In the original story by H.A. Rey, the Man in the Yellow Hat captures the monkey for the sole purpose of taking him to the zoo in the big city. In the film, George follows the Man in the Yellow Hat out of the jungle and onto the ship, initiating a different kind of relationship. Whether George particularly wants to be with the man at this point, or is just interested in returning the hat he left behind, once they catch up with each other, the Man in the Yellow Hat immediately steps outside the bounds of expected adult behavior and adopts a more parental, protective role. Instead of calling animal patrol when he discovers George in his apartment, he helps hide George when odor-sensitive doorman Ivan comes knocking in an attempt to sniff out the forbidden “pet.” When the monkey enters the posh penthouse uninvited, hand-paints the lady’s clean walls, and pours paint into her bathtub, the Man in the Yellow Hat seeks George out and tries to coax him back to safety. Later, during an important new conference at the museum where he works, the Man in the Yellow Hat expends valuable time and energy imploring George to be still to avoid the inevitable dismantling of a dinosaur skeleton. And when George is carried away by a fistful of balloons, the Man in the Yellow Hat confiscates not only all the balloons from the vendor, but also those of nearby children and a kite in a desperate attempt to reach George. Throughout these escapades, in the same way a parent endeavors to capture the attention of a child, the Man in the Yellow Hat spends much time calling George’s name while hoping beyond hope that nobody will notice the monkey’s antics.

Busying himself in attempts to curb George’s behavior, the Man in the Yellow Hat gradually begins to take peeks from George’s perspective—he enjoys the view during their balloon ride over the city even as he puzzles out how they will descend safely. Upon being evicted from his apartment, the Man in the Yellow Hat and George find themselves stuck in the rain at the park. While the monkey’s new guardian is sarcastically commenting on the comfort of the concrete bench he has chosen for a bed, George creates a comfortable, dry bed from the leaves he shakes down from a tree, and invites his friend to rest next to him. This growing cooperation culminates in the predictable happy ending, in which George assists the Man in the Yellow Hat in his central quest to determine the location of a large African idol needed for the museum.

In the end, as inconvenienced as he has been by the once stowaway monkey, the Man in the Yellow Hat jumps his car onto a departing ship to retrieve the monkey, who has just been deported by animal control. He cannot imagine life without one who has taught him to think outside the box. This new perspective transforms the Man in the Yellow Hat’s professional work at the museum (and the museum itself, now complete with fun, hands-on exhibits for visitors), and inspires him to extend himself personally as well. He and the pretty young teacher who regularly brought her students to hear his boring lectures may have a future together too.