History Literature / WhereTheWildThingsAre

%%* MaybeMagicMaybeMundane

%%* TheQuietOne: Bernard.

%%* ThoseTwoGuys: Bob and Terry.

* SceneryPorn: Both the original's illustrations and the film has this a lot.

* IronicEcho: In the beginning of the movie, Max runs away from home after his mom says he was out of control after he bit her. By the end, Max says that [[spoiler: Carol]] is out of control after [[spoiler: Carol ripped off Douglas' arm]], Max then proceeds to run away from [[spoiler: an enraged Carol]]. And the same music plays both times!
** And later, [[spoiler:when KW is hiding Max from Carol]], even ''she'' tells Carol that he's out of control.

* AdaptationExpansion: Pretty much required, as the original book was '''''10 sentences long'''''.
* AlphaBitch: Judith.
* BerserkButton: Mention any idea you have to Carol that could ''imply'' breaking up the clan of monsters, and may God have mercy on your soul!
** Also, no matter what you do, ''do not'' lie to him. He will take it badly. ''Really'' badly.

* BittersweetEnding

* BodyHorror: See OnlyAFleshWound
* ButNowIMustGo

* {{Calvinball}}: All the games Max comes up with.
* ChaoticStupid: Max's incident with his mother.

* CoolBigSis: KW. Formerly Max's older sister, Claire.
* ComingOfAgeStory
* DeadpanSnarker: Judith

* FakeUltimateHero
* FamilyOfChoice: The Wild Things. Lampshaded by Carol.
* GenreSavvy: Douglas shows Carol what's up [[spoiler: and gets his arm ripped off for it]].

* GrowingUpSucks: Though really the film is more like "change in general is scary and can suck," than just growing up.

* KidsAreCruel: Max at the start.
* LetsMeetTheMeat: "Hello, Richard."

* MamaBear: KW
* MaybeMagicMaybeMundane
* MoodSwinger: Carol, and, to a lesser extent, all of the wild things.
* MoodWhiplash: Goes from [[RuleOfFunny being funny]] to being serious to being sort of creepy to [[TearJerker being sad]]. Several times.

* OnlyAFleshWound: "That was my favorite arm."

** KW is pretty reasonable too, though she's disassociated with the rest.
* ParentsAsPeople

* TheQuietOne: Bernard.

** There's a scene where Max is being shown his "kingdom", which is a pretty obvious reference to Disney/TheLionKing. Some of the dialogue is very similar to that scene, as well.
* SnowballFight: And dirtclod fight!

* ThoseTwoGuys: Bob and Terry.
* TroubledAbuser: [[spoiler: Carol]].
* VillainousBreakdown: [[spoiler: Carol towards the end.]]
* WatchingTheSunset
* WhamLine: "Just don't ever let Carol find out". At that moment, you just ''know'' what's going to happen next.
----

& ThoseTwoGuys: Bob and Terry.

** Max's mom also has a phone conversation with a "Mr. Lasseter". Back in the 80's [[{{Pixar}} John Lasseter]] attempted to make a WTWTA movie with Disney. It would have been one of the earliest examples of CGI in film, featuring traditionally animated characters in 3D CGI environments.

* TheChewToy: Douglas, who is okay with being thrown around ([[GrievousHarmWithABody literally]]). [[CrossesTheLineTwice It's hilarious.]] [[spoiler: So is his arm getting ripped off.]]

* WhatCouldHaveBeen: KNB EFX was initially offered the chance to do the creature effects based on their work on ''TheChroniclesOfNarnia'' films. The company turned it down as they felt adapting the book was a bad idea.

* HeyItsThatVoice: Carol, the lead wild thing, is ''[[Series/TheSopranos Tony Soprano.]]''
** The actress behind K.W. was none other than fellow HBO-alum, [[Series/SixFeetUnder Claire Fisher]]!
** And Ira is [[Film/GhostDogTheWayOfTheSamurai Ghost Dog]].

* WordOfGod: The names of the monsters.

* NeverTrustATrailer: The trailer for the 2009 film pretty much shows Max having fun/goofy adventures with the titular Wild Things. The actual film, however, is pretty depressing.

* SadistTeacher: Max's class on astronomy drifts off into a discussion on how everything is going to die, and a list of all the ways all of humanity could be wiped out, delivered cheerfully obliviously to a class of 9-year olds.

* OnlySaneMan: The Monsters' voice of reason is Alexander. Too bad nobody ever listens to him.
** KW is pretty reasonable too, though she's disassociated with the rest.

* TeensAreMonsters: Played with. Claire's friends don't wreck Max's snow fort out of malice but out of playing too hard for the smaller kid. They even look genuinely upset when they realize what they've done -- but are much too self-conscious to apologize.

* NoNameGiven: All of the monsters. Sendak had names that never appeared in the book for some of them -- Tippy, Aaron, Moishe, Bruno, Emile, Bernard -- but never gave a name to the goat in the books or art (he's just referred to as Goat Boy).

* ABoyandHisX: A Boy and His Tribe of Monsters.

* NightmareFuel: Carol [[spoiler: ripping off Douglas's arm.]]
** Potentially lessened by the fact that none of the characters (including Douglas himself) react in a way that implies that Douglas is in pain. If anything he reacts more with annoyance. However, this could go the other way, and the disproportionate reaction might make it seem even *more* unsettling.

** There's a scene where Max is being shown his "kingdom", which is a pretty obvious reference to TheLionKing. Some of the dialogue is very similar to that scene, as well.

''"Let the wild rumpus start!"''

''Where the Wild Things Are'' is a children's book by [[AuthorExistenceFailure now-late]] Maurice Sendak. [[VindicatedByHistory It was originally panned by critics, but has since become a beloved classic]].

There are two film adaptations, the more recent one directed by Creator/SpikeJonze of ''BeingJohnMalkovich'' fame with a soundtrack by [[YeahYeahYeahs Karen O]].

* [[ABoyandHisX A Boy and His Tribe of Monsters]]