Beautiful, a film for all ages and stages

Rating: 10/10 (22 September 2019)

Up left me sobbing with a smile on my face. It brought me back through all the stages of my life and had me imagining what new adventures and sorrows are yet to come. There is something for every age to connect to in this film. The uniqueness of this film is its ability to blend real dramatic content with whimsical imaginative adventure. Life is an adventure, with unexpected turns and twists and if a change is embraced happiness can be found again even after great sorrow it the powerful theme of this film.
Up, much like Mary Poppins, blends adult emotions with childlike whimsy. Mary Popping illustrates the importance of looking at life as an adventure and teaches adults to embrace change to find the happiness they too often leave behind in childhood. Mary Poppins takes the Banks children on whimsical adventures and helps Mr. Banks change. Mr. Banks ultimately finds happiness again by spending time with his family. With similar themes and techniques, both films leave their audiences lusting for a new adventure and appreciation of what they have.
Up begins and ends metaphorically and literately with the spirit of adventure. Carl Fredricksen, played by voice actor Ed Asner, it introduced in a movie hall, as he watches a film about the great adventurer Charles F. Muntz, played by Christopher Plummer. Muntz travels the world finding exotic animals on a blimp named the Spirit of Adventure. Carl meet and falls in love with Elle, played by Elizabeth Docter. Carl and Elle live a beautiful life together filled with good and bad times. They get married, buy and fix up the old house that was once the abandoned home they made their clubhouse in childhood. Scenes of sorrow are intensified using lighting techniques. They try to start a family, but Elle has a miscarriage which causes her great pain. The scene at the doctor's office when she receives the bad news is filmed from the dark hallway looking into the doctor's office, when she reflects, she sits outside in the shade. They move their focus to save for a great adventure to South America to follow the footsteps of their mutual childhood hero Muntz. As the years go by, life happens, and money is needed for unexpected expenses time and time again. When Carl finally manages to get the money together, they are elderly, and Elle ends up in the hospital where she dies. Again, lighting is used in the room before she dies is bright and the scene following at the funeral is dark to match the mood.
In this beginning montage, this film does an incredible job of invoking emotion. The deep sadness I felt for Carl after Elle died, made the transition of the film from dramatic and realistic, to fantasy easier to accept. When his house lifted in the air carried away by balloons, the sadness lifted with the house, because it brought the childlike whimsy felt when Carl and Elle first met back alive. This transition in the movie where Carl decides to have a new adventure emphasizes the central theme of this film by deciding to accept change and take another adventure.
The scrapbook Elle started as a young girl titled "My Adventure Book" is used as a visual motif throughout the film. Every time the story takes a turn and hope it needed to change and start a new adventure the book is pulled out. Music is used to intensive this visual tool, when Carl opens the book music in the background plays in the background that is associated with his love Elle. Her spirit for life is what Carl throughout the film leans on to find courage, and this powerful motif reminds the viewers of that spirit for life and courage needed to try again. After bringing the house to the spot Elle imagined so many years, he is left feeling unsatisfied and pulls out the book once more. He realizes Elle had filled pages with memories from their beautiful life together, leaving him with the advice to go out and have another adventure. The boy who by accident joined Carl on his trip to paradise is Russell, played by Jordan Nagai. Russell upset with Carl for not helping the Bird he named Kevin, goes off on a rescue mission alone. Carl realizes it is time once again to be brave and goes after him. Carl and Russel save the day and manage to return home.
The film ends with Carl standing in for Russell's father at the merit badge ceremony. The look on Russell's face when Carl pins the Elle badge on him is reminiscent of Carl's reaction years ago as a child when Elle gifted it to him. Carl, Russel, and Doug the dog played by Bob Peterson, are shown happily enjoying life together. The motif is brought out one last time and photos of the new adventures are added to "My Adventure Book". Carl was able to find strength through Elle even after her death to go out and live life again, to be courageous and because he was willing to change, he found happiness again with new friends.