Film: Up
Cast includes: Ed Asner, Christopher Plummer, Jordan Nagai, Bob Peterson, Delroy Lindo
Writer/director: Peter Docter (WALL•E)
Genre: Animated adventure/comedy (2009)
In brief: It was their love of adventure that brought Carl and Ellie together as kids. While Carl followed the real-life adventures of his hero, Charles Muntz in his blimp called “The Spirit of Adventure,” Ellie turned the local abandoned house into an explorer’s adventure house, with called “The Spirit of Adventure.” Spunky Ellie was Carl’s dream girl. When they married, they bought the abandoned house and turned it into their dream house, complete with almost everything they ever wanted. Everything but babies. They never had any, but they were in love and very, very happy.
That’s why Carl is at such a loss when Ellie passes away. But Carl is determined to live on his own, even though his dreams of adventure are over. When a young scout, Russell, shows up looking to earn one last merit badge that will entitle him to graduate to Senior Wilderness Explorer, Carl’s not interested. What’s that one last badge? It’s for helping an old person. Russell is fiercely determined. He’s been dreaming about the awards ceremony… the one his father will attend, beaming with pride. Thanks to a series of events, Carl finds himself needing to escape the folks who want to put him in a retirement home. He attaches a huge bunch of balloons to his chimney and inflates them with helium. As the house rips out of the ground and drifts upward, there’s a knock on the front door. Young Russell is on the porch, still determined to earn that merit badge, and it’s too late for Carl to send him home.
The two have an adventure that would have made Ellie proud. But one thing about adventures… they rarely end up going where you think they’ll go. Until you decide to abandon the plans you started out with, it’s not a true adventure. Even though this is an animated film, targeted mostly toward a young audience, there’re a lot of themes that work for adults.
3 popped kernels
A charming story that works for both children and adults
Popcorn Profile
Primary Audience: Kids
Gender Appeal: Any audience
Distribution: Mainstream wide release
Mood: Jubilant
Tempo: Zips right along
Visual Style: Animated/computer
Character Development: Engaging
Language: True to life
Social Significance: Pure entertainment
