A View of The Idea of Maturity as Portrayed in The Film Moonrise Kingdom, with Wes Anderson as The Director

Introduction

Growing up is a different experience for everyone, but for certain individuals, tragedy and sensitivity can impact them in negative ways. Until they reach a coming of age point where they can accept their differences and begin to love themselves and join society again. With there being a large amount of works that portray this plot, I wanted to choose a movie that I truly understood and connected with; therefore, I chose "Moonrise Kingdom," directed by Wes Anderson.

A View of The Idea of Maturity as Portrayed in The Film "Moonrise Kingdom"

This story is about a boy named Sam Shakusky, a twelve-year-old orphan sent by his foster family to become a khaki scout at Camp Ivanhoe, located on an island off the coast of New England. He is an introvert who does not feel like he has a place anywhere in the world. That is until he meets Suzy Bishop a year prior to the events. Suzy lives on the opposite side of the island with her parents and three younger brothers. She is also an introvert in the way Sam is by believing she does not really belong in her family. The two make a promise to each other that they will run away together, which is what the entire plot of the film consists of. Sam uses his Khaki Scout skills to set up camp, feed, and take care of Suzy during their journey. He meticulously plans the trip on a map for them. They overcome many obstacles while on their trip, such as battling the other Khaki Scouts when they are found in the woods and fighting them off to freedom.

Literary Techniques and Themes

While that is a short summary of the plot of the film, many literary techniques are used to show the coming of age moment of both Sam and Suzy. One literary technique used is Romance/Love throughout the entire film. A flashback occurs at the beginning, showing the first time the two met a year prior at a play called "Noye’s Fludde," where Suzy plays as a dark, black raven. Sam sneaks into the dressing room and appears in front of a group of girls and directly points Suzy out and asks her what kind of bird she is. Right before leaving to return to Camp Ivanhoe, Suzy writes Sam a note, giving him her address and asking him to write her. Fast-forwarding to the present, the two finally come together again and begin their journey. From my opinion, Sam and Suzy instantly connect with each other and form a very strong bond. Both children think they do not belong until they are together and realize they are not alone at all because they have each other and ultimately mature together, bringing them to their coming of age moment.

Another important technique used is the definitions of family. This was obvious because Sam does not have a family at all, while Suzy does but struggles to fit in with hers. During the film, Scoutmaster Randy has no idea that Sam is an orphan until the island police, Captain Sharp, contacts his family to notify them that he has gone missing. Sam’s foster father tells the Captain that he can no longer accept Sam back into their house because it would be unfair for the other children. This is yet another struggle that Sam has to deal with because not only does he not have a real family, but he is denied by his foster family as well. The worst part of this is Sam has no idea that his foster parents do not want him to return and even tells Suzy that he thinks they are finally becoming a family and getting to know each other better. This tragedy definitely plays a part in the growth and development of Sam throughout his childhood.

Character Development and Resolution

On the other hand, Suzy has two loving, supportive parents along with three younger brothers. But she still feels like she does not fit in her family, for she gets into trouble at school for her anger issues, therefore making her think she is a disappointment to them. This is the whole reason she decides running away with Sam is better than staying with her family.

Sam and Suzy make it to their goal destination on a beach, but a bad storm is headed for the island, so the search party formed by Scoutmaster, Captain Sharp, and Suzy’s parents becomes a crucial task to find the two. Fear fades away as the search party finally finds the two children and brings them to safety. Tension is strong when Sam is finally confronted with the truth of his foster family while Suzy faces the repercussions of running away from home. But I think this is a really important moment for both of them because they finally get the chance to come to reality of their lives. Sam finally knows the truth that even his foster family does not want him to return home after receiving a letter from his foster father explaining it is not fair for the other children. He also tells Scoutmaster Randy he no longer wants to be a Khaki Scout for he feels as if he does not belong there either, that is until the scouts decide Sam has enough torture and torment and they decide to help him get Suzy back. They take both Sam and Suzy to a neighboring Khaki Scout camp, Fort Lebanon, where they can finally be together hopefully for good this time. As the storm grows closer, a flash flood warning is sent out all over, and an emergency evacuation becomes in order. The flood is disastrous to the island, and I think it represents the change the island needed, because after all the damages it causes, it brought everyone back together as a community.

Conclusion

Sam finally has a place where he feels like he has a family and belongs, while Suzy gets the chance to confront her mom on how she is cheating on her father with Captain Sharp, the island police. I think the ending really ties everything together because Sam gets to stay on the island and still see Suzy while finally having a family to call his own. Finally, with the destruction of family, love ultimately wins, and both Sam and Suzy have a new outlook on the world and, rather than being pessimistic, they move forward to do great things together in life as a couple.

References

Anderson, W. (Director). (2012). Moonrise Kingdom [Film]. Focus Features.

MLA: Anderson, Wes, director. Moonrise Kingdom. Focus Features, 2012.