UP [Spoilers]

[Spoiler Alert] Just another reminder that there are spoilers in this post if you haven’t seen UP yet.  If you haven’t seen UP I think you should watch the movie for what it is.  It’s a story about an adventure that someone takes when all grown up.  There’s a purpose behind the floating house lifted by balloons but you’re gonna have to watch the movie to find out.

Generally I enjoyed the movie.  I’d have to say that the antagonist idea was anything but creative; but then again it takes a lot of creativity to come up with an original idea nowadays.  Other people who have watched the movie and wants to critique it would most likely disagree with my general contention of the movie.  There are some points I’d agree on but the purpose of this post isn’t to give a review of the movie and disagree with those who didn’t like it, but rather give my reason for promoting this movie; specifically a certain demographic, to which I think most critics and street movie reviewers would not understand.  So if you’re an Asian American I encourage you to watch this film, and to bring your parents as well.

I’m speculating (or it could be just pure coincidence) a connection in choosing an Asian kid as one of the leading voice roles in the film and the underlying story behind the surface plot.  Personally I think the real storyline reveals itself at the end of the movie where Russell finally gets his last badge to become a Senior Wilderness Scout.  The scene depicts (as it was hinted at during the middle of the movie) other inducted SWSs with their dads but when it panned to Russell, there isn’t anyone standing behind him and his mother being the only one in the audience supporting him.  It was explicitly implied in the movie that Russell’s parents are divorced.

As a second generation Asian American living in a culture where its obviously quite different from the first generation’s upbringing, I found it quite ironic that how I grew up (and I’m sure there are a good number of those who feel the same way deep down inside) and the feelings I felt while growing up were being movie reeled right before my eyes.  It’s as if someone decided to write a Pixar movie about my life; but of course there are other nameless voices out there who feel that there is no father figure in the household as well, regardless of ethnicity.  But because Russell ironically is Asian, it’s probably the reason why I can sympathize with him during the moments where he is transparent with Mr. Fredricksen. 

A typical first generation Asian (limiting to chinese, korean and most likely japanese) father looks something along the lines like this: working 6 days or more during the week, usually coming home late roughly around the time the kid(s) go to sleep or have gone to sleep thus hardly seeing the kid(s) because they have school in the morning.

I understand the fact that the father is working to put food on the table (I would imagine my mom saying this).  There is a response to it but it’s not the time and place for me to rant about that.  But when the kid, like Russell, starts developing a mind of his own and actively seeks recognition/confirmation/affirmation it’s usually not found in the household, if it is given at all from the mother.

Getting back to Russell, a scene is shown in the movie where he points out the good times that he’s shared with his dad when he was around, as we are also shown Mr. Fredricksen reaction since he has to hear all this.  What caught me off guard as we are watching Mr. Fredricksen’s reaction is Russell’s comment roughly as I remember it, “… I know its boring to hear, but the boring parts are the only things I remember.”

Parents have expectations we all know that.  But parents (especially first generation asian american ones) fail to realize that their kid(s) growing up has expectations too.  The more the parents fall short, the bigger the pit of despondency in some cases.  The failure to realize that the growing mind of their kid(s) is(are) developing a perspective by comparing what it looks like to be a family.

So as I’m writing this on a Father’s day, I’m reminded in hopes that when it comes down to my turn being a father… my kid(s) will not be another Russell. (pictures courtesy of Rotten Tomatoes)