Art often begats art, yet filmmaker Spike Jonze must have had nerves as well as certain other physiology of steel to even consider putting his unique stamp on something as beloved and enduring as Maurice Sendak's "Where The Wild Things Are." Read by just about everyone who knows how, this 1963 children's classic about a boy taking refuge in his imagination makes its point with just 10 sentences, meaning that a feature-length adaptation would need to take some big narrative liberties - not to mention meet the formidable expectations of an entire generation that saw Sendak's words as implicit permission to unleash our own wild things. But Jonze rises to that challenge with warmth and beauty, getting to the heart of how it feels to be a kid.

Nine years old at the time of filming, Max Records stars as the rambunctious Max, whose inability to express his darker emotions leads to a fight with his single mom (the eternally welcome Catherine Keener) and a tumble down the proverbial rabbit hole. That's where Max encounters the Wild Things, all rendered stunningly from the page (thanks to Jim Henson's Creature Shop and some inventive CGI) but each now with distinct personality traits that evoke what's happening in Max's real world. Most revealing is the gentle, big-sisterly K.W. (voiced by Lauren Ambrose, "Six Feet Under"), trying to establish her own identity by making new friends, much to the dismay of Carol, a naïve, friendly giant who sounds a lot like Tony Soprano.

As brought to life by James Gandolfini, Carol represents Max's frustrated id, capable of feeling great hurt but unable to express himself without leaving a trail of wanton destruction. As their new king, Max finds himself in the unexpected post of de facto parent, especially with regards to the prickly Judith (Catherine O'Hara, brilliant) and the timid Alexander (Paul Dano, "Little Miss Sunshine"). Far from being the wild rumpus he envisioned, Max's new position of power calls for diplomacy and care, and it's through his relationship with the increasingly disillusioned Carol that Max begins to understand his own reactions to disappointment and their sometimes harmful effect on the people he loves.

Though Jonze sets his knowing tone early with a snowball-fight scene in which Max journeys from euphoria to tears in the blink of an eye, he's lucky to have found such a self-aware young man for the lead role. Records appears in nearly every scene, perfectly channeling the heartbreak of feeling left out and misunderstood. This may not sound that difficult for an actual kid, but Records is repeating the thoughts of Jonze and his co-writer Dave Eggers, who clearly, maybe even painfully, remember. Veering between quite silly (the new Bob and Terry plot point is truly inspired) and a bit scary - these are still big, toothy monsters - "Where The Wild Things Are" probably isn't for the children who would be experiencing the book currently; it's more for the former kids who have read it and now have a hindsight grasp on what Max was going through. There will, of course, be detractors; just tell them: "BE STILL!"