Things have been quiet in the land of the monsters. Too quiet. But support for the the film came from an unexpected source -- Forest Whitaker. He actually provides a voice for one of the monsters, Ira. "He puts the holes in the trees," the Oscar-winner told MTV. "I have a wife and kid, and we're the only family unit inside [the land of the Wild Things]."

Whitaker was appalled at the rumors that Warner Bros was planning to reshoot the entire film, and promised to call director Spike Jonze to get the story. In the meantime, he wanted to stress his support for the film, and report that at least three children handled a screening of it just fine -- his own. "My children are 9, 11, and 16. It was intense. They liked it, though. They enjoyed it ... It's a good movie. I saw an early cut of it. I brought my kids to see it, and I was really impressed."
He confirms that the film is dark, but in an entirely appropriate way. "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. [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." Whitaker mentions one scene as being particularly controversial. "[Max] built this whole city, and nobody likes it, and he tears it all up. He's like, 'Well if you don't like it, I'm just going to tear it up!' because he wants so badly for someone to like it."

Whitaker also drops a hint as to where the Maurice Sendak story has seen some expansion. "This kid rolls by himself, no father figure; this is a single family home. 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." That is definitely a Dave Eggers addition, as everyone knows Max was only sent to his room for "making mischief." I trust Eggers though, and suspect this is going to be handled with sensitivity and tact.

Where the Wild Things Are sounds like one of those movies that today's generation genuinely needs -- something a little edgy and scary to perk up their brains. Kids can handle it, and they need to see a kid tear up cities and run around with monsters, because it is exactly the sort of thing they dream of doing. Why are we so intent on coddling and suppressing today's youth? The Wild Things story (and the accompanying indignation) refuses to stay buried, so hopefully Warner Bros will just shrug their shoulders and release it. No one wants another Fanboys saga.

Tags: dave eggers, DaveEggers, forest whitaker, ForestWhitaker, spike jonze, SpikeJonze, where the wild thing..., WhereTheWildThing...