Defining a classic: An analysis of Pixar's Up

Up (2009)

It seems the term classic is banded around far too hastily these days. Disney has deemed the entirety of its animated feature film catalogue as ‘classic’ despite entries that range from the mediocre (Mulan) to the downright disastrous (The Black Cauldron). ‘Classic’ status is given to movies that have just a few lines of dialogue and/or memorable moments that highlight an otherwise unremarkable feature (Scarface) . Even movies which are devoid of any remarkable quality whatsoever can be deemed ‘classic’, just ask Ed Wood. It seems the term has become more of a marketing tool, rather than a unanimous recognition of achievement. Of course, to then proclaim Pixar’s magnificent animation Up as a classic may seem hypocritical and an example of individual hyperbole, how is then that Up deserves to the controversial title of Classic?

The film’s opening sequences appear to situate the film in familiar territory, Pixar’s fondness for sending up old public service broadcasts and the exploration of childhood innocence and desire for adventure, as well as that familiar movie staple, budding romance. We are introduced to our protagonist Carl Fredrickson,a young boy who dreams of being the, somewhat dubious in his integrity, explorer Charles Muntz, on his way home one day he stumbles into an abandoned house where he meets kindred spirit Ellie, who too wants to travel to South America. What follows is a short but touching montage showing the children’s blossoming romance transition into elderly contentment, a life marked by more than one tragedy, not least that by the time of Ellie’s death the couple were never able to fulfil one of their lifelong dreams and travel. Carl, now elderly and living alone, unable to function in a modern world that is rapidly moving away from him, up and moves away to South America, taking his entire house with him, with the help of a thousand helium balloons.

As with all Pixar films there is plenty to enjoy visually, with the film boasting some of the richest animation and fully realized worlds seen in the genre. The narrative is particularly quirky even for a Pixar outing. Aside from the unique storybook nature of the main narrative, there are plenty of quirky twists throughout, with South America realised like somewhere from a Roald Dahl book and an army of dogs who communicate through collar translators. For as playfully imaginative and visually rich as the picture is, it is in the film’s characterization that the film truly shines. Writing and directing the film, Pete Dochter and Bob Peterson in true Pixar fashion have created some of the most memorable and likeable characters seen in any film in recent memory, with supporting players such as naive pooch Dug and overweight boy scout Russell rising above the one-note comic relief they could easily have become and into real characters an audience can emotionally invest in. Then of course there is the film’s central figure and protagonist, Carl Fredrickson (Voiced perfectly by Ed Asner).

Pixar has a track record of unlikely heroes and Carl is no exception modelled after the late Spencer Tracy, Carl is old and cantankerous, he refers to his house by the name of his deceased wife and cannot walk without aid. Yet he is endearing and a character we care about the moment we see him and of all of Pixar’s work he is perhaps the truest 3 dimensional character they have ever put forth. Aside from the nature of Carl’s quest, which itself is an attempt to fulfil the dream he shared with his wife, we understand Carl’s inner guilt, sense of loss and obsessions through delicate dialogue exchanges and subtle nuances. A key scene within the film in which Carl is able to find some inner solace and realise the consequences of his obsessions is achieved not through hack dialogue, but by body language and a simple gesture, in a scene that is both touching and true to the character, as is his eventual transformation to loving patriarch and unlikely action hero. Carl’s journey is indeed a sentimental one and more than one scene will tug at the toughest of heart strings.

Themes of loss, abandonment and obsession are all present within the film. It is all three that drive Carl to journey to South America and his ability to overcome his obsession that sets him apart from the villainous and warped Charles Muntz (Voiced by veteran villain actor Christopher Plummer). Like Carl, Charles too is obsessive, after losing public affection many years ago; Charles seeks a rare flightless bird which he believes will prove his innocence. His obsession has lead him to a murderous sense of entitlement, having spent the last 70 years in living in South Africa in an airship filled with fossils and relics from the past. Charles personifies the perils of obsession and loss, afflictions Carl must overcome to avoid a similar fate, something he does and in doing so reunites one family and founds a new one with Dug and Russell. With such dark subject matter there is always the risk of overshooting the mark, thankfully this is not the case here. Whereas films such as Finding Nemo and Monsters Inc laid on the sentiment just a little too heavy, Up ‘s moments of sentiment and inclusion of more adult themes and subject matter are perfectly judged and a tear of sadness can quickly be turned into tears of joy and laughter without causing awkward bumps in the flow of the narrative. Ultimately the film’s message seems to be that happiness is not constrained by age and more often than not, the most rewarding happiness can be found not in some distant land but in the bonds of friendship and family.

For all the impressive characterization and as moving as Up is, it is also tremendously exciting and very funny, with a reoccurring gag involving dog translators and the interaction between Carl and Russell being particularly worthy of mention. Up is also full of inventive set pieces and whether it involves Carl’s house taking flight for the first time or the climactic battle on Muntz’s flying fortress, Up provides excitement in spades, with the set pieces bridged with a fine balance of hilarity and poignancy.

For years it seems Pixar have been on the cusp of making the perfect animated film, some would argue that they already did and indeed, films such as Wall-E and the Toy Story trilogy are perhaps close to attaining that status. Up, however, floats high above the rest in terms of narrative innovation and most notably its 3 dimensional and believable characterization, which sets a benchmark for any animation that will follow it, a film that will prove to be as timeless as its message and in the not so distant future, fully deserving the title of classic.