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| caption = Theatrical poster
| caption = Theatrical poster
| alt = A house is hovering in the air, lifted by balloons. A dog, a boy, and an old man hang beneath on a garden hose. "UP" is written in the top right corner.
| alt = A house is hovering in the air, lifted by balloons. A dog, a boy, and an old man hang beneath on a garden hose. "UP" is written in the top right corner.
| director = [[Pete Docter]]
| director = [[Pete Docter]]<br />[[Bob Peterson (animator)|Bob Peterson]] {{small|(co-director)}}
| producer = Jonas Rivera
| producer = Jonas Rivera
| screenplay = Bob Peterson <br />Pete Docter
| screenplay = Bob Peterson <br />Pete Docter

Revision as of 22:46, 7 September 2011

Up
A house is hovering in the air, lifted by balloons. A dog, a boy, and an old man hang beneath on a garden hose. "UP" is written in the top right corner.
Theatrical poster
Directed byPete Docter
Bob Peterson (co-director)
Screenplay byBob Peterson
Pete Docter
Story byPete Docter
Bob Peterson
Thomas McCarthy
Produced byJonas Rivera
StarringEdward Asner
Christopher Plummer
Jordan Nagai
Bob Peterson
CinematographyPatrick Lin
Jean-Claudie Kalache
Edited byKevin Nolting
Music byMichael Giacchino
Production
company
Distributed byWalt Disney Pictures
Release date
  • May 29, 2009 (2009-05-29)
Running time
96 minutes
CountryTemplate:FilmUS
LanguageEnglish
Budget$175 million[1]
Box office$731,342,744[2]

Up is a 2009 American computer-animated comedy-adventure film produced by Pixar, distributed by Walt Disney Pictures and presented in Disney Digital 3-D. The film premiered on May 29, 2009 in North America and opened the 2009 Cannes Film Festival, becoming the first animated and 3D film to do so.[3] The film was director Pete Docter's second film, the first being 2001's Monsters, Inc., and features the voices of Edward Asner, Christopher Plummer, Bob Peterson, and Jordan Nagai. It is Pixar's tenth feature film and the studio's first to be presented in Disney Digital 3-D,[4] and is accompanied in theaters and DVD releases by the short film Partly Cloudy.[5]

The film centers on an elderly widower named Carl Fredricksen and an earnest young Wilderness Explorer named Russell who fly to South America by floating in a house. The film has received universal critical acclaim, with a rating of 98% on Rotten Tomatoes (the best reviewed wide-released film of 2009 on the site), and grossed over $731 million worldwide,[2] making it Pixar's third-most commercially successful film, behind Toy Story 3 and Finding Nemo.

Up won Golden Globe Awards for Best Animated Feature Film and Best Original Score from the Hollywood Foreign Press Association. The film received five Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture, making it the second animated film in history to receive such a nomination, following 1991's Beauty and the Beast.[6] Up was awarded the Academy Awards for Best Animated Feature and Best Original Score in 2010.[7]

Plot

Young Carl Fredricksen is a shy, quiet boy who idolizes renowned explorer Charles F. Muntz. He is saddened to learn, however, that Muntz has been accused of fabricating the skeleton of a giant bird he had claimed to have discovered in Paradise Falls, South America. Muntz vows to return there to capture one alive. One day, Carl befriends an energetic and somewhat eccentric tomboy named Ellie, who is also a Muntz fan. She confides to Carl her desire to move her "clubhouse"—an abandoned house in the neighborhood—to a cliff overlooking Paradise Falls, making him promise to help her. Carl and Ellie eventually get married and grow old together in the restored house, working as a toy balloon vendor and a zookeeper, respectively. Unable to have children, they repeatedly pool their savings for a trip to Paradise Falls, but end up spending it on more pressing needs. An elderly Carl finally arranges for the trip, but Ellie suddenly becomes ill and dies, leaving him alone.

Some time later, Carl still lives in the house, now surrounded by urban development, but he refuses to sell. He ends up injuring a construction worker over his damaged mailbox. He therefore is evicted from the house by court order and ordered to move to a retirement home. However, Carl comes up with a scheme to keep his promise to Ellie: he turns his house into a makeshift airship, using thousands of helium balloons to lift it off its foundation. A young Wilderness Explorer named Russell becomes an accidental passenger, having pestered Carl earlier in an attempt to earn his final merit badge, "Assisting the Elderly".

