The old axiom of “best-laid plans” infuses the story of crusty,
elderly widower Carl Fredicksen (Ed Asner), in Pixar’s Up. From
the wrenching montage of Carl’s life with his beloved wife
Ellie—where they missed out on becoming dashing explorers like their
hero Carl Muntz (Christopher Plummer)—to Carl’s escape from his old
neighbourhood with zealous Wilderness Scout Russell (Jordan Nagai)
tagging along to Carl’s chagrin, Up‘s underlying theme could be
interpreted as enjoying the pleasure of other people’s company along
life’s journeys.
With so much care going into establishing the importance of Ellie to
Carl, as well as making Russell into a lonely boy desperate for a
friend, director Pete Docter (Monsters, Inc.) is trying to tell
us that adventures with loved ones—either mundane or
extraordinary—are more important than adventure for adventure’s sake.
This article appears in Jun 4-10, 2009.