[43] In the DVD extra "The Many Endings of Muntz", Docter and his team talked about their struggle to figure out the character's ultimate fate. The house lands on a mesa opposite Paradise Falls. Retired balloon salesman Carl Fredricksen, is ready for his last chance at high-flying excitement. The house descends out of sight, at which point Carl decides to let it go and live on the Spirit of Adventure with Russell and the pack of dogs. Unbeknownst to Carl, an overeager 8-year-old Wilderness Explorer Russell is on Carl's front porch! But Dug is mocked as the nerd of the pack. Pixar eventually decided to drop the concept about the eggs, but by then it was too late to change the part about Muntz still being alive and healthy. After he is accused of presenting a fake giant bird skeleton from Paradise Falls in South America, Muntz returns to the area intent on clearing his name by capturing a living specimen. Disney, All Rights Reserved, Disney Entertainment, EARN POINTS AND UNLOCK REWARDS FOR MOVIE PURCHASES WITH DISNEY MOVIE INSIDERS, How to Draw Dug from Up and Dug Days | Draw With Pixar | Pixar, The Ultimate Disney+ Summer Vacation | Disney+, Technology on Disney+ We Wish Really Existed | Disney+, Up Anniversary: Dug's Iconic Moments | Disney, Married Life from Up Trumpet Cover | Pixar, Watercolor Portrait of Dug From Up | Disney DIY by Disney Family, Valentine's Day with Your Favorite Pixar Couples | Pixar, Count Down Some Fun Facts About the Pixar Campus | Pixar By The Numbers, Babies Dressed as Russell, Dug, and Kevin from Up | Disney Family, UP Easter Eggs & Fun Facts | Pixar Did You Know? [79] Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film a rare average grade of "A+" on an A+ to F scale. [33] The idea for Alpha's voice derived from thinking about what would happen if someone broke a record player and it always played at a high pitch. [66], Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment released Up on Blu-ray and DVD on November 10, 2009. [39] He cited inspiration from Casablanca and A Christmas Carol, which are both "resurrection" stories about men who lose something, and regain purpose during their journey. [9] Docter felt "we couldn't use [the rocks and plants we saw]. Both Nagai and the film were awarded by the East West Players for the depiction of Russell. | Scrapped Film Ideas. The film debuted earning $68.2 million from 3,766 theaters (1,530 in 3D). They then meet Dug, a Golden Retriever who wears a special collar with a device that translates his thoughts into English; he joins them on their trek. Muntz captures Russell, but Carl and Dug board the dirigible and free both Russell and Kevin. Before Carl can land and send Russell home, they encounter a storm that propels the house to South America. Docter was not concerned about an elderly protagonist, stating that children would relate to Carl the way they relate to their grandparents. Pixar Animation Studios - 1200 Park Avenue, Emeryville, California, USA. With Charles Muntz, the most fabled adventurer of his day, the filmmakers gave him the 1930s most state-of-the-art airship. But when there is impending doom, we almost go to black and white.- Ricky Nierva, Production Designer. Grant gave the script his approval as well as some advice before his death in 2005. [37][100] Asian-American organizations and entertainment websites, such as media watchdog Media Action Network for Asian Americans (MANAA), Racebending.com, and Angry Asian Man praised the character and Pixar for its diverse character depictions, noting the general lack of Asian-American lead characters and Asian actors cast in entertainment. Gugu Mbatha-Raw Shares the Whimsical and Uplifting Films That Give Her Hope, The villain Charles Muntz has a similar name to. Docter wanted to push a stylized feel, particularly the way Carl's head is proportioned: he has a squarish appearance to symbolize his containment within his house, while Russell is rounded like a balloon. [77], Up has an approval rating of 98% based on 298 professional reviews on the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, with an average rating of 8.7/10. [44], Docter made Venezuela the film's setting after Ralph Eggleston gave him a video of the tepui mountains of Canaima National Park;[10][27][45] tepuis were previously featured in another Disney film, Dinosaur. Bill Capodagli, author of Innovate the Pixar Way, praised Carl for his ability to be a jerk and likable at the same time. See production, box office & company info, [His sadness turns to happiness. Can I stay? However, Carl resolves to keep Ellie's promise, turning his house into a makeshift airship using countless helium balloons and flying away. Docter realized Nagai behaved