After surviving a thunderstorm, the house lands near a large ravine facing Paradise Falls. Carl and Russell harness themselves to the still-buoyant house and begin to walk it around the ravine, hoping to reach the falls before the balloons deflate. They later befriend a tall, colorful flightless bird (whom Russell names "Kevin") trying to reach her chicks, and then a dog named Dug, who wears a special collar that allows him to speak.

Carl and Russell encounter a pack of dogs led by Alpha, and are taken to Dug's master, who turns out to be an elderly Charles Muntz. Muntz invites Carl and Russell aboard his dirigible, where he explains that he has spent the years since his disgrace searching Paradise Falls for the giant bird. When Russell innocently reveals his friendship with Kevin, Muntz becomes disturbingly hostile, prompting the pair, Kevin, and Dug to flee, chased by Muntz's dogs. Muntz eventually catches up with them and starts a fire beneath Carl's house, forcing Carl to choose between saving it or Kevin. Carl rushes to put out the fire, allowing Muntz to take the bird. Carl and Russell eventually reach the falls, but Russell is angry with Carl.

Settling into his home, Carl is sadly poring over Ellie's childhood scrapbook when, to his surprise, he finds photos of their married life and a final note from Ellie thanking him for the "adventure" and encouraging him to go on a new one. Reinvigorated, he goes to find Russell, only to see him sailing off on some balloons to save Kevin. Carl empties the house of his furniture and possessions and pursues him.

Russell is captured by Muntz, but Carl manages to board the dirigible in flight and free both Russell and Kevin. Muntz pursues them around the airship, finally cornering Dug, Kevin, and Russell inside Carl's tethered house. Carl lures Kevin out through a window and back onto the airship with Dug and Russell clinging to her back, just as Muntz is about to close in; Muntz leaps after them, only to snag his foot on some balloon lines and fall to his death. Snapped from its tether, the house descends out of sight through the clouds, which Carl accepts as being for the best.

Carl and Russell reunite Kevin with her chicks, then fly the dirigible back to the city. When Russell's father misses his son's Senior Explorer ceremony, Carl proudly presents Russell with his final badge: the grape soda cap that Ellie gave to Carl when they first met. The two then enjoy some ice cream together, sitting on the curb outside the shop as Russell and his father used to do, with the dirigible parked nearby. Meanwhile, Carl's house is shown to have landed on the cliff beside Paradise Falls, as promised to Ellie.

