Top Movies of ’09: #7 Up
Even the title of Pixar’s Up is a risk. Just one, single syllable word and one predominantly used as an adverb at that? Preposterous! Like 2008′s Wall-e, which was dialogue free for a good 45 minutes into its runtime, Up dares to start its adventure story on a complete downer. The movie opens by introducing us to a boy and girl who could well be the plucky main characters of any generic coming of age saga in which animal friends are met, bad guys get their comeuppance and pirate gold is found. But none of that happens. Instead the boy and the girl, grow up, get married, and face difficulties that propel them farther and farther out of the orbit of their childhood dreams.