When I saw UP for the first time during Christmas break, I remember thinking, "Am I really bawling like a baby right now?" The first ten minutes were absolute perfection; I was engaged, I was moved, I was in complete and utter awe of Pixar's genius. It really didn't surprise me (after all, they've been thoroughly consistent since Toy Story) but I was wondering, "How is it that Pixar has brought me to tears yet again?"
Okay, so I'm not a stranger to crying during films. My boyfriend, the screenwriter, pokes fun at the fact that almost anything seemingly touching in a film can produce a misty eye or two. While there is some truth to that, not every film touches me in such a way that it enters my mind from time to time, the way UP certainly has.
Sure, the film had three things I happened to love: Lots of balloons, a dog (a talking dog, at that!) and an exotic bird. That alone, reeled me in. It already had the Liz-is-interested stamp of approval. However, I wasn't ready for the undeniably touching love story I was about to experience. This film wasn't about two extraordinary people falling in love, rather; it was a film about two ordinary people wanting to do extraordinary things.
Even though Carl abandons his home and leaves behind all of his and Ellie's belongings at Paradise Falls, UP by no means sends the message that you should give up on your dreams. Instead, it reminds you that the relationships you build with loved ones can too, be extraordinary adventures. When he finds Ellie's Adventure Book with the note she left for him, one thing becomes clear. Life is what you make of it.
So why is UP easily one of my favorite films of 2009? Well, it reminds you that no matter the places you go or the things you do, it's the loved ones you surround yourself with that ultimately enrich your life.
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