The movie "UP"

[*pixie*dust*]

I just watched the movie UP this weekend. Did anyone else find the content to be way too mature for the audience that advertising targeted? I mean the whole "infertility, aging, death, living with regrets, your childhood idol trying to kill you" thing seemed awfully heavy for kids. I cried 3 different times, during it.
Not saying it was a bad movie but certainly it was not what I expected.

 

[rgf207]

We thought the same thing but from a child's perspective, I don't think they would react the same way adults do. They don't understand the infertility, aging, death scenario as we do.

 

[bumbershoot]

What audience do you think they targeted? I saw ads for it while watching shows I was interested in.

All Pixar movies are pretty deep.

DS didn't understand while we were crying during the first 15 minutes, and he hated it when Carl hits the man with his cane, but then he got into it and enjoyed the action and Kevin and Dug and Russell.


And if you think about what all those "classic" Disney movies are all about.... Heck, we recently bought Snow White, and DS was disgusted by what the hunter was sent off to do to, and get from, Snow White for the Queen! YUCK!

And as a child I know that my mom had to take me out of the theater during Cinderella, because the cruelty from the stepsisters was making me sob.


Just because something is animated, just because something looks like a cartoon, doesn't mean it's FOR kids.

And Pixar has always been pretty clear that they are for everyone.

And for cartoons...watched Tom and Jerry recently? Gracious goodness me they have some serious violence in that silly "kid" cartoon!

 

[Golf4food]

I don't consider most recent Pixar movies to be "childrens" movies. They are human movies, targeted at all ages.

 

[MinnieTink]

I just think kids will take something else away from it than adults will. Just like Sesame Street, Bugs Bunny cartoons, even Spongebob...there are some things in there that will go right over the kids' heads.

Ohh and I totally cried in the beginning. The way they kept having to break open their savings every time some little bit of life happened totally reminded me of DH and I. LOL. It was very touching.

 

[gypsydoodlebug]

I was traumatized by that movie. LOL.

 

[abdmom]

I was traumatized by that movie. LOL.

I'm glad to hear I'm not the only one.

 

[SaraJayne]

I watched "Up" for the first time this last weekend and I think it's one of the saddest movies I've ever seen.

 

[wildernesslodgelover]

Wow, now I feel bad, I let DD see this with a friend and her family, without "screening" it first. I also assumed it was a kids' movie. She told me she cried and cried, but I thought maybe she was being dramatic?

I like a good "cry" movie now and then, so I will have to rent it soon! Sounds pretty deep!

 

[mommyoftwinfants]

I think cartoons are now geared for entire families not just kids.

My favorite thing is when I watch these movies with my kids and just crack up laughing and they look at me like what in world is so funny...

We showed Cloudy with A Chance of Meatballs here at the Library last week and the parents laughed more than the kids did.

We are showing UP next week and told the parents that haven't seen it yet to bring tissue...

 

[esbrick]

We just watched it last night and as a woman who is currently TTC w/out much luck , I must admit I was hit hard in the first 15 minutes. I did cry for most of the movie, prompting DH to ask "Is this you or the hormones crying?" (I get misty but I'm not a cry cryer, KWIM?)

I took it from a different perspective however. My perspective was that it was a love story of sorts. Boy falls in love with girl, they grow up and get married, she is the spark that he needed in his life, they find out that there would be no babies and they are heartbroken, but then he gives her back her "Adventure Book" to remind her that their adventure is not over! It has taken a detour!" They have a wonderful long life together, she passes, he wants to fufill her dream because by love it has become his too!

Another parallel is that everyone seems lost but they eventually find someone/somewhere / some heart to call home. Russel finds Carl; Carl finds Russel; Doug finds Carl; Kevin finds Russel together Russel and Carl help Kevin.

The end, although I have to tell you that I was crying so hard I thought my contacts were sure to flow out of my eyes Carl's wife gives him the same gift her gave her so many years befor, it was greatest gift of all by showing him how he added to her life. . . her adventure, no regrets.

So you see, it's all about perspective. That's mine for now. . . It may change and I have no need to watch it again anytime soon to be honest but again it's just my opinion.