Cast

  • Edward Asner as Carl Fredricksen (Jeremy Leary voiced the younger Carl). Docter and Rivera noted Asner's television alter ego, Lou Grant had been helpful in writing for Carl, because it guided them in balancing likable and unlikeable aspects of the curmudgeonly character.[8] When they met Asner and presented him with a model of his character, he joked, "I don't look anything like that." (the appearance of Carl is meant to resemble Spencer Tracy as he appeared in his final film, Guess Who's Coming to Dinner[9]). They tailored his dialogue for him, with short sentences and more consonants, which "cemented the notion that Carl, post-Ellie, is a disgruntled bear that's been poked awake during hibernation".[10] In Colombia, unexpected publicity for the film was generated due to the uncanny similarity of Carl with Colombian ex-president Julio César Turbay Ayala.[11][12]
  • Jordan Nagai as Russell. On their journey, Russell makes several comments to Carl that suggest that Russell's father and mother are no longer together.[13] Russell's design was based on Pixar animator Peter Sohn.[14] Docter auditioned 400 boys in a nationwide casting call for the part.[15] Nagai, who is Japanese-American,[16] showed up to an audition with his brother, who was actually the one auditioning. Docter realized Nagai behaved and spoke non-stop like Russell and chose him for the part.[17] Nagai was 8 years old when cast.[15] Docter encouraged Nagai to act physically as well as vocally when recording the role, lifting him upside down and tickling him for the scene where Russell encounters Kevin.[10] Asian Americans have positively noted Pixar's first casting of an Asian lead character,[18] in contrast to the common practice of casting non-Asians in Asian parts.[19]
  • Bob Peterson as Dug, a Golden Retriever who can talk.[20] He is the misfit of a pack of talking dogs owned by Muntz. Peterson knew he would voice Dug when he wrote his line "I have just met you, and I love you," which was based on what a child told him when he was a camp counselor in the 1980s. The DVD release of the film features a short called Dug's Special Mission, which follows Dug just prior to his first meeting with Carl and Russell. Dug previously appeared in Ratatouille as a shadow on a wall that barks at Remy.[20]
    • Peterson also voices Alpha, a talking Doberman Pinscher[20] and the leader of Muntz's pack of dogs. Pete Docter has stated that Alpha "thinks of himself as Clint Eastwood". Despite his menacing appearance, a frequent malfunction in Alpha's translating collar causes his voice to sound comically high-pitched and squeaky, as if he had been breathing helium. The normal voice for his translator is a resonant, intimidating bass. With both voices, Alpha has a roundabout speech pattern that causes his sentences to be longer than necessary.
  • Christopher Plummer as Charles F. Muntz. Muntz is an old explorer looking for the beast of Paradise Falls; he vowed to not return to North America until he had captured the creature. He uses a group of dogs to aid him in his hunt. The name of his airship, Spirit of Adventure, may have been inspired by Charles Lindbergh's airplane, Spirit of St. Louis.[20] In various interviews, Pete Docter has mentioned Howard Hughes and real life adventurers Charles Lindbergh and Percy Fawcett as inspirations for Muntz.[21]
  • Pete Docter as Kevin, a large colorful prehistoric bird. Other than voicing Kevin, Docter also voices Campmaster Strauch, Russell's camp master, seen at the end of the film.
  • Elizabeth Docter as Ellie Fredricksen. The voice actor is the director's daughter,[22] who also provided some of the drawings shown by Ellie.[23]
  • Delroy Lindo as Beta, a Rottweiler[20] and one of Muntz's dogs.
  • Jerome Ranft as Gamma, a Bulldog[20] and one of Muntz's dogs.
  • John Ratzenberger as Tom, a construction worker who asks if Carl is ready to sell his house.[20]
  • David Kaye as the newsreel announcer.

Production

Script

Black and white image of an older man with white hair and wearing glasses looking off to the right.
The main character Carl Fredricksen is partially based on Spencer Tracy.[9]

Writing for Up first began in 2004 by director Pete Docter. The fantasy of a flying house was developed on the idea of escaping from life when it becomes too irritating,[15][21] which stemmed from his difficulty with social situations growing up.[24] Actor and writer Thomas McCarthy aided Docter and Bob Peterson in shaping the story for about three months.[17] Docter selected an old man for the main character after drawing a picture of a grumpy old man with smiling balloons.[17] The two men thought an old man was a good idea for a protagonist because they felt their experiences and the way they affect their view of the world was a rich source of humor. Docter was not concerned with an elderly protagonist, stating children would relate to Carl in the way they relate to their grandparents.[21]

Character development

Docter noted the film reflects his friendships with Disney veterans Frank Thomas, Ollie Johnston, and Joe Grant (who all died before the film's release and thus the film was dedicated to them). Grant gave the script his approval as well as some advice before his death in 2005.[25] Docter recalled Grant would remind him the audience needed an "emotional bedrock" because of how wacky the adventure would become; in this case it is Carl mourning for his wife.[17] Docter felt Grant's personality influenced Carl's deceased wife Ellie more than the grouchy main character,[25] and Carl was primarily based on Spencer Tracy, Walter Matthau, James Whitmore, and their own grandparents, because there was "something sweet about these grumpy old guys".[9] Docter and Jonas Rivera noted Carl's charming nature in spite of his grumpiness derives from the elderly "hav[ing] this charm and almost this 'old man license' to say things that other people couldn't get away with [...] It's like how we would go to eat with Joe Grant and he would call the waitresses 'honey'. I wish I could call a waitress 'honey'."[26]

Docter revealed that the filmmakers' first story outline had Carl "just want[ing] to join his wife up in the sky. It was almost a kind of strange suicide mission or something. And obviously that's [a problem]. Once he gets airborne, then what? So we had to have some goal for him to achieve that he had not yet gotten."[22] As a result, they added the plot of going to South America. The location was chosen due to both Docter's love of tropical locations, but also in wanting a location that Carl could be stuck with a kid due to the inability to leave him with an authority such as a police officer or social worker. They implemented a child character as a way to help Carl stop being "stuck in his ways".[27]

