At least not young children. That is the sense that I am getting from the new movie being released on October 16, 2009. An adaptation of the classic children’s book, the movie has a darker, more sinister feel than many of the book’s core audience may be ready for. Especially since readers of the book start at about age four.

Let me start by saying that I view this book as one of the most formative of my youth. But what a book leaves up to the imagination of the reader, the movie fills in. And while my imagination when reading this book at age four may have only been able to take me so far, the movie takes the viewer where Spike Jonze, the director, wants you to go. Regardless of your age. So it begs the question, to whom is this movie marketed to? Children, teenagers or maybe adults who grew up with the book? I’m guessing it is more of the latter two. The kind of movie that a parent would take a 14-year-old to, not a 4 year old. Which is definitely not a typical target for movies.

I do however, acknowledge that anything that is truly different and unknown makes people apprehensive. When the book first came out there was a negative reaction. Librarians would not order it and parents were concerned about its dark imagery. But children loved it. Sendak claims that is because it respects kids. It doesn’t talk down to them. So I hope that I stand corrected and that children, young included, actually like this film. That is if parents allow their children to see it.

And since this film has been in talks for many years now and only Spike Jonze has gotten Sendak’s approval to bring it to the big screen, let’s hope that their vision will have the same impact on many of today’s children that the book once had on me. And that all this controversy will just make more people go and see it.

Here is an interview with Sendak and Jonze.