and spoke non-stop like Russell and chose him for the part. Disney acknowledged not every Pixar film would have to become a franchise. Years pass and Carl decides to arrange the trip as a surprise for Ellie. Vowing to prove them wrong, Muntz returns to South America, swearing to bring back a live specimen, and he won't come backuntil he does! But when they meet, they are about the same age. [112][113][114] In December 2021, the film's screenplay was listed number 33 on the Writers Guild of America's "101 Greatest Screenplays of the 21st Century (So Far)". In 2004, Docter and eleven other Pixar artists spent three days reaching Monte Roraima by airplane, by jeep, and by helicopter. The massive mile-high plateaus in Venezuela are among the most uncharted places on Earth. [24][25] Also, the biggest single influence on Up early on was The Station Agent, by Tom McCarthy. [69][72] Up earned $21.4 million on its first day. Carl realizes Muntzs obsession with finding the bird has driven him mad, to the point of killing innocent travelers whom he suspected of seeking the bird for themselves. Pixar sent a team of artists for a look, and the film's bizarre rock formations, exotic flora, towering waterfall, and fog-shrouded labyrinth can be traced to tepui landscapes. [31], Docter created Dug as he felt it would be refreshing to show what a dog thinks, rather than what people assume it thinks. Carl and Russell reunite Kevin with her chicks before returning home in Muntz's airship. He inspires his biggest fans, youngsters Carl and Ellie, to parrot his famous mantra "adventure is out there!" [38], Carl's relationship with Russell reflects how "he's not really ready for the whirlwind that a kid is, as few of us are". [92] The score was released as a digital download on May 26, 2009, three days before the film opened in theaters. They considered having him redeem himself or survive unrepentant, but eventually decided that, "as almost a representation of Carl's old self, Muntz has to die. Carl Fredricksen (Ed Asner) as a young quiet kid idolized explorer Charles Muntz (Christopher Plummer) and his discovery of Paradise Falls. The film received critical acclaim from critics for its screenplay, animation, characters, themes, narrative, Asner's vocal performance, Michael Giacchino's musical score, and the opening sequence. by DisneyPixar, UP: Married Life | Script to Screen | DisneyPixar, Pixar Did You Know? [21] New programs were made to simulate the cloth and for Kevin's iridescent feathers. You're a good boy. ", "Interview: Pete Doctor on Disney/Pixar's UP", "NYCC: Interview With Pete Docter And Jonas Rivera", "Pixar's Up; The new animated film is brimming with dogs", "Asia Pacific Arts: May 22, 2009: News Bites", "Pixar moves on 'Up' with its 10th movie", "Asian American Media Watchdog Group Praises Disney/Pixar's "Up" for Creating Asian American Protagonist", "Pixar's 'Up' Stars An Asian American Boy Scout", "Mr. Beaks Goes UP with Pixar's Pete Docter! He and eleven other Pixar artists spent three days in Venezuela gathering research and inspiration. Russell finally receives his "Assisting the Elderly" badge, and Carl presents Russell with a grape soda bottle cap that Ellie gave to Carl when they first met, which he now dubs "The Ellie Badge". In fact, the massive bird often gets into some very curious and seemingly impossible positions. This is because the plot was slightly different in an earlier version of the movie. So they kept him in the final version and deliberately ignored that he should actually have been decades older than Carl. [115], For the 82nd Academy Awards, Up received five nominations (including Best Picture, Best Original Screenplay, and Best Sound Editing); the film won two Oscars: Best Animated Feature and Best Original Score. But the story just didn't seem to work properly, and Docter and Peterson realized that the most intriguing element was the isolation of the floating city. Together they would marry and live their lives together until the day she dies. Named by Russell, this extremely rare, 13-foot-tall flightless bird is hidden from the world in her remote Paradise Falls habitat. Ellie is much more animated and also a great fan of Muntz. [22] Russell was added to the story at a later date than Dug and Kevin;[22] his presence, as well as that of the construction workers, helped to make the story feel less "episodic". However, they also wanted him to grow more flexible near the end of the film, transforming into an "action hero". [73], Film critic Roger Ebert gave the film four out of four stars and called it "a wonderful film. Another idea Docter added, then removed, was magic fountain-of-youth eggs laid by the bird, in order to explain