Docter created Dug as he felt it would be refreshing to show what a dog thinks, rather than what people assume it thinks.[28] The idea for Alpha's voice derived from thinking about what would happen if someone broke a record player and it always played at a high pitch.[17] Russell was added to the story at a later date than Dug and Kevin;[17] his presence, as well as the construction workers, helped to make the story feel less "episodic".[22]

Carl's relationship with Russell reflects how "he's not really ready for the whirlwind that a kid is, as few of us are".[25] Docter added he saw Up as a "coming of age" tale and an "unfinished love story", with Carl still dealing with the loss of his wife.[29] He cited inspiration from Casablanca and A Christmas Carol, which are both "resurrection" stories about men who lose something, and regain purpose during their journey.[30] Docter and Rivera cited inspiration from the Muppets, Hayao Miyazaki, Dumbo, and Peter Pan. They also saw parallels to The Wizard of Oz and tried to make Up not feel too similar.[31] There is a scene where Carl and Russell haul the floating house through the jungle. A Pixar employee compared the scene to Fitzcarraldo, and Docter watched that film and The Mission for further inspiration.[32] The character Charles Muntz comes from Howard Hughes and Errol Flynn.[33] An inspiration for the name of this character was cartoon producer Charles B. Mintz, who stole Walt Disney's hit character Oswald the Lucky Rabbit, forcing Disney to create replacement character Mickey Mouse.

Animation

A cascading view of several rock formations.
Docter and eleven other Pixar artists visited tepuis in Venezuela in 2004 for research

Docter made Venezuela the film's setting after Ralph Eggleston gave him a video of the tepui mountains;[21][25] Venezuela and tepuis were already featured in a previous Disney film, Dinosaur. In 2004, Docter and eleven other Pixar artists spent three days reaching Monte Roraima by airplane, jeep, and helicopter.[20] They spent three nights there painting and sketching,[34] and encountering ants, mosquitoes, scorpions, frogs, and snakes. They also flew to Matawi Tepui and climbed to Angel Falls,[20] as well as Brazil. Docter felt "we couldn't use [the rocks and plants we saw]. Reality is so far out, if we put it in the movie you wouldn't believe it."[9] The film's creatures were also challenging to design because they had to fit in the surreal environment of the tepuis, but also be realistic because those mountains exist in real life.[25] The filmmakers visited Sacramento Zoo to observe a Himalayan Monal for Kevin's animation.[1] The animators designed Russell as an Asian-American, and modeled Russell after similar looking Peter Sohn, a Pixar storyboarder who voiced Emile in Ratatouille and directed the short Partly Cloudy, because of his energetic nature.[15][35]

While Pixar usually designs their characters to be caricatured, Carl was even more so, being only three heads high.[36] He was not given elderly features such as liver spots or hair in his ears to keep him appealing, yet giving him wrinkles, pockmarks on his nose, a hearing aid, and a cane to make him appear elderly. Docter wanted to push a stylized feel, particularly the way Carl's head is proportioned: he has a squarish appearance to symbolize his containment within his house, while Russell is rounded like a balloon.[10] The challenge on Up was making these stylized characters feel natural,[21] although Docter remarked the effect came across better than animating the realistic humans from Toy Story, who suffered from the "uncanny valley".[25] Cartoonists Al Hirschfeld, Hank Ketcham, and George Booth influenced the human designs.[17][30][37] Simulating realistic cloth on caricatured humans was harder than creating the 10,000 balloons flying the house.[24] New programs were made to simulate the cloth and for Kevin's iridescent feathers.[38] To animate old people, Pixar animators would study their own parents or grandparents and also watched footage of the Senior Olympics.[8] The directors had various rules for Carl's movements: he could not turn his head more than 15–20 degrees without turning his torso as well, nor could he raise his arms very high. However, they also wanted him to grow more flexible near the end of the film, transforming into an "action hero".

