Up, Up, and Away: Finding New Dreams

Last week was a lovely week. El 3atal decided to take a week of vacation and spent the week here with us. We've been thrilled with the TLC. So, Friday, in honor of HelperBean's day off, we had lunch out and the took the kids to a movie. No big deal, right? Well, actually it's the TwinBeans' first movie in the theaters... ever. ButterBean got to see Winnie the Pooh's Heffalump Movie back in 2005 (she was 3 at the time) back in the US, but the TwinBeans were too small and no really great for kids movies have come out since we've been here.


So, today, we took in a movie. We went to see Up. This is such a great movie for kids. Mind you, we were one of only 3 groups at the movie and were the only one with kids, teehee. The other two were groups of young, foreign, twenty-somethings. Too cute.


Now for the down side... the people who decide what previews to show before the movie are insane. This movie is a kids animated. They rated it PG for "peril and action". In other words, there are some parts that have the protagonists in danger. But, it's a kids animated film. And the previews included Harry Potter and a movie about a guy who's wife is cheating on him. JuniorBean was so scared by the Harry Potter preview that he wanted to leave immediately. It was loud, creepy, and just plain Yuck. He ended up in my lap and stayed there until 3/4 of the way through the movie (when JujuBean came to my lap and JuniorBean went to El 3atal's).


I can't tell you how much I enjoyed this movie. I cried several times. It's a beautiful movie with a moving plot and cuteness abounding for the kids. So, let me tell you the overall plot and why I liked it so much. However, if you're going to see it and don't want the plot to be spoiled STOP READING! Teehee.


The movie starts off with a young kid who gets to hear his hero, a renowned explorer, give a speech. He meets a girl who is also thrilled by exploring and they end up married. We see them grow old together and then, very sadly (tears #1), she dies of old age just as he saves up enough to buy her tickets to Paradise Falls. The movie i an epic (for little ones) tale of his trip tying thousands of balloons to the house to take his wife to Paradise Falls. He is "assisted" by a young Wilderness Scout. Along the way he learns some truly valuable lessons:

1. Some dreams are meant to come true, but some dreams change as we live with them. His wife, who had a book of things she wanted to do, dies before accomplishing the dream that brings them together. He assumes that that implies that she did not fill those pages. After his journey to Paradise Falls and back, he realizes that she lived another dream when he finds that she has filled the pages of the book with pictures of their life together.
2. Heroes are just people, with all the human frailty and failings that the rest of us sport. The lead role in the movie is the old man who gets to meet his hero. He finds that his hero has lead feet...
3. When we achieve a dream, the key is to recognize that such a time is the launching point for a new dream, a new vision of what life can be. Our leading man learns this in the course of his journey and makes many lives better as a result.
4. Distractions and detours aren't part of the journey, they ARE the journey. Being saddled with his young wilderness scout allows our leading man to understand that the detours and distractions posed are what life is really about. It not about the destination after all. Paradise Falls is just a place, the key is living life on the way there.

All in all, I highly recommend this movie for all ages. As always, Pixar has put in references to tickle the adult funny bones in audience (can I simply bless the folks who realized that maybe mom and dad would like to be entertained too?). The messages in the movie are clear and all three Beans enjoyed it greatly.

One more spoiler/warning: there is an intro short film (also typical of Pixar) about clouds. The Beans found this just a bit scary mostly because of how loud the music was... It's really quite cute as well.

I found Up to be a perfect first movie for the TwinBeans. Now if we could just get age-appropriateness into the minds of Jordanian providers...

Happy uppers!