the age discrepancy between Muntz and Carl, but they decided this subplot was too distracting, and people would forgive the minor inconsistency. [lunges forward and covers Carl in slobbery kisses]. The photographs of characters shown during the end credits thematically match the crew members' positions, as do the "Wilderness Explorer" badges that also appear. Russell urges Carl to help Kevin get home and reunite with her chicks, but then Muntz captures her. Beta, a tough Rottweiler, is Alpha's lieutenant, and Gamma, a rough-and-tumble bulldog, is his hench-dog. So, if you can kind of wake up a little bit and go, "Wow, I've got some really cool stuff around me every day", then that's what the movie's about. [95], Edward Asner was praised in several media outlets for his portrayal of Carl. [93] Reelviews editor James Berardinelli praised their relationship, stating that it brought a tear to his eye in a way no animated film has done, including anything by famed anime director Hayao Miyazaki. It was Pixar's first film to be presented in 3D format. The location was chosen due to both Docter's love of tropical locations, but also in wanting a location Carl could be stuck with a kid due to the inability to leave him with an authority such as a police officer or social worker. The world's most unlikely duo meet fantastic friends like Dug, a dog with a special collar that allows him to speak, and Kevin, a rare 13-foot tall flightless bird. [86] Wall Street Journal editor Joe Morgenstern described Carl as gruff, comparing him to Buster Keaton, but adds that this begins to wear thin as the movie progresses. Up is a 2009 American computer-animated film produced by Pixar Animation Studios and released by Walt Disney Pictures. Carl meets fellow Muntz fan Ellie, who confides her desire to move her "clubhouse"an abandoned house in the neighborhoodto a cliff overlooking Paradise Falls. What Pete Docter wanted most importantly out of the music was the emotion, so Giacchino wrote a character theme-based score that producer Jonas Rivera thought enhanced the story. Other cast members include Mickie T. McGowan as police officer Edith, Danny Mann as construction worker Steve, Don Fullilove and Jess Harnell as Shady Oaks nurses George and A.J., Josh Cooley as Muntz's dog Omega, and Docter as campmaster Strauch. [50] He was not given elderly features such as liver spots or hair in his ears to keep him appealing, yet giving him wrinkles, pockmarks on his nose, a hearing aid, and a cane to make him appear elderly. Dug: [Looking sad] I was hiding under your porch because I love you. [57] It is the first score for a Pixar film to win the Oscar (Randy Newman also won for Monsters, Inc. and Toy Story 3, but in the category of Best Original Song). Originally titled Heliums, Docter conceived the outline for Up in 2004 based on fantasies of escaping from life when it becomes too irritating. [20] Docter encouraged Nagai to act physically as well as vocally when recording the role, lifting him upside down and tickling him for the scene where Russell encounters Kevin. [17][18][19], Originally titled Heliums, Up was conceived in 2004 by director Pete Docter. [84], The relationship between Carl and his wife Ellie has been praised in several media outlets. But when Muntz brings home the skeleton of a fantastic 13-foot-tall creature from a remote mountain in South America, he is discredited by scientists. John Ratzenberger played construction foreman Tom, and David Kaye the newsreel announcer. [122][123] It was named one of the ten best films of 2009 by the National Board of Review (which won Best Animated Film) and the American Film Institute. "[78] Metacritic (which uses a weighted average) assigned Up a score of 88 out of 100 based on 37 critics, indicating "universal acclaim". She and Carl first bond over their shared admiration for legendary explorer Charles F. Muntz. A colorscript is a sequence of small pastel drawings or paintings used to emphasize color in each scene and establish a film's visual language. We had a trophy room with an Easter Island head in there, recalled Production Artist Noah Klocek. Traveling the globe many times over in his massive self-designed airship, he discovers the world's treasures: priceless historic relics, amazing scientific discoveries, and exotic flora and fauna never before seen. [99] EWP lauded Pixar for the creation of the character, stating, "We are proud to honor a very progressive film company like Pixar who cast an Asian-American character alongside an elderly one to play the leads in a feature film. [71] The film was released with Drag Me to Hell on May 29, 2009. [129][130] It focuses on Dug and Carl as they reside in suburbia. Along the way, they