A technical director worked out that in order to make Carl's house fly, he would require 23 million balloons, but Docter realized that number made the balloons look like small dots. Instead, the balloons created were made to be twice Carl's size. There are 10,927 balloons for shots of the house just flying, 20,622 balloons for the lift-off sequence, and a varying number in other scenes.[20]

Music

Main article: Up (soundtrack)

Up is the third Pixar film to be scored by Michael Giacchino, after The Incredibles and Ratatouille. What Pete Docter wanted more importantly out of the music was the emotion, so Giacchino wrote a character theme-based score that producer Jonas Rivera thought enhanced the story. At the beginning of the movie, when young Carl is in the movie theater watching a newsreel about Muntz, the first piece of music heard is "Muntz's Theme", which starts out as a celebratory theme, and echoes through the film when Muntz reappears 70 years later. "Ellie's Theme" is first heard when she is introduced as a little kid and plays several times during the film in different versions; for instance, during the sequence where Carl lifts his house with the balloons, the theme is changed from a simple piano melody to a full orchestral arrangement. Giacchino has compared the film to opera since each character has their own theme that changes during a particular moment in the story.[39]

The score was released as a digital download on May 26, 2009, three days before the film opened in theaters. It won the Academy Award for Best Original Score,[40] the Grammy Award for Best Score Soundtrack Album,[41] the Golden Globe Award for Best Original Score,[42] and the 2010 BAFTA Award for Best Film Music.[43] It is the first score for a Pixar film to win the Oscar (Randy Newman also won for Monsters Inc and Toy Story 3, but in the category of Best Original Song).

Release

Three men all face forward and are smiling. Two of the men are extending their pointer fingers while the third man is giving a thumbs up gesture.
Pete Docter (left), Jonas Rivera (right) in 2009 with KUSI-TV's Phil Konstantin

When the film screened at the El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood, California from May 29 to July 23, 2009, it was accompanied by Lighten Up!, a live show featuring Disney characters.[44] Other tie-ins included children's books such as My Name is Dug, illustrated by screenwriter Ronnie del Carmen.[45] Despite Pixar's track record, Target Corporation and Walmart stocked few Up items, while Pixar's regular collaborator Thinkway Toys did not produce merchandise, claiming its story is unusual and would be hard to promote. Disney acknowledged not every Pixar film would have to become a franchise.[1] Promotional partners include Aflac,[46] NASCAR, and Airship Ventures,[47][48] while Cluster Balloons promoted the film with a replica of Carl's couch lifted by hot air balloons for journalists to sit in.[49]

Director Pete Docter intended for audiences to take a specific point from the film, saying:

Basically, the message of the film is that the real adventure of life is the relationship we have with other people, and it's so easy to lose sight of the things we have and the people that are around us until they are gone. More often than not, I don't really realize how lucky I was to have known someone until they're either moved or passed away. So, if you can kind of wake up a little bit and go, "Wow, I've got some really cool stuff around me every day", then that's what the movie's about.[50]

Home media

Up was released on Blu-ray Disc and DVD in North America on November 10, 2009,[51] and in the United Kingdom on February 15, 2010.[52] It features the film plus the theatrical short Partly Cloudy and the new short Dug's Special Mission, as well as an audio commentary by director Pete Docter, the documentary Adventure is Out There on the filmmakers' research journey to South America, The Many Endings of Muntz (an alternate ending of sorts), and a digital copy. The Blu-ray edition has a four-disc pack that adds Cine-Explore with BonusView, Global Guardian Badge and Geography games, eight documentaries, and BD-Live to the Deluxe DVD and digital copy platters. A Limited Edition is also available called the Luxo Jr. Premium Pack that includes a collectible lamp modeled after Pixar's bouncy short star that is designed to hold a complete Pixar Blu-ray collection.[53]

In addition, Pixar also created a short film titled George & A.J., written and directed by Up storyboard artist Josh Cooley, that shows what the two Shady Oaks retirement home workers did after Carl left with his house. It was initially available for purchase at the iTunes Store, and then was later posted to Disney·Pixar's Facebook and YouTube pages.[54][55]

In its first week it sold 3,969,792 units ($66,057,339). It eventually reached 10,785,819 units ($182,079,019),[56] becoming the best-selling DVD among those released in 2009. It also became the third in terms of sales revenue behind Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen and Twilight.[57]

Reception

Since its release, Up has been critically acclaimed. As of September 3, 2011, Rotten Tomatoes reports that 98% of critics have given the film a "Certified Fresh" positive review, based on 270 reviews, with an 8.6/10 review average. The site's consensus states: "Another masterful work of art from Pixar, Up is an exciting, hilarious, and heartfelt adventure impeccably crafted and told with wit and depth."[58] The film also holds a score of 88 on the review aggregator website Metacritic as of September 3, 2011.[59]

