Book vs Movie (Where The Wild Things Are)

Where The Wild Things Are

           

In today’s culture books and movies are two of our most prominent forms of entertainment. There are constant changes in books and even more so in movies. Movies are remade and digitally altered to be more appealing to the people watching. Good movies are turned into books and more often good books are turned into movies. Sometimes audiences are disappointed in the change from a book to a movie like the first three Twilight movies. The Twilight books got people hooked, and the movies were just eh. Other times the movie remake of a book is just as good as the book if not better like the Harry Potter movies, or the Lord of the Rings. One of the most amazing transformations from a book to a movie, in my opinion is Where The Wild Things Are. (If you would like to watch the trailer click here.) What originated as a twenty page, ten sentence children’s story (Click here for a link to read the book online) was turned into a full length movie. There is a lot of controversy over the movie, but there is a reason why so many changes had to be done during the creation of the movie.

One of the biggest changes done to the story is the addition of many extra scenes that were not in the book. They added scenes of Max playing in the snow outside, his mother having people over, and Max’s older sister being mean to him. They also extended scenes to make them longer, like the scene of the wild rumpus that was two pages long in the book and was much longer in the movie. The main reasons for these changes are that a twenty page children’s book would most likely turn into a really horrible five minute film. The changes had to be done in order for the book to be turned into a full length movie.

The producers also made changes that made the movie more appealing to a different audience. Where The Wild Things Are the book is a children’s story that almost any aged child would enjoy, while the movie is a little m ore in depth and geared towards a different age group. The movie is also a little scarier, there is much more hatred, violence and depression which makes it more appealing to an older audience, from teens to adults. They probably did this because making the movie more appealing to a larger audience brings in more revenue.

Other changes were made to the movie because they just made more sense. For example it makes more sense that Max gets angry with him mom, runs away and finds the boat that takes him to the wild things than it does that his room just began to turn into the forest. Also, in the book when Max finally gets more he has a hot bowl or porridge waiting for him, while in the movie he has a slice of cake.

Although overall most people were disappointed in the turn out of the movie ( I wasn’t at all) we have to give some credit to them for turning  such a short children’s story into a movie. Not only were they very creative with adding details and extra scenes they still kept the same message – Don’t’ disrespect or disobey your mum because if you do giant monsters will threaten to “eat you up”. 

Compare and Contrast

 Where the Wild Things Are Book

·         He eats porridge at the end of the book.

·         The book is 20 pages, 10 sentences.

·         He literally sees his bed turning into trees and his walls turning into the forest.

Where the Wild Things Are Movie

·         He eats cake at the end of the movie. 

·         They build a large hut out of stick and rocks.

·         The book goes way more in depth about Max’s emotional issues. (fear, hatred, depression)

·         They add many more plot lines to the movie.

·         He runs away from home and finds the boat to take him.

Both the Book and the Movie

·         There is an epic wild rumpus.

·         Boy is misbehaving and goes to the island of the wild things.

·         The wild things look the same in both. 

·         The wild things make Max Their king

·         Max gets hurt (emotionally) learns a life lesson and decides to go back home.

·         Wore his wolf costume

·         Terrorized the dog

·         Threatened to eat his loved ones.