Up: A Movie Review, a Quick Biology Lesson, and a Pitch for Teaching with Stories

Last week, I went with my nephews and niece to see the movie “Up” by Disney’s Pixar studios. I had seen the trailer once, and I had only a vague idea about the movie plot. I knew that it had something to do with an elderly man who tied so many helium balloons to his house that it took flight in the sky. Talking dogs were somewhere in the mix. Other than that, I really didn’t know what to expect. 

 
This movie completely caught me by surprise. I had no idea that “Up” would be, in my opinion, the most original, heartwarming movie that Disney has produced to date. It made me laugh and cry so many times that I lost count. And it made the educator in me so very happy. Stories are a powerful way to teach, and this movie was rich in valuable life lessons.

SPOILER ALERT
The story begins with young Carl Frederickson, a small child with big dreams of flying. He’s inspired by his hero Muntz, an explorer who travels around the world in a luxurious zeppelin-like aircraft. When Carl meets Ellie, a fellow fan of Muntz, it’s a match made in heaven. In an animated montage, Carl and Ellie’s lives quickly flash before your eyes. They grow up and get married. They buy their first house and prepare a nursery. Then they’re heartbroken when they discover that they can’t have children. They set their hearts on another dream, which involves living at the top of a waterfall in the South American wilderness. They save their money in a jar, only to find that home repairs and medical expenses empty the jar as quickly as they fill it. By the time that Carl finally saves enough money to surprise Ellie with the purchase two plane tickets to South America, they are both white-haired with age, and her health is failing. When Ellie clutches Carl’s hands while she’s dying in her hospital bed, that’s when your tears will start to flow, and trust me, it won’t be the last time.   (Warning: Get lots of napkins from the concession stand at the movie theatre for this very reason. There’s nothing worse than hearing your nephew say, “Aunt Amy, I spilled my drink all over my lap” and not having a single dry napkin to give to him.)

It’s a bit surreal to catch yourself crying over a cartoon. When you look at the elderly Carl Frederickson, you’ll notice instantly that his head is much too big for his body. His face is too square, and his nose is too round. Yet, the way that he shuffles around on his tennis ball-tipped walker is all too familiar for those of us who have watched our elderly parents and grandparents maneuver about in the same manner. The way that he gazes at his late wife’s picture and speaks tenderly to her captures the sadness of a widower with surprising accuracy. And it’s all too easy to relate to Carl’s confusion and anger when stuffy business suit-wearing moguls swoop onto his property in preparation for tearing his house down to make way for a commercial building. You’ll find yourself completely absorbed in Carl’s plight, and you’ll feel oddly close to a cartoon character that has suddenly become inexplicably real.

On an interesting side note, there’s a reason why stories like Carl’s move us to emotion. We have some very specific cells in our brains called mirror neurons, and they’re the biological source of empathy. Whatever we see or hear or even simply imagine that others are feeling, mirror neurons lead us to mimic those same emotions and embrace them as our own.  That’s why when we see others cry, we feel the need to cry. When we hear others laugh, we want to laugh too. Even when others feel sleepy and yawn, we can’t help but yawn with them.  Even if it’s an animated cartoon character, and the emotions are purely imaginary, we feel them as powerfully as if we were the character himself.  This is largely why stories are so powerful. We unknowingly make them all about us, and because we are so emotionally invested in them, we take their lessons to heart and remember them.  (There’s an interesting article about this in Time Magazine, from January of 2007 – http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1580423-2,00.html)

Back to Carl…
His story takes an interesting turn on the day that two men in scrubs arrive in a van to take him to a nursing home. That’s when Carl releases what appear to be hundreds, perhaps even thousands, of helium balloons into the sky. He and his house fly away with them. In a journey that is reminiscent of Dorothy’s in the Wizard of Oz, Carl meets and befriends a series of colorful characters as he struggles to set his house atop the waterfall in tribute to Ellie. The first is Russell, an overweight, fast-talking wilderness scout, who unknowingly became a stowaway when he chased a cat underneath Carl’s house. Upon their landing in South America, the next acquaintance that they make is a large, friendly bird that Russell names Kevin (the name sticks, even when it is later discovered that Kevin is a mother bird with a nest of babies). Last but not least is Dug, a chubby, easily distracted dog that speaks English thanks to a special collar developed by his owner, who turns out to be Carl’s childhood hero, Muntz.

When Carl discovers that Muntz is hunting for Kevin, he is forced to choose between continuing his journey to safely land his house atop the waterfall, or fleeing with the bizarre bird in order to protect her and her offspring at Russell’s insistence. I don’t want to spoil the movie for you any more than I have already. Suffice it to say that this is where the adventure really begins, and Carl Frederickson will surprise and delight you.

My inner educator wishes that every health care professional in the world would watch this movie. It’s the best sensitivity training for working with the elderly that I’ve ever seen. When you glimpse life through Carl’s eyes, you’ll understand the importance of his daily routines and familiar surroundings, and you’ll cringe when the nursing home pamphlet winds up in his hands. You’ll be angered by the way that people speak to him, like he’s either a child or is demented. But most importantly, you’ll see him for more than just the little old man that the rest of the world sees.

Carl isn’t about to sit around napping in a recliner for the rest of his days. He has big plans, driven by lifelong dreams and the loving memory of his late wife. He’s got a wicked sense of humor, and some of his one-liners will bring you to your knees with laughter. He’s extremely clever and has a MacGyver-like ability to use everyday objects within his reach to get himself out of a pinch. He’s an adventurer, and a rescuer of animals. He’s a friend and a father figure to a lonely little boy. He’s fiercely loyal to his new pals and repeatedly saves them from doom, even when it ultimately calls for an extreme sacrifice on his part. It’s enough to make you look at your aging patients in a different way. Beyond the frailty and dependence that many of us associate with the elderly, there are amazing individuals with fascinating life stories, and with much to contribute still.  We’re a culture that focuses on aging individuals for who they were.  This movie will make you take a closer look at who they are.

All education talk aside, “Up” is simply a great movie. Make sure you take the little ones. This is a kid’s movie, after all. The biggest takeaway that they’ll get from the story is that they need not search the sky for high-flying, spandex-wearing superheroes. Real-life heroes are much more humble in appearance and ability, but can be as close by as the elderly neighbor down the street, or the most socially awkward kid in the scout troop.  You can view the “Up” trailer at:  \’Up\’ Theatrical Trailer(2:31)

If you’ve seen “Up,” or any other movie that you’ve found particularly inspiring, please leave a comment with your own review!