Up (2009)
Change is in the air.
Carl Fredricksen spent his entire life dreaming of exploring the globe and experiencing life to its fullest. But at age 78, life seems to have passed him by, until a twist of fate (and a persistent 8-year old Wilderness Explorer named Russell) gives him a new lease on life.
| Type | Movie |
|---|---|
| Released | 28 May 2009 |
| Genre | Animation, Comedy, Family, Adventure |
| Director | Pete Docter |
| Starring | Ed Asner, Christopher Plummer and Jordan Nagai |
| Runtime | 96 min |
| Rated | PG |
| Scores | Rotten Tomatoes 98% · Rotten Tomatoes (average) 8.7/10 · Metacritic 88/100 · TMDB users 8.0/10 |
| Budget | $175 million |
| Box office | $735 million worldwide |
Where to watch Up
Up is streaming on Disney+ ($15.99 a month) in the US. It is also on Fubo. If that is the only reason to subscribe, one month of Disney+ is $15.99 at list price.
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What kind of watch this is
Up is a 2009 animated adventure directed by Pete Docter. It centers on Carl Fredricksen, a 78-year-old man who spent his entire life dreaming of exploring the globe. The film runs 96 minutes. It pairs his quiet, stubborn hope with the chaotic energy of Russell, an 8-year-old Wilderness Explorer. The tone shifts from melancholy to absurd without warning. Docter builds a world where domestic grief and high-stakes travel share the same sky. It is a story about getting a second chance, even if you are too old to admit you need one. The tagline is "Change is in the air.
What the critics said
Critics rarely miss a target, and this one hit bullseye. Rotten Tomatoes sits at 98% positive, backed by a 9.1 average rating. Metacritic, slightly more reserved, lands on 88 out of 100, which it calls universal acclaim. Roger Ebert saw a masterwork. The Hollywood Reporter called it arguably the funniest Pixar effort ever. Even the dissenters struggled to stay negative. The San Francisco Chronicle admitted the film contains boring stretches, yet conceded its moments of poetic wisdom belong in any anthology of great movie moments.
How it did with audiences
A $175 million budget turned into $735 million worldwide, with $293 million coming from the United States. That math made it the sixth-highest-grossing film of 2009. The opening weekend of $68.2 million set a record for 3D films, a title it held until James Cameron’s Avatar arrived later that year. Audiences stayed, with earnings dropping just 37% the second weekend and 31% the third. It was the slowest decline for a Pixar animated film since Finding Nemo.
Awards
Up collected 8 awards against 6 nominations. At the 82nd Academy Awards, it took home Best Animated Feature for Pete Docter and Best Original Score for Michael Giacchino. The film also secured the inaugural American Cinema Editors Award for Best Edited Animated Feature Film. It’s a tidy haul for a movie about a house with balloons, though the Academy did leave it without the top prize.
What came next for the cast
Ed Asner moved from serious roles like JFK to a sitcom and a Home Alone sequel. Christopher Plummer went from A Beautiful Mind to Knives Out and a thriller. These credits show a shift in tone, not a cause. One actor, a long run of character work. The other, a sudden pivot into prestige drama. The timeline does not explain the pivot. It just lists the steps.
If you liked this
TMDB's recommendations for people who watched Up.
Sources
- Up on TMDB — synopsis, cast, ratings and recommendations
- Wikidata Q174811 — review scores, box office and awards (CC0)
- “Up (2009 film)” on Wikipedia, by its contributors (history) — reception, audience figures and legacy, summarised and adapted here under CC BY-SA 4.0
- Where to watch and prices: Binge Boss, from TMDB watch-provider data (powered by JustWatch) and our own provider list
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