Up is one of my favorite Pixar movies. Released in 2009, it tells the story of Ellie and Carl. The two met when they are children and connect because they are both fans of explorer Charles Muntz. They form their own explorers club and later marry.
After Ellie has a miscarriage, the couple decides to focus on saving for a trip to Paradise Falls, a place they always wanted to visit together. But the couple end up having to spend their savings for it on more immediate, urgent needs. Years pass and Carl decides that he is going to surprise Ellie with a trip to Paradise Falls. On the day he plans to tell her, she become ill, is hospitalized, and dies soon after.
After Ellie’s death, Carl still lives in the home they built together. The city wants to buy him out so they can build skyscrapers in his neighborhood. His house is the only one on the block and is surrounded by skyscrapers. After accidentally hitting one of the construction workers, the court orders him to go to an assisted living facility.
But Carl has other plans. He decides that he’s going to keep his promise to Ellie. He turns his house into an airship by tying tons of helium balloons to his house and flies away.
What Carl didn’t expect, was that an 8-year-old boy named Russell would accidentally stowaway on his adventure. Russell met Carl as a Wilderness Explorer who was seeking to earn his final merit badge by helping the elderly. From there a whole new adventure begins.
This movie is really touching, and I cry whenever I watch it. The real message of it is that the relationships we have with others are our greatest adventures in life. We tend to lose sight of all that we have and don’t realize how lucky we are, until we don’t have them anymore.
Think about the people you love. How can you connect with them to make every day an incredible adventure together?
