Why Was the Movie "Up" Such a Downer?

      My husband and I have always been big fans of animated films. You could say our “inner children” crave them. So whenever a new animated flick hits the big screen, we head to our local movie theatre. With our feisty inner children in tow, we went to see Disney-Pixar’s “UP.” I am sorry to say this movie did not leave us with the light-hearted, happy mood we expected.

     I will do my best not to give away the film, but if you have not seen the movie and don’t want it spoiled, you should stop reading now. Let me begin with the good stuff. The animation was incredible and the writing was excellent. It also had a very good plot and story line. The problem is the story had some unexpectedly depressing and dark events. Sometimes the hubby and I looked at each other quizzically. Other times, our eyes got a little watery. I’m sure we both just got something in our eyes at the same time. After all, it’s a cartoon!

      The movie opens up happy enough with two kids (Carl and Ellie) who dream of being explorers and fill their days acting out adventures they would have when they get older. Carl and Ellie fall in love and dream of all the children that would have…A love story…great, right? Wrong. During a montage of scenes telling of their lives together, Ellie loses a baby and/or can’t have any kids. Of course, you don’t find this out until after you see them happily decorating a nursery. Nice. Not losing there taste for adventure; they keep a jar to save for a life long dream of going to a place I believe was called “AdventureFalls.” After a few financial setbacks they eventually save up enough to go on their big adventure. “That’s so sweet” I thought, “they will finally get to go on their adventure – good times ahead." But no, Ellie gets sick and dies before Carl gets to surprise her with the plane tickets. The last scene of the montage ends with Carl sitting in the funeral parlor with this head in his hands. The hubby and I looked at each other with what could only be described as “are you kidding me?” expressions on our faces. This is a kids’ movie, right?

      At this point I’m thinking okay, the depressing parts are over, the plot will turn to an ultimate happy place now. Nope! The next few scenes make a point of letting you know that Carl is now a lonely old man who misses his wife terribly. In another cheery scene, construction workers break a mailbox he and Ellie painted together. In a attempt to preserve the mailbox and memory of Ellie, he hits a construction worker in the head.- with his cane. Inside I was glad – these construction workers had been giving him a hard time… It was justice that he bonked it the head! Alas, instead justice takes the form of Carl being declared a public menace and being sentenced to an old folk’s home. Um, when is happy Disney stuff was coming? Seriously. Bring on the happy stuff! Where the hell are the singing birds and cute little puppies?

      The singing birds and cute puppies never showed. Instead, Carl meets his childhood hero who turns out to be a lunatic and tries to kill him with a rifle. During one attempt to kill Carl (did I mention the sword fight?), he tries to burn Carl’s house down and kill the little boy who was traveling with Carl. In the last of several fight scenes, the lunatic gets thrown off the blimp and dies. Sure, he was a bad guy, but wow - guns, swords and death scenes in a children’s flick?

      I am not saying the movie wasn’t good. It was. Great animation, good story line, interesting characters and humorous lines peppered throughout. It just wasn’t what my husband and I expected. Our inner-children left sad. And I suspect real children left with questions about infertility, sickness and death their parents weren’t prepared to answer.