Such Great Heights

An old man, a little boy, and a house on colorful balloons float down to Venezuela….

Nope, that’s not a joke – that’s the plot of Up, Disney and Pixar’s latest triumph.

I figured I already told you about a crappy movie this week, so I better tell you about the really good one I saw a few weeks ago. You know, to take the edge off.

Carl Fredricksen (voiced by Ed Asner) is in the twilight of his life.

Carl and his wife, his lifelong sweetheart, Ellie, spent their decades together making plans to explore the globe, particularly dreaming of one day visiting Paradise Falls, the legendary site of many of their airship-steering childhood hero Charles Muntz’s (Christopher Plummer) well-chronicled adventures.

Nothing brought young Carl and Ellie more joy growing up than to hear about Muntz’s latest daring-do, but when his discoveries got tarnished with accusations of having been faked, he left for South America in a fit, vowing never to return until he had undeniable proof that his feats were true.

Their hero having faded into obscurity, Carl and Ellie grew up, and in the movie’s most powerful sequence, a silent collection of scenes set to the beautiful score of composer Michael Giacchino, they had a courtship, married, bought a fix-me-up they turned into a lovely home, faced devastating heartbreak, yet managed to live and grow old happily and always very much in love.

I wish I hadn’t known about this scene before going to see Up. I am sure it would’ve made me cry.

Reminders of their plans were everywhere in their house, but Carl and Ellie lived their life together with no regrets. But at age 78, his wife has passed away, and Carl is beginning to think that life has passed him by, until a twist of fate (and a persistent 8-year old Junior Wilderness Explorer named Russell) gives him a new lease on life.

Together, Carl and Russell embark on an adventure of a lifetime, one that reminds the old man that life is what happens while you’re making plans, and that he’s lived one heckuva life, in love, and that, indeed, he’s got nothing to regret.

Up is an uplifting that it’s not the destination the matter but the journey, and, unsurprisingly, one of the year’s best movies. Disney and Pixar have done it again.

My Rating ****

Photo: Disney/Pixar.