meet a talking dog named Dug (Peterson), and encounter a giant bird named Kevin, who is being hunted by the explorer Charles Muntz (Plummer). [90] TIME editor Richard Corliss also makes the comparison, calling him a "trash compacted version" of Tracy. [117][118] At the 67th Golden Globe Awards, it won Best Animated Feature Film and Best Original Score. [76] Up completed its theatrical run in the United States and Canada on December 5, 2009. "[30] As a result, they added the plot of going to South America. Like the rest of his pack, Dug is outfitted with a remarkable high-tech collar that translates his thoughts into speech. Blu-ray bonus features exclusively include a Cine-Explore, Global Guardian Badge and Geography games, and eight documentaries. [22] Nagai was eight years old when cast. And the directors and artists proved it to themselves when they sought firsthand reference to design the pinnacle world where Carls journey would end. [22] Docter selected an old man for the main character after drawing a picture of a grumpy old man with smiling balloons. [70], In the United States and Canada, exit polling showed extensive family attraction across a variety of audiences; 53% were female and 57% were under 17. [116] From nine nominations earned at the 37th Annie Awards, the film won two awards (including Directing in an Animated Feature Production for Docter and Best Animated Feature). [27] The filmmakers then visited the Sacramento Zoo to observe a Himalayan monal for Kevin's animation. Release Date: May 29, 2009, Bob Peterson, Edward Asner, Bob Peterson, Christopher Plummer, Jerome Ranft, Jordan Nagai, Delroy Lindo, , John Ratzenberger. [42], Charles Muntz comes from Howard Hughes and Errol Flynn. ", Overall, the budget was approximately $175 million. But after Carl discovers an 8-year-old stowaway named Russell, this unlikely duo soon finds themselves on a hilarious journey in a lost world filled with danger and surprises. But instead of moving into the old folks' home, Carl takes action. [9], Up is the third Pixar film to be scored by Michael Giacchino, after The Incredibles and Ratatouille. Believing that basic visual cues convey much about personality, the filmmakers boiled the characters down to their physical essence. As a young boy, 10-year-old Carl Fredricksen idolizes explorer Charles Muntz. "[83] Variety enthused that "Up is an exceptionally refined picture; unlike so many animated films, it's not all about sensory bombardment and volume Unsurprisingly, no one puts a foot wrong here. First Look at 12 Big Movies Coming In 2009", "Nominees & Winners for the 82nd Academy Awards", "Golden Globes 2010 winners: 'Avatar' wins best picture, drama", "2009 Cannes Film Festival Lineup Is Heavy on Auteurs", "Curtain will go Up on this year's Cannes with 3-D yarn", "Legendary Actor Ed Asner Has Died At Age 91", "A bunch of Pixar movies, including Up and A Bug's Life, come to 4K Blu-ray", "Top 2009 Movies at the Worldwide Box Office", "Weekend Report: 'Up' Lifts Pixar to Tenth Smash", "Box Office Cliffhanger: Sunday Numbers Show 'The Hangover' Caught 'Up' For #1", "Summer box office is tepid as 'Pelham,' 'Imagine' fizzle", "Cannes #1: Up, up and away, in my beautiful, my beautiful balloon", "Forget the goofy glasses. A pack of fierce dogs led by the Doberman Pinscher Alpha take Carl, Russell, Dug, and Kevin to their master, the now elderly Charles Muntz. He ties thousands of balloons to the roof, lifts the house into the air, and sets off toward South America, finally fulfilling the promise he made to his wife so many years before. [69] It was the sixth-highest-grossing film of 2009. He's a retired balloon salesman who, at the age of 78, is forced to leave the house he and his late wife Ellie built together. "[5] The film's creatures were also challenging to design because they had to fit in the surreal environment of the tepuis, but also they had to be realistic because those mountains exist in real life. Up was nominated for five awards at the 82nd Academy Awards, winning two, and received numerous accolades. In international prints, the label on the savings jar for Paradise Falls bears a drawing of said place as opposed to text. And obviously that's [a problem]. All his knowledge of the outdoors comes from books, and his sole camping experience was in his own living room. Time editor Richard Corliss stated that Asner had the "gruffness and deadpan comic timing to bring Carl to life. Alpha, the pack leader, is a menacing-looking, black-as-night Doberman Pinscher with authority entrusted to him by their master that no one dares question. [22] Docter felt Grant's personality influenced Carl's deceased wife Ellie more than the grouchy main