Comedy?? This movie is a tragedy.

Rating: 7/10 (27 December 2009)

I just got home from the theater. I'm still not entirely sure what I think of this film. But one thing I'm clear about: this was a very sad movie.
But not because of all the firings. Somebody else here expressed it perfectly: the firings are the backdrop for the movie, not the theme.
I've always been in accord with the maxim that if you want to know what a movie is really about, look at what's different at the end from the beginning. Apply that to this movie and you'll see why I consider this a tragedy.
At the beginning of the movie, Ryan is living his dream life. He loves living in the air and having no roots and hates the 40-odd days a year he's forced to be at home. He doesn't believe in marriage or relationships or commitments or entanglements. He believes in this philosophy so strongly that he actually gives seminars on it.
So in the end, what's different? Almost nothing: he still has the same job and life in the air. He still has no close friends or family, and no romantic relationship. He still has no commitments or entanglements. His backpack is still empty. The only difference is: he no longer believes in this philosophy. He's come to see it as empty and lonely. But this is the life he's stuck with. That's profoundly sad.
So I'm agog at people calling this a comedy, or talking about it being hilarious throughout. I have no idea what movie they were watching. Yes, there were a couple laugh-out-loud lines and moments. But hardly enough to call this a hilarious movie. A good movie? Yes. On the whole I thought it was well done and I liked it. But I really didn't like the ending. Just too sad for me. I really liked the protagonist, and really felt the scene in Chicago like a kick in the groin. The chemistry between the two characters was so good, I was certainly pulling for them to get together. Certainly that's good movie making.
But again, in a nutshell, this movie is about a happy man who finds out in the end that he isn't happy after all, even though his life is identical. I liked the character and wanted something better for him.