E

 

[Metsfan520]

I don't consider most recent Pixar movies to be "childrens" movies. They are human movies, targeted at all ages.

Great description! I love it, do you mind if I use it?

 

[JenM]

I saw UP twice in theaters. The second time I saw it there were a few kids sitting next to me, and at the end of the Carl & Ellie montage one kid asked "Did she just die?" The kid sitting next to her said "Duh!"

After that I figured the kids aren't being as emotionally scarred as some of the reports were having us believe.

It was like that story I heard a comedian tell about taking his son to see Bambi for the first time and how carefully he explained to him what had happened to Bambi's mother. He seemed to be fine with it, and they saw the movie a 2nd time. When a little girl sitting in front of them asked what had happened to Bambi's mommy, his son yelled out "She's dead!"

He said after that he didn't worry about his son anymore.

I don't know if UP was meant to be specifically a kids' movie. It was really marketed to all ages, and seemed to be meant for all audiences. Yes, the subject matter is tough in spots, but really no worse than some of the classic Disney films (maybe a little more 'real' than the fairytale stories).

It's a wonderful film - I was psyched to see it in that Best Picture list yesterday.

 

[DizBelle]

It's rated PG. Seems appropriately rated to me. Did you think it warranted a stricter rating? PG-13? R?

Or were you (naively) assuming that since it was Disney and/or animated that it is for "kids"?

 

[Geoff_M]

I think it's a "there's something in there for everyone" type movie and don't think it was misguided. As for all of the "heavy stuff in there", com'on... if you're a parent of a major character in a Disney feature you better have your life insurance paid up! Disney has never been shy at throwing in tragedy. Like the saying goes "It's not a real Disney film unless some one dies!"

 

[ZephyrHawk]

Yes, and Bambi's mother dies. And Simba's dad dies. And Little Foot's mom dies (okay, not Disney, but affected me when I was young). And little red riding hood's grandma gets eaten by a wolf. And Jack falls down and gets his head spilt open. And when the bough breaks the cradle will fall bringing down the baby so negligently left up a tree by his mother.

We could go on.

Kids can deal with a lot more than we give them credit for. That being said, even young kids can generally tell the difference between real life and fairy tales they see in books or movies or tv.

I teared up seeing Up. DH cried. I's still take a kid to it. It's a good movie.

 

[SaraJayne]

It's rated PG. Seems appropriately rated to me. Did you think it warranted a stricter rating? PG-13? R?

Or were you (naively) assuming that since it was Disney and/or animated that it is for "kids"?

I thought it was appropriately rated ~ I just thought it was sad.

But my DH's uncle (who looks a lot like Carl) just lost his beloved wife of 60 years a few weeks ago, so I'm pretty sure that colored the sadness factor for me.

 

[puffkin]

What audience do you think they targeted? I saw ads for it while watching shows I was interested in.

All Pixar movies are pretty deep.

DS didn't understand while we were crying during the first 15 minutes, and he hated it when Carl hits the man with his cane, but then he got into it and enjoyed the action and Kevin and Dug and Russell.


And if you think about what all those "classic" Disney movies are all about.... Heck, we recently bought Snow White, and DS was disgusted by what the hunter was sent off to do to, and get from, Snow White for the Queen! YUCK!

And as a child I know that my mom had to take me out of the theater during Cinderella, because the cruelty from the stepsisters was making me sob.


Just because something is animated, just because something looks like a cartoon, doesn't mean it's FOR kids.

And Pixar has always been pretty clear that they are for everyone.

And for cartoons...watched Tom and Jerry recently? Gracious goodness me they have some serious violence in that silly "kid" cartoon!

Exactly what I was going to say!

I don't consider most recent Pixar movies to be "childrens" movies. They are human movies, targeted at all ages.

Love this! Perfect sentiment for most of the recent Disney/Pixar movies

 

[theycallmered]

When reading everybody's summaries of the movie just now I started to tear up. Man, that was one incredibly sad yet great movie.

 

[bgohre]

I really don't think most kids give a lot of that stuff much thought. My DD3 asked me why she was crying. I told her she was crying because she was sick and I have yet to hear another word about it.

I think kids just kind of "skip over" some of the more adult stuff.