character,[27] and Carl was primarily based on Spencer Tracy, Walter Matthau, James Whitmore, and their own grandparents, because there was "something sweet about these grumpy old guys". Kevin and Russell bond instantly, and despite the bird's propensity to swallow Carl's walker, Kevin joins the jungle's latest and most unlikely pack along with Carl, Russell and Dug. As he happily wags his tail]. San Francisco Chronicle editor Mick LaSalle praised Asner as a great choice due to having a grumpiness to his voice that is not truly grumpy, but rather coming from a protective stance. But that kid could've been of any ethnicity but they made the effort to make him Asianjust a little color, you know, and it's really wonderful when that kind of thing happens where they don't have to play that up and make it like a thing or a joke, which happens a lot. Russell, an eight-year-old "Wilderness Explorer" who visits Carl in an effort to earn his final merit badge for assisting the elderly, becomes an accidental stowaway. At the falls, Carl looks through Ellie's childhood scrapbook and discovers that she filled in the blank pages with photos of their marriage, accompanying a note written from her hospital bed, thanking him for the "adventure" and encouraging him to have a new one. The characters in Up literally took shape on the page. The film centers on elderly widower Carl Fredricksen (Asner) and Wilderness Explorer Russell (Nagai), who go on a journey to South America in order to fulfill a promise that Carl made to his late wife Ellie. How does Russell end up on Carl's porch after his house takes off? [4] The directors had various rules for Carl's movements: he could not turn his head more than 1520degrees without turning his torso as well, nor could he raise his arms high. Reality is so far out, if we put it in the movie you wouldn't believe it. In his book Disney, Pixar, and the Hidden Message of Children's Films, author M. Keith Booker described the love between Carl and Ellie as touching. The Pixar employees frequently sketch each other during meetings, and a drawing of Sohn became the model for Russell.[49]. They implemented a child character as a way to help Carl stop being "stuck in his ways". Yet the people living there would consist of a whole community, and were therefore not really isolated. The initial version featured a floating city on an alien planet populated with muppet-like creatures,[23] with two brothers vying to inherit their father's kingdom, and when the brothers fell to Earth, they encountered a tall bird who helped them understand each other. [89] Deep in the jungles of Paradise Falls resides a dog pack on a mission to capture a rare bird that their master is pursuing. Organizations like the National Board of Review and American Film Institute named Up as one of the top 10 films of 2009. [96] Entertainment Weekly editor Lisa Schwarzbaum praised Asner's acting, stating that he has a "Lou Grant authority" to his voice. [63] Despite Pixar's track record, Target Corporation and Walmart stocked few Up items, while its regular collaborator Thinkway Toys did not produce merchandise, claiming the film's story was unusual and would be hard to promote. After Carl accidentally strikes a construction worker during a mishap, the court deems him a public menace, requiring his relocation to an assisted living facility. Together, they climbed mountains, trampled through jungle, and even got caught in a storm atop a tepui mountain in South America. Up debuted at the 62nd Cannes Film Festival on May 13, 2009, and was released in the United States on May 29. [64][65] Docter intended for audiences to take a specific point from the film, saying: Basically, the message of the film is that the real adventure of life is the relationship we have with other people, and it's so easy to lose sight of the things we have and the people that are around us until they are gone. Once he gets airborne, then what? [9] They also spent three nights there painting and sketching,[46] and encountering ants, mosquitoes, scorpions, frogs, and snakes. The 96-minute[58] Up debuted at the 62nd Cannes Film Festival on May 13, 2009,[59] the first animated film to do so,[60] followed by a premiere on May 16, at the El Capitan Theatre in Los Angeles. When Carl blows up the balloons to begin his journey, we bring back the memory of Ellie through those saturated, beautiful colors. [41] There is a scene where Carl and Russell haul the floating house through the jungle. I wish I could call a waitress 'honey'. Docter and Peterson also wrote the films screenplay and story, with Tom McCarthy co-writing the latter. Some time later, a now-retired Carl stubbornly holds out in the house while the neighborhood