned the screenplay and Spike Jonze directed the work, two names that have cachet among the age group. Third, this movie has moved around its release dates, which occasionally indicates changes in strategy/trouble, and will now release on October 17. All of the moving around was accompanied by blogosphere rumors that the film was testing too edgy and subversive for children, which might explain why the trailer seems targeted towards adults. Last year, Beverly Hills Chihuahua opened in early October to great box office, so it's not a dump (in fact, one of the planned release dates was February, also similar to the October slot) but a less competitive time than a summer or December release. I'm certain that Where the Wild Things Are doesn't expect twenty and thirty-somethings to be the primary audience for the movie, but this is the kind of trailer that makes me wish I had a nephew or niece to take to the movies.

I had heard that Where the Wild Things Are would be a mix of live action/CGI, but I certainly didn't expect the kind of miniature/claymation work that also sneaks into the trailer. There are also many jump cuts on

running, itself a common occurrence in movie trailers, but this trailer closely aligns main protagonist Max's position in the shots so we see him continuously running while the background changes from the land of Where the Wild Things Are and his home, a rather thrilling use of editing.

Sendak's book is pretty short on plot, and long on mood, but based on one shot in the trailer, I have confidence that Jonze and Eggers will be able to embellish the plot while preserving the simple emotions that drive the story. Max sneaks a look of his parents sharing some wine and lovey-dovey looks with each other. It conveys so

much of that kid movie emotion, where you love and hate your parents at the same time, and explains some of the alienation Max feels from his parents, who don't understand him and are wrapped up in their own lives. If my memory serves me correctly, the scene must come after Max is sent to bed without dinner for misbehaving. While I'll have to wait until October 17th to find out, Where the Wild Things Are seems like a solid adaptation with a thoughtful marketing campaign.