The Big Stuff

Yesterday I saw Up.  Beyond its ability to accurately portray a dog's thought pattern (squirrel!), Up also beautifully illustrated a few big picture life issues that have been on my mind lately.  

In a mostly silent opening sequence we see a couple (Ellie and Carl) meet, marry, and grow old together.  They think of having kids, find out they cannot and revive an old life dream to travel. They save money in a jar that is broken open prematurely several times when the money is more urgently needed for life's little emergencies (broken legs, tree falling on roof...).  Time slips on and Ellie dies without having ever gotten around to her original dream.  

I bawled. In 3D.

I have been crying a lot lately (for some of it I blame hormones).   I have been crying about the Big Things.  Everyone I love will eventually die.  We have such a short time here, how do we not lose track of the big plans.  

I think maybe it's because I'm at a point in my life where I can sort of, kind of, almost peak at what my future might look like and I can begin to envision life's big milestones and they are awesome and terrifying and amazing and tragic.  Which is the ultimate message in the film: all of life is an adventure. 

I wonder how young viewers responded to these themes in Up.  Is there any part of them which understands transition and end?  Does a 60 year old wonder that same thing about me?

Anyway... Go see Up.  If you're anything like me you'll cry and then you'll laugh that super giddy laugh that comes after crying and then you'll nap.  

I... might be 4 years old.