around him is replaced by skyscrapers. [91] He has also been compared to Walter Matthau, another inspiration for the character's design, by LA Weekly editor Scott Foundas, suggesting that actor Ed Asner was channeling him while performing the role of Carl. While Ellie is alive, our color palette is heavily saturated. However, Salon editor Stephanie Zacharek criticized the love between Carl and Ellie, describing their marriage as resembling a dental adhesive commercial more than a real relationship. Carls epic adventure required a destination both fantastic and plausible. Any time we have life or movement forward, we use color saturation. They also saw parallels to The Wizard of Oz and tried to make Up not feel too similar. It won the Academy Award for Best Original Score,[54] the Grammy Award for Best Score Soundtrack Album,[55] the Golden Globe Award for Best Original Score,[56] and the 2010 BAFTA Award for Best Film Music. The world of Up began with the thought of escape. [21] Actor and writer Tom McCarthy aided Docter and Bob Peterson in shaping the story for about three months. Russell encounters a giant, colorful flightless bird, whom he names Kevin. After that they got the idea to use an old person, and found the contrast between the elderly grumpy man and the happy balloons in Docter's drawing appealing, inspiring them to work out his backstory. Instead he ties a sea of helium balloons to his home and float away to Paradise Falls. Giacchino has compared the film to opera since each character has a unique theme that changes during a particular moment in the story.[53]. The film was also released in 3D format, a first for a Pixar film. [26], Docter noted the film reflects his friendships with Disney veterans Frank Thomas, Ollie Johnston, and Joe Grant (who all died before the film's release and thus the film was dedicated to them). "Ellie's Theme" is first heard when she is introduced as a little kid and plays several times during the film in different versions; for instance, during the sequence where Carl lifts his house with the balloons, the theme is changed from a simple piano melody to a full orchestral arrangement. Michael Giacchino's full-bodied, traditional score is superlative "[84] The Globe and Mail stated that Up is "the kind of movie that leaves you asking 'How do people come up with this stuff?'" When Muntz pursues them to the tethered house, Carl lures Kevin back to the airship using a piece of chocolate. Still, there were issues of how far to take the airship. When Russell notes the skeleton's resemblance to Kevin, Muntz sees them as thieves and becomes hostile. "[88] Chicago Tribune editor Michael Phillips praised the scene, describing it as an emotional and cinematic powerhouse, and that he also was nearly moved to tears. [68], Up earned $293 million in the United States and Canada and $442.1 million in other countries, for a worldwide total of $735.1 million. Unlike most stories about leaving home,Upneeded a house that would go along for the journey. [104] Several publications have listed it as one of the best animated films, including: Entertainment Weekly (2009),[105] IGN (2010),[106] Time (2011),[107] Insider, USA Today (both 2018),[108][109] Rolling Stone (2019),[110] Esquire (2020),[111] Parade, Time Out New York, and Empire (all 2021). Adventure is out there! is the familiar motto from Upthat inspired many. [85], The character of Carl Fredricksen has received mostly positive reception. While the studio usually designs their characters to be caricatured, Carl was even more so, being only at least three heads high. Carl Fredricksen is not your average hero. Wilderness Explorer scout Russell who's trying to get an Assisting the Elderly badge gets dragged along on the adventure. New & Upcoming Superhero Movies and Series, Fall TV Guide: The Best Shows Coming This Year. Dug is a lovable golden retriever living in the wilds of Paradise Falls as part of the dog pack searching for a rare flightless bird. ", "Adventure is "Up" There: A Talk with Pixar's Pete Docter and Bob Peterson", "Pixar's Art Leaves Profit Watchers Edgy", "Pixar convirti la Gran Sabana venezolana en el escenario de su nueva pelcula animada UP", "Exclusive! [90] He invites them aboard his dirigible and talks about his search for the bird. In the early 1930s, rich, clever, and handsome Charles F. Muntz is a beacon of hope for a down-and-out American public. Dug: [His sadness turns to happiness. [72][73] Its earnings dropped by 37 percent to $44.3 million the second weekend,[74][75] and another 31% to $30.5 million the third weekend; this was the slowest decline for a Pixar animated film since Finding Nemo.

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