#AtoZChallenge: Up movie by Disney

2009 Walt Disney Picture’s Pixar Productions’ publicity photo.

I recently rented the 2009 animated adventure “Up” and was incredibly moved by it (no pun intended). You see, the plot of the movie involves a 78-year-old widower named Carl Frederickson who ties thousands of helium-inflated balloons to his house in order to lift it and transport it and himself to the wilds of South America. He is (or was) a balloon salesman, so he’s uniquely qualified for the task.

While there were parts of the movie that moved a bit slowly, the story line was so ingenious that it kept me focused. For a computer-animated comedy, it was for me a journey of the heart. Add to this story an 8-year-old boy named Russell, who is a wilderness explorer boy scout that visits Carl, the curmudgeon, and inadvertently tags along upon “take-off.” Think Dennis the Menace airborne!

“Up” won the AFI “Movie of the Year” award and an Oscar for “Best Animated Feature Film of the Year” in 2010 for good reason. As a person who was approaching 50 when I watched the movie, it was a gentle reminder that one is never too old to follow one’s dreams. It reminded me that when I was young, I didn’t fear the unknown as I do now. And, that lack of fear allowed me to take chances, and have adventures, that I wouldn’t attempt now. Walt Disney Pictures never fails to deliver, of course. I experienced the gammut of emotions, from light-hearted humor and heart-tugging love and loss to the end-of-movie triumph as the hero (or heros) survive another adventure along life’s journey, finding hope and love where you least expect them.

If you haven’t yet watched “Up,” I encourage you to take a chance! It’s well worth the ride.