if the children don't grow up, our bodies get bigger but our hearts get torn up.

over a year ago, when i first saw the "where the wild things are" trailer, i got obsessed. SURPRISE. i never do that. anyway. i watched the trailer...quite a few times. and the more i thought about "wake up" being the song used in it, (the trailer, not the movie) the more i was confused. if one hears that^ line, used in the preview, they may think it was a peter panesque line. but it's not. neon bible has lots of lines about imagination and the beauty of childhood, but funeral is about death, and the realization of hard things in life, how we must deal with them, and grow. why would that be used in a preview for a child's movie, i wondered.

Anyway, the movie finally came out, and I didn't see it. and I didn't see it, and I didn't see it...I'm not really sure why...it seems I was just always with those who weren't going to see it, when my other friends were seeing it...I was unlucky...I don't know. Anyway, after over a year of anticipation, I finally watched the film last night. I'd heard tons of reviews, mostly confusing, so I was ready for anything.

I loved it. I couldn't stop analyzing the whole time...I hate when I'm ever a Judith, grumpy and negative and rude, not even the most realistic, just the most rude. I want to be the loveable Douglas, who never causes contention, and everyone loves, but even the Douglases get hurt sometimes...sometimes it's the innocent ones that get hurt the most. Every character in the movie portrayed different aspects of human nature...in everyone. Maybe certain traits/weaknesses/strengths pop up more in some than others, but we all have been in all of their places. One of my favorite characters was Max...the sweet boy who wants to make everything better, but doesn't know how. But no one knows how, no one's perfect in this life, (except for one was, of course) so we've all just got to struggle and try, and accept and learn from failure when it comes. What I loved, and what made my heart ache, the most about Max was the way he tried to pretend his problems didn't exist, his insecurities, his troubles, his sadnesses, and run around and have a "wild rumpus". I think I'm severely guilty of that. The thought of finishing school, getting married, growing up, having CHILDREN....terrrrifies me. Of course I'm excited for it. But. I have to get in every last moment of youth and fun and immaturity before it comes. And it often exhausts me. In many ways. That's why Max went home, because he knows he can't run away. From anything. It just doesn't work. That's one thing he's got on me, and Carol, who I think I'm the most like. One step behind everyone in reality, can't get over the fact KW is changing. (hates change.) Can't get over the fact the life isn't happy all the time, and wishes it would be. I think I've at least gotten to the point that I'm grateful for hard things, because I know it makes me grow, whereas I don't think Carol would be/is. Then poor Alexander, who's often hurt and ignored. NO ONE wants to be him. And no one likes to admit that we're ever him. But we all are. Sometimes. And that's okay. beCAUSE the point of the story is that Max goes HOME. To his MOM/family. And he's sorry about his tantrum, and he's ready to accept some hard things and move on. And not only is Mom waiting, she has dinner for him. And chocolate cake. I'm not saying literally every time you have a bad day you need to literally go home to your mother, I'm just saying EVERYONE needs SOMEONE. We're all mortal. And we all have problems. We all need to find those we love that can help us calm down and stop playing with the wild things, and running away, and face our issues and grow up.

Listen to "Wake Up" again. "We're just a million little gods causin' rainstorms, turning every good thing to rust. I guess we'll just have to adjust!" It's actually incredibly perfect for a trailer of the film.

No one's perfect. It's okay. We all have time to work on it. That's the point of this life. I love that film. I love Maurice Sendak and Spike Jonze and Max Records and Karen O for building this incredible piece of art, (with thousands of other people) triggering this analysis of my life. And for making all of us that have seen/will see the film feel that uncomfortable, but cleansing feeling when we realized we're looking in a figurative mirror. Which we weren't expecting. But we need it, all the same.