Up in the Air (film)

Up in the Air[1]
The poster of an airport window looking onto the tarmac with a Boeing 747 at the gate. An airport sign at the top: "George Clooney", "Up in the Air", "From the Director of 'Juno' and 'Thank You For Smoking'". Three travelers silhouette from left to right: Natalie Keener (Kendrick), Ryan Bingham (Clooney), Alex Goran (Farmiga). At the bottom, tagline: "The story of a man ready to make a connection." and "Arriving this December".
Promotional poster for Up in the Air.
Directed by Jason Reitman
Produced by
  • Daniel Dubiecki
  • Jeffrey Clifford
  • Ivan Reitman
  • Jason Reitman
Screenplay by
  • Sheldon Turner
  • Jason Reitman
Story by Walter Kirn book
Starring
Music by
  • Rolfe Kent
  • Randall Poster
  • Rick Clark
Cinematography Eric Steelberg
Editing by Dana E. Glauberman
Studio
  • Cold Spring Pictures
  • The Montecito Picture Company
  • Rickshaw Productions
  • Right of Way Films
Distributed by Paramount Pictures
Release date(s) September 5, 2009 (2009-09-05) (Telluride)
December 4, 2009 (2009-12-04) (United States)
Running time 109 minutes
Country United States
Language English
Budget $25 million[2][3]
Gross revenue $163,220,494[4]

Up in the Air is a 2009 American comedy-drama film directed by Jason Reitman and co-written by Reitman and Sheldon Turner. It is a film adaptation of the 2001 novel of the same name, written by Walter Kirn. The story is about a corporate downsizer Ryan Bingham (George Clooney) and his travels. The film follows his isolated life and philosophies along with the people he meets along the way. Filming was primarily in St. Louis, Missouri, which substituted for a number of other cities shown in the film. Several scenes were also filmed in Detroit, Michigan, Omaha, Nebraska, Las Vegas, Nevada, and Miami, Florida.

Reitman has heavily promoted Up in the Air with personal appearances during film festivals and other showings, starting with the Telluride Film Festival on September 5, 2009. The Los Angeles premiere was at the Mann Village Theater on Monday, November 30, 2009. Paramount scheduled a limited North American release on December 4, 2009, broadening the release on December 11, 2009, with wide release on December 23, 2009.

The National Board of Review and the Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association have named it the best picture of 2009. It received eight Broadcast Film Critics Association nominations and garnered a win for Adapted Screenplay, six Golden Globe nominations, earning a win for Best Screenplay, and three Screen Actors Guild nominations. It received six Academy Award nominations, but did not win in any category. Up in the Air received recognition from numerous critics' associations.

Contents

Background

Walter Kirn wrote Up in the Air, the book on which the film is based, during a snowbound winter on a ranch in rural Montana, while thinking about airports, airplanes and first-class passengers he had met who would strongly resemble Ryan Bingham.[5] The novel was published in 2001 and, shortly after, Sheldon Turner discovered the book and wrote a screenplay adaptation, which he sold to DreamWorks in 2003.[6]

Jason Reitman later came upon the novel (initially attracted by the Christopher Buckley blurb on the cover) while browsing in the Los Angeles bookstore Book Soup.[7][8] Reitman persuaded his father Ivan Reitman to purchase the book's film rights, and the elder Reitman commissioned a screenplay from Ted Griffin and Nicholas Griffin, who used some elements from Turner's script in their own work. Jason Reitman then developed his own screenplay, incorporating some of the elements from the Griffins' script that had (unbeknownst to Reitman) originated with Turner. Some of Turner's inventions that were used in the final film include Ryan's boilerplate termination speech ("Anyone who ever built an empire or changed the world sat where you're sitting right now..."), a key plot point involving a suicide, and the character of Ryan's partner (written by Turner as male).[8][9] Reitman initially attempted to claim sole credit