I get wanting to teach kids about racism and civil rights in a much more palatable way (by using animals or non human characters) to make these concepts not as big and scary as they can be, but it’s belittling, even to children.

But, kids aren’t stupid. Mr. Rogers came out in ‘68 and covered incredible challenging and dark topics for kids. It was simplified, but definitely not sugar coated.

There are episodes where Mr. Rogers explains divorce, assignation, racism, and even terrorist attacks. They are honest but not brutal. He speaks to kids like humans, little humans, but humans.

I’ve yet to see any recent children’s television that even comes close (except Sesame Street but that’s been airing for years). But I digress. The point is don’t bother to use race relations as a plot point if it’s just a toned down rehashing.

Kids media should be just as truthful and challenging as adult media. Albeit, in a different way. But not so far removed that it’s just a shadow of what it’s supposed to represent.

Where the Wild Things Are is probably one of my favorite children’s movies ever. Most people complained when it was released that it wasn’t for kids, but I disagree.

It was definitely for kids. I’ve seen very few movies tell a story from a child’s perspective in such an accurate way. The way kids process emotions and situations through play is demonstrated perfectly.

None of it is blatant or cliche. It doesn’t hold your hand throughout for you to understand the plot. But you get what it’s trying to say. I’d say it’s a brilliant example of “show don’t tell”.

I saw the movie when I was about 12 and was so moved and related to it so deeply. It encapsulated exactly how big and confusing the world is for a kid.

On a side note, I adore how none of the wild things completely represent any one character in Max’s real life. They have echoes of his mother, his sister, and even himself, but they aren’t exact replicas.

One character in one scene can represent how isolated and misunderstood he feels in his family, and the next they could represent the rejection he’s subjected to by his sister.

At the end you can feel that all Max wants is to feel a part of something and wanted. He’s confused and scared and wants to feel comfort from his family. He seeks it out in his play world, but realizes he can’t run away from his problems. They don’t just disappear.

This thread turned into a Where the Wild Things Are review, but all I’m saying is make more complex kids media and stop treating them like they’re stupid. Give them something to think about and actually digest.

Other movies like Wild Things I recommend are: Room, Beasts of the Souther Wild, Inside Out and Summer of 84. Not all of these are kids movies, but they definitely do a great job of showing the world through the eyes of kids.