Leave it Spike Jonze to turn a 10-sentence children’s classic from the early 1960s into an arty, thoughtful, and brooding meditation on the difficult nature of childhood, loneliness, and being misunderstood. Although a bit too slow-moving at times for its own good, Jonze’s adaptation is more of a transmutation, turning author Maurice Sendak’s indelible images into a striking display of gorgeous cinematography and tortured pathos. No wonder more adults are going to see it than kids. (Hollywood Jewel 16, Waco, TX)