Where wild things are (w/ spoilers)

We watched the movie last Thursday. The movie was ok, although I'm not sure if kids will enjoy it. but I'm sure they'll like the big and furry mascots. I guess, the people who will enjoy it better are those who have read the book. Unfortunately, I wasn't one of them. Nevertheless, I still was able to find ways to enjoy the movie by resorting to my 'book-standards' sense of enjoyment and by trying to relate the story to the deeper reality that it points to.

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Now for the insights and spoilers:

The need for child to have a company.

Max, just like all the kids, needed someone to be with him. We know common cases of kids channeling their frustration by becoming mean to other kids just to get the attention that they long for. And often, it leads them to seek it from other people, from material things or from harming themselves to force other people to notice them. By nature, we are not meant to be alone and man's natural need to have company manifested in Max's situation. Without the guidance and care of parents and good friends, not only do we deprive children of the necessary support, but we also force them to live a life contrary to the Lord's plan.

After reaching the island and living there, Max realized how hard things are going to be. He met creatures that soon became his friends. To save himself, he introduced himself as a king who has powers. Because of this, the creatures made him as their king, giving them hope. We have a direction when we have a our Lord as our king. False king, just like idolizing of other things other than God, gives us false hope. True hope strengthens and sustains us to move forward and reminds us that the suffering we go through is nothing compared to the reward we will get (Pope BXVI Spe Salvi). A good king doesn't only make us accomplish things but make us happy in doing it and makes us love what we do.

We build up things and when we eventually find out that we don't have a direction in things we do, we turn around. In reaching this point, we had realized that our actions become meaningless and we find that the only way to correct things is when we turn towards our real purpose.

We realize the value of our parents especially when we struggle. I remember when I was a kid, when I wanted my parents to buy me a toy and my parents won't buy it for me, I will do the same things as what Max did, try to irritate my parents. If it still doesn't work then I try to hurt myself to make them worry. Often, if I get their attention and make them give in to my wants, I most of the time think things over if I really like what I had been asking. I'm sure you had been into the same situation. In our salvation history, to make man learn, God had to let man experience the consequence of sin. Through the Mosaic Law, the Lord demonstrated the effects of sin. It is through this experience that man better realizes and appreciate an unruptured relation with God. And by having the Bible, every man will have the opportunity to look back at history to realize how hard it is to be a slave of sin.

In the Old Covenant, the Lord has made us realize how our world will be without His mercy and if we try to impossibly earn heaven by ourselves. We can't earn heaven. God will have to freely give it to us. That is why only in uniting ourselves to Christ, the source of Grace, can we please God.

After realizing how he loves and misses his mom, Max decided to go home. This situation captures the meaning of "metanoia", one's change of mind and a complete turning around, a surrender of oneself to God's love for only in Him can we find love, happiness and the very meaning of our life.

Happy Anniversary, Groupmates!

Your groupmate,
eric