'Moonrise Kingdom' Film Analysis

Often when a child feels different, they feel like they do not belong in whatever establishment they are currently in. They often long for a different reality and often establish one for themselves. This is the case for Sam and Suzy in Wes Anderson’s film “Moonrise Kingdom.” They feel like outcasts in their lives. Suzy is often misunderstood in her own home, while Sam does not have a home, but a group of boy scouts where he also feels misunderstood and estranged. The two eventually meet and decide to run away together as they are in love and form their own society they decide to call “Moonrise Kingdom.” They appear to be living just fine. They have a camp set up, the ability to cook, and love for one another. The irony of their love and new formed society is that the adults in the film are doing everything they can to bring Sam and Suzy back to their former society when none of them seem to have a stable one in the first place. This is illustrated with Suzy’s parents constantly arguing and not even sharing a bed while Suzy’s mom has an affair. Sam’s only form of a guardian, Scout Master Ward, never seems to have control of his troops and loses further control once Sam goes missing. The film presents a great idea of how adults are so caught up in trying to control and guide children to live and act a certain way when they don’t even have control over their own lives and situations