Moonrise Kingdom (2012)

Moonrise Kingdom is one of best kids’ movies to come out in decades, and it’s highly doubtful that very many young people have actually seen it. In this case, Wes Anderson’s status as indie auteur with endless hipster cred has probably hurt the film. Even with a great young cast, the film is still aimed at his usual target market (aside from The Fantastic Mr. Fox). Moonrise should be in the pantheon of the great pre-teen movies of old, when there were studio films aimed at younger audiences didn’t condescend, pander, or censor (all that much anyway). It was ok for kids to behave somewhat close to how they were in real life, while still having fantastical adventures. This is movie is a throwback to a time when Hollywood youth cursed, misbehaved (and got away with it), faced real obstacles, and were just getting a bit horny (but, you know, in a cute way).

This is still essentially a romantic comedy, so you won’t see any of the darkness contained in the classic pre-teen dramas of Stand By Me (poking a dead dude), E.T. (almost dying, getting shot at by the feds), The Neverending Story (most depressing horse death scene ever), or Space Camp (alone in space with depleting oxygen). What you do get is kids acting smart and mature, usually more so than the old folks. Even though it’s funny, the filmmakers don’t treat the burgeoning adults’ feelings as anything but true and real. That’s always the sign of a truly great kids’ movie: respect for young people and their feelings.

Suzi (Kara Hayward) and Sam (Jared Gilman) are young lovers separated by an equally restrictive New England island house/compound and Khaki (Boy) Scout camp. After much planning and letter writing, the two flee their respective homes and families into the woods in search of an isolated cove. The couple is perused and eventually caught by the scouts and the island’s limited police force (one Captain, played by Bruce Willis). Once Sam, an orphan, is scheduled to be taken away by Social Services, the scouts band together to help get him escape and get Suzi.

The only real downfall of Moonrise, and a possible deterrent to kids actually watching it, is the adult sequences, primarily the ones with Suzi’s parents (Bill Murray and Frances McDormand). The consistent cuts to scenes of their marital problems really don’t have a place in this film; all it does is interrupt the interesting parts. Blame it on adult scriptwriting, attempting to satisfy adult audiences, or a desire to give the well-known actors more screen time; who knows? Parental issues have always been in these kinds of films, but they occupied a background position and usually just provided a reason for the kids’ departure to adventure.

That journey is beautifully shot and meticulously constructed in signature Wes Anderson fashion. This is one of his most whimsical films yet, with allusions as diverse as fairy tales and French New Wave. He is an expert at creating detailed, insular worlds that simultaneously feel wondrous and real. None of us were that cool, cute, smart, inventive, creative, or mature at twelve, but that’s one of the appeals of Anderson’s films; he draws us into fantastic worlds and gives us the opportunity to live vicariously through the characters for a couple of hours. It’s intelligent, escapist entertainment.

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