Up (2009)
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The story
Carl Fredricksen, an elderly widower, decides to fulfill a lifelong promise to his late wife by traveling to Paradise Falls in Venezuela. He attaches thousands of helium balloons to his home to fly it across the ocean. During the journey, he is joined by an unexpected stowaway, a young Wilderness Explorer named Russell. Together, they navigate the skies and land in a remote region of South America, where they encounter a talking dog and a rare, exotic bird. However, they soon discover they are not alone, as a determined explorer with a dark past is also searching for the same bird.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
The story begins with Carl Fredricksen and his wife Ellie, who share a dream of visiting Paradise Falls in Venezuela. After Ellie passes away, Carl is ordered to move into assisted living but chooses to fly his house to the falls using balloons. He is joined by Russell, a young scout, and they encounter Dug, a talking dog, and Kevin, a rare bird. They are pursued by Charles Muntz, a former explorer who has become obsessed with capturing Kevin. After a confrontation where Muntz's true intentions are revealed, Carl and the others flee. Following a series of events where Carl must choose between his home and the bird, he eventually realizes the depth of Ellie's love and finds new purpose. He rescues Russell and the others from Muntz's airship, leading to Muntz's demise. The film ends with Carl, Russell, and Dug returning home, while Carl finally reaches the location of Paradise Falls, fulfilling his promise to Ellie.
- Original title
- Heliums
- First release year
- 2009
- Runtime (minutes)
- 96
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Pete Docter
- Writers
- Bob Peterson · screenplay; Pete Docter · screenplay; Pete Docter · story; Bob Peterson · story; Tom McCarthy · story
- Cast and characters
- Ed Asner · Carl Fredricksen; Jordan Nagai · Russell; Christopher Plummer · Charles Muntz; Bob Peterson · Dug
- Genres
- animated; adventure
- Themes
- grief; adventure; friendship; legacy
- Tone and mood
- whimsical; emotional
- Premise and plot tags
- road trip; fantasy; talking animals
- Reception
- The film received critical acclaim for its screenplay, animation, characters, themes, narrative, emotional depth, humor, and musical score. It was also praised for its portrayal of the character Carl and the inclusion of an Asian-American lead character.
- Reported review scores
- Metacritic · score: 88 · scale: 100 · review count: 37
- Awards and nominations
- Academy Award · Best Animated Feature · 2010 · win; Academy Award · Best Original Score · 2010 · win; Grammy Award · Best Score Soundtrack Album · 2010 · win; Golden Globe Award · Best Original Score · 2010 · win; BAFTA Award · Best Film Music · 2010 · win; National Board of Review Best Animated Film · Best Animated Film · win; American Cinema Editors Award · Best Edited Animated Feature Film · win; Golden Globe Award · Best Original Score · 2010 · win
- Production trivia
- The film was Pixar's first to be presented in 3D format.; The character of Carl was designed to resemble actor Spencer Tracy.; The film's score was released as a digital download three days before the theater premiere.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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