A Breakthrough in Animation, Exploring Modernity & the Human Condition

by mar
(CA)

I have to say that UP tugs at the heart! The first time I saw it, I practically cried during the silent scenes depicting the various stages of Carl and Ellie's life together.

Especially poignant is the moment when they see baby shapes in the clouds and decide to turn the spare room into a nursery, only to be devastated later by not being able to have a baby. This was such a sad moment for them and yet done very subtly.

I absolutely applaud UP for taking the risk and including such a long sequence without any dialog or narration--the movie's images simply spoke for themselves, and quite successfully, in my opinion. If "a picture's worth a thousand words," then, UP's animated silent montage is worth a million words and emotions.

I was also surprised at how realistic UP was with Russell's back story, being raised by a single mother and not having his father around much. When Russell talks to Carl about his family life, Carl begins to see him as a vulnerable child instead of a loquacious, exuberant explorer that he'd prefer to avoid.

I think the fact that UP included a child character from a broken home just shows how realistic this movie tried to be. UP really does have multiple levels to it as it explores the human condition and portrays modernity in ways that animated films have never done before. It's sad that a lot of kids come from broken families, but unfortunately, that is reality these days and that reality is what brought Russell closer to Carl, as a male figure in his life.

I disagree with the other post about the rest of the movie forgetting about Ellie. I don't think the movie forgot about her at all. Without her passing away, there wouldn't BE a rest of the movie. What makes this movie so moving is that Carl has lived his life without her and is mourning her (he even wears the grape soda pin as a daily remembrance of her throughout the movie). I think she was the reason for him changing and going on that adventure instead of relinquishing himself to the retirement home. Carl desperately tries to hold onto the memory of Ellie throughout the movie (he even tries to save her portrait when it falls from the wall, which is another beautiful moment) and this culminates at the end when he gives the grape soda pin that Ellie gave him to Russell at the award ceremony. I think, ultimately, Carl saw Ellie's adventurous and enthusiastic spirit in Russell, and that's why he wanted to give him the grape soda pin as a symbol of their shared spirit.

UP really is a breakthrough in animated content; it explores what it means to struggle and deal with loss, whether it be through someone passing away or through the loss or absence of a father. Though there is a fragility to the human condition, UP leaves the viewers with a sense of "lifted" hope and triumphant renewal as Carl and Russell create their own sense of unity, their adventures together, up everywhere!