Film critic Roger Ebert gave the film four out of four stars and called it "a wonderful film".[60][61] The Hollywood Reporter lauded the film as "Winsome, touching and arguably the funniest Pixar effort ever, this gorgeously rendered, high-flying adventure is a tidy 90-minute distillation of all the signature touches that came before it."[62] Although the San Francisco Chronicle noted that the film "contains many boring stretches of mindless freneticism and bland character interaction," it also declared that there are scenes in Up of "Such beauty, economy and poetic wisdom that they belong in any anthology of great movie moments...to watch Up with any attention is to be moved and astonished by the economy with which specific visuals are invested with emotion throughout [the film]..."[63] Variety enthused that "Up is an exceptionally refined picture; unlike so many animated films, it's not all about sensory bombardment and volume...Unsurprisingly, no one puts a foot wrong here. Vocal performances...exude a warm enthusiasm, and tech specifications could not be better. Michel Giacchino's full-bodied, traditional score is superlative..."[64] The Globe claimed that Up! is "the kind of movie that leaves you asking 'How do people come up [with] this stuff?'" along with an overall positive review on the film, despite its being predictable.[65]

The character of Carl Fredricksen has received mostly positive reception. Bill Capodagli, author of Innovate the Pixar Way, praised Carl for his ability to be a jerk and likable at the same time.[66] Wall Street Journal editor Joe Morgenstern described Carl as gruff, comparing him to Buster Keaton, but adds that this begins to wear thin as the movie progresses.[67] He has been compared with Spencer Tracy, an influence on the character, by The Washington Post editor Ann Hornaday[68] and Empire Online editor Ian Freer, who describes him as similar to a "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner-era" Tracy.[69] Entertainment Weekly editor Lisa Schwarzbaum described his appearance as a cross between Tracy and an eccentric out of a George Booth cartoon.[70] TIME editor Richard Corliss also makes the comparison, calling him a "trash compacted version" of Tracy.[71] He has also been compared to Walter Matthau, another inspiration for the character's design, by LA Weekly editor Scott Foundas, suggesting that actor Ed Asner was channeling him while performing the role of Carl.[72] Variety editor Todd McCarthy described Carl as a combination of both Tracy and Matthau.[64]

The relationship between Carl and his wife Ellie has been praised in several media outlets. In his book Disney, Pixar, and the Hidden Message of Children's Films, author M. Keith Booker described the love between Carl and Ellie as touching. While also describing the scene of the two of them aging as a "masterpiece of its own kind", he was not sure how much children would appreciate the scene, commenting that his son was squirming in his seat during the scene.[73] Reelviews editor James Berardinelli praised their relationship, stating that it brought a tear to his eye in a way no animated film has done, including anything by famed anime director Hayao Miyazaki.[74] Ann Hornaday praised the prologue, describing it as "worthy of Chaplin in its heartbreaking poignancy".[68] Chicago Tribune editor Michael Phillips praised the scene, describing it as an emotional and cinematic powerhouse, and that he also was nearly moved to tears. However, Salon.com editor Stephanie Zacharek criticized the love between Carl and Ellie, describing their marriage as resembling a dental adhesive commercial more than a real relationship.[75]

Edward Asner was praised in several media outlets for his portrayal of Carl. San Francisco Chronicle editor Mick LaSelle praised Asner as a great choice due to having a grumpiness to his voice that is not truly grumpy, but rather coming from a protective stance.[76] Entertainment Weekly editor Lisa Schwarzbaum praised Asner's acting, stating that he has a "Lou Grant authority" to his voice.[70] Time editor Richard Corliss stated that Asner had the "gruffness and deadpan comic timing to bring Carl to life".[10] The Boston Globe editor Ty Burr concurred with this, stating that his Lou Grant-like voice had not diminished with time.[77] USA Today editor Claudia Puig praised Asner's delivery, describing it as superb.[78]

In addition to the positive critical reviews the film received, Up highlights Pixar's corporate image as an altruistic company through its charitable acts. In June 2009, 10-year-old Colby Curtin from Huntington Beach, California was suffering from the final stages of terminal vascular cancer. It is reported her dying wish was to "live to see the movie" despite the advanced stage of her disease. Due to her deteriorating condition, she was unable to leave the family home. A family friend contacted Pixar and arranged for a private screening. A Pixar employee flew to the Huntington Beach home with various Up tie-in toys and a DVD copy of the film. Curtin could not open her eyes because of the pain, so her mother described the film to her scene by scene. She died approximately seven hours after the screening ended.[79]

Box office

In the U.S. and Canada, Up ranked number one at the box office in its opening weekend, grossing $68,108,790. This was a stronger return than analysts had been expecting.[80] The film had a small drop-off of around 35% over its second weekend, earning another $44,138,266.[81] Initial estimates projected the film holding on to the top spot in its second weekend, but revised figures placed it in second, less than $1 million behind the Warner Bros. comedy The Hangover, but over $25 million ahead of the Will Ferrell remake of Land of the Lost.[82] In its third weekend, the film experienced an even smaller decline of just around 30%, again trailing The Hangover to place second.[83] Its $30,762,280 third-weekend gross is the twelfth biggest third weekend ever for a film in the U.S.A. and Canada.[84] As of August 1, 2010, the film has a total of $293,004,164 in the United States and Canada and $438,338,580 in other territories for a worldwide gross of $731,342,744.[2] The film is Pixar's third-highest-grossing film worldwide, behind Finding Nemo and Toy Story 3.[85] It is the eighth highest-grossing animated feature of all time, the sixth highest-grossing film of 2009, and the 43rd highest-grossing film on the all-time chart.[86]

In Japan, it grossed $7,241,674 on its debut, which marked the fourth best opening for a U.S.A. animated film after Toy Story 3, Finding Nemo, and The Incredibles in the country. It eventually reached a milestone of $51,920,149 marking the fourth largest U.S. animated feature of all time behind Toy Story 3, Finding Nemo, and Monsters Inc., while among 2009 films it reached sixth place.[87] Even more impressive was Spain, where it began with $6,609,690 ($7,966,355 including weekday previews) and reached $37,052,520 in total. This made it the highest-grossing animated film of all time in the territory, out-grossing Shrek 2, the second largest film of 2009 behind Avatar and the fifth highest-grossing movie ever in the country behind Avatar, Titanic, The Orphanage, and The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King. It is also the highest-grossing Disney feature ever in the country.[88] In Australia, it debuted with a mere $1,795,243 in first place but the exceptional increases and small decreases in its earnings during the weekends that followed made it dominate for five weekends at the box office. It eventually earned $25,296,200 to stand as 2009's best animated box office hit in the country, just half a million dollars above Ice Age 3, and the seventh largest animated film of all time.[89] In Russia and the CIS, although its $12,073,559 total gross is far from exceptional compared to other animated features, it is the highest-grossing Pixar film.[90]

Accolades

Main article: List of accolades received by Up

Up won two awards at the 82nd Academy Awards, for "Best Animated Feature" and "Academy Award for Best Original Score".[40] It is the second of three animated features to have been nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture. Beauty and the Beast and Toy Story 3 were also nominated for Best Picture in their respective years. 'Up' also won "Best Original Score", and "Best Animated Feature Film" at the 67th Golden Globe Awards.[42] It was nominated for nine Annie Awards in eight categories, winning two awards for "Best Animated Feature" and "Best Directing in a Feature Production".[91] Up also received the Golden Tomato from Rotten Tomatoes for highest rating feature in 2009, and best reviewed animated film.[92] with an approval of 98 percent from film critics, based on 259 reviews.[93] At the 2010 Kids' Choice Awards the film won "Favorite Animated Movie".[94] Dug, the talking canine, was awarded the Palm Dog Award by the British film critics as the best canine performance at Cannes Film Festival, winning over the fox from Antichrist and the black poodle from Inglourious Basterds.[95]

References

  1. ^ a b c Barnes, Brooks (April 5, 2009). "Pixar's Art Leaves Profit Watchers Edgy". The New York Times. Retrieved April 6, 2009.
  2. ^ a b c "Up (2009)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved August 2, 2011.
  3. ^ "Disney/Pixar's Up to Open Cannes". ComingSoon.net. March 19, 2009. Retrieved March 19, 2009.
  4. ^ Wloszczyna, Susan (May 21, 2009). "Pixar moves on 'Up' with its 10th movie". USA Today. Gannett. Retrieved June 14, 2009.
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