Up
So I finally got around to seeing the movie Up. Honestly, I’ve been wanting to for a while – I love Pixar movies – but I’d been warned away because one of the central themes of the movie is the old couple’s childlessness and how it affects the rest of their lives – and it’s even highlighted by a shot of her weeping in a doctor’s office after what, (I was told in a hushed whisper by someone emphasizing to me what a bad movie for kids it was), was probably a miscarriage. Yeah. Heaven forbid that children should learn that not everyone gets to have kids just because they want them desperately.
At the time, I was grateful for the warning, since my feeling was, “Been there. Done that. Don’t need to see it played out in a cartoon, ferchrissakes.”
Boy, was I wrong.
This is an excellent movie. This was probably one of the best movies I’ve seen in years. I was weeping – so was the Boy – and laughing out loud, (“Squirrel!”) and generally having a better time being entertained by media than I have in – literally – years.
And yes, it was possibly the most sensitive portrayal of the toll infertility & miscarriage takes on a person and on a marriage that I’ve ever seen. And also a damned fine portrayal of what the human heart is capable of in the aftermath of loss and grief. Not to mention having several talking dogs in the cast, which always improves a movie in my mind. ”I just met you and I love you.” (If I ever get a male dog, its name will be Dug.)
I am terrifically impressed. And I wish I’d seen it earlier. I might have wept, but it might also have lifted me up at a time when I needed it even more than I do these days. Well done, Pixar.
(“Squirrel!”)
Well said. DH and I watched this movie and both wept openly as well. DH says he doesn’t think he would watch it again since it made him so emotional. I loved it.
helo & i cried our eyes out.. not only the infertility part, but his mom had recently died too.. ugh! a little girl next to us said “daddy, this movie is SAD”!!
doug.. was awesome!
Oooh, I’ve been putting this off for months. So it’s good? Hmmmm…you may have given me the courage to watch it.
It was a beautifully done movie through and through. Though I knew about the miscarriage/marriage montage in advance I still was surprised with how much it moved me to tears. Someone at pixar must have experienced this because it was so well done, so authentic it had to come from experiencing it.
Perhaps if miscarriage and the reality that not everyone gets pregnant when they want to (and sometimes when they don’t) was talked about more, it would lessen some of the extreme emotions that blindside us when we’re faced with that very reality. It seems like our young selves spent so much effort trying not to get pregnant before we were ready that once we were actually ready we expected it to happen right away and were frustrated and angry when it didn’t.
I always like to see well-done portrayals of IF rather than the focus being always on the unusual ones like 65 year-olds having babies, women having very high order multiples, or the disturbing IVF story lines on the show Private Practice. Funny that such a great representation came from a cartoon.
It was pretty wonderful, wasn’t it? And I agree. I avoided it for the same reasons, but as it turns out, it was heartwarming and presented in a very responsible manner. Nice to see infertiles portrayed as people who go on to make a life for themselves rather than people who are so broken they steal babies to get what they want.
Overall, it was a lovely movie. Very well done.
yes it is a fantastic movie! I was not warned about the infertility bit and cried buckets but hey, the chocolate fudge sundae helped.
I love Up too – and the way they showed the couple’s life with not one word of dialog was just amazing. How much can be portrayed without words – probably better than if you HAD words…
So glad you are feeling good and NO spotting!
I think I’d better see this. I love Pixar (and really all children’s movies) too, and thought it looked great from the ads. Just never got around to it, what with moving and renos and PTL fears and all.
Thanks for reminding me it’s out there and fantastic!
Wasn’t it awesome? Yeah, it makes me cry every time but it’s so worth it. And our next dog is going to be named Dug too! Did you see the “Dug’s Special Mission” short?
DH and I saw it at the movies. He went in not really knowing what to expect, where as I went in with full knowledge and even took tissues!
I balled my eyes out, not just a small cry, full on tears streaming down my face – it was at a point that we’d decided to stop ttc though, which probably didnt help.
When we came out, DH commented how sad the film was and how it really made him think…
Good film, very good film.
I love the music. And don’t you just wanna be them? Sort of?
Sounds great. I always feel very weird crying over animated films, I am glad that I am not the only one who does this.
Yeah, I really liked it. LG found it scary–I don’t remember what part, but it was early on–and I ended up watching the bulk of it by myself.
And Cat, yeah, I find myself yelling at the TV when I watch Private Practice. “It doesn’t happen like that! You don’t do the retrival and transfer on the same day and then call yourself pregnant!”
Yep, right there with you. Burst out *sobbing* in the middle of the movie theater. But it is a truly fantasic movie, it has landed among my all time favorites. Might be a long shot, but I really do hope it wins for movie of the year.