There was an instance where I was arrested at a student protest and it would have been great if Forest Whitaker had suddenly appeared to passionately articulate and argue my case to the police rather than the guy who yelled, “Dude! Run! No! Don’t!” Whitaker, who plays one of the main Wild Things in in the notoriously delayed and troubled Where the Wild Things Are, is backing the film’s director, Spike Jonze, and the flick 100 percent. Good to see, innit? So, is the film really too scary and mature for kids as test audiences have reported? Here’s what Whitaker, who saw the film with his children aged 9, 13, and 16, just told MTV…
“I play Ira, he puts the holes in the trees,” the Oscar-winner grinned. “I have a wife and kid, and we’re the only family unit inside [the land of the Wild Things]. It’s a good movie. I saw an early cut of it. I brought my kids to see it, and I was really impressed.”
And then he got all deep….
“[The dark scenes] are the point of the movie, and I hope that they maintain that point, because I think children can identify with a character who is upset. …[Max] rolls by himself, no father figure; this is a single family home,” he continued, with passion. “His mother ends up having a boyfriend that becomes like a monster to him…people have to build trust with the people their parent starts to date…These are real issues that the character deals with, and I hope that [the filmmakers] continue to explore them, because kids need to see that; they need to see that other kids are dealing with it.”
“The thing is, it’s one thing to read [scary stuff] in a book, but when you see an itty-bitty kid running alongside a 10-foot-giant on the side of a cliff, it gets intense. But that’s the point, because we’re representing the things inside of the kid. They represent his struggles, either him being too angry or being confused, or not feeling like he belongs. They’re a gargantuan extension of the way he’s feeling inside.”
Whitaker said he’s going to give Jonze a ring and see what the deal is with the ambitious and pricey ($75 mill) kid’s film. As we previously reported, Warner Bros. has now a set the film’s release date for October 2009; you know, that’s only 19 months to go. Jonze hasn’t released any more statements for the picture after identifying the early test footage that hit the Net back in February to oooh’s, ahhh’s and hmmm’s. Let’s hope Warner Bros. takes the Oscar winner’s opinion into consideration, and don’t let your support fall by the wayside either.
March 26th, 2008 at 12:23 pm
Go Forest!
March 26th, 2008 at 12:29 pm
Spike Jonze is known for being an offbeat indy director. If they wanted to make a kiddie film, just hire a more mainstream director.
Good for Forrest.
March 26th, 2008 at 12:35 pm
Great, I can’t wait to see the Spike Jonze version
March 26th, 2008 at 12:51 pm
That! What he said! He nailed it.
I’ve been loudly championing this one on the web since I saw it in December. I was part of the test screenings. The people they got for that? They weren’t the sharpest cookies in the shed.
Overheard exiting the theater: “I don’t get it. Why didn’t the monsters ever talk?” (Note: They did; the CGI on their faces wasn’t done yet so their lips didn’t move). Apparently, people are turned off by the idea of taking their children to a movie that in rough cut form is too challenging for them to understand as adults.
Help me help Spike! Voice your disgust (again) with Legendary Pictures/Playtone/Warner Bros decision to reshoot! Tell them you want to see this version AND THAT YOU WOULD/WILL TAKE YOUR CHILDREN. That’s obviously what they want to hear. It probably wouldn’t hurt to mention you’ll buy your kids some of whatever crap they’re going moichendise for this film as well (also, mention your plans to buy for yourself you collector geeks).
Send letters here:
Legendary Pictures
4000 Warner Blvd
Building 76
Burbank, CA 91522
This film is a collaboration between Legendary and Playtone. Playtone.com (Under Construction) links to Tom Hanks Myspace Page!
http://www.myspace.com/tomhanks
Tell Tom what you think!!!
SAVE THE WILD THINGS!!!
March 26th, 2008 at 1:13 pm
Forest Whitaker is my hero!!!!!!!
Warner Brothers is the one studio I feel cannot get in-touch with
America today. Yes, they made 300, it made a lot of money ,but
it was the filmmakers that insisted 300 had to be rated R…not WB
Warner wanted 300 to be PG-13!!! See what I’m getting at, if you want
to make a risky movie, Warner Brothers is NOT the company. They’ll
do anything to make your movie bland.
And WB is the one that (although its rumored) said after the poor
box-office numbers for “The Brave One” that no more female
led films will be released from the studio.
WARNER LISTEN TO FOREST! LISTEN TO SPIKE! WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE: SPIKE”S CUT IS WHAT WE WANT!!!!
March 26th, 2008 at 1:58 pm
this is potentially one of the best kids movies ever. ditto wes anderson’ fantastic mister fox. i hope more edgy, former indie directors get to make kids movies, too many shoddy et clones out there
March 26th, 2008 at 3:09 pm
If this pulls through and Jonze’ version comes out, it will be a great step forward for indie directors and writers to get more non studio crap made.
March 26th, 2008 at 3:36 pm
That’s damn fresh.
March 26th, 2008 at 8:04 pm
I agree with Pete. Did they see Being John Malkovich? Adaptation? If they wanted mainstream, they should have chosen a different director. They NEED to release the original version!
March 27th, 2008 at 8:14 am
I still don’t understand the response to the cut being dark and scary. I remember feeling melancholy from reading the book when I was a kid. The source material is a bit dark and scary (for a children’s book)! Whitaker definitely gets it, and maybe his support will help the studio give us the original version.
March 27th, 2008 at 10:02 am
I agree the source material is dark and a
little scary. I loved this book as a kid, especially
for the monsters! When my daughter was 5yrs old
I pulled out a copy and read it to her — first reaction?
“That was scary.”
I did get a little animated with it, so I toned it
down a bit the next time I read it. :) It became
one of her childhood favorites as she grew older.