Where the Wild Things Are was rated PG. I was wondering whether to let my 4-year-old son watch it, didn’t know if he would sit through a live-action movie, and wasn’t quite sure why it was PG. But ultimately, my wife and I felt that our little monster might like to see some playful monsters on screen, so we rented “Where the Wild Things Are” in HD over the weekend.
And what do you know, it wasn’t what my wife expected. I knew it was artsy, but didn’t know how much, and I wasn’t sure how my son would react to the film.
Turns out my son really enjoyed the film. A 4-year-old doesn’t focus on cinematography (which was excellent), accompanying soundtrack (again awesome) and particular movie elements like foreshadowing, framing, etc. Yet, my son really grasped the meaning of the film and was quite emotional during scenes involving themes of family, friendship and goodbyes.
I also really enjoyed the movie, but to see my son cry “happy tears” during a movie is quite moving in itself. I don’t know if WTWTA would have had the same effect on me if I didn’t watch it with my 4-year-old; I’m just really glad that I did.
(side note: I also think one of the movie’s messages might actually curb some of his disobedience too. So me and the mrs. Hi-5 each other!)
Highly recommend this film for any kid ages 4 and up. They can handle the themes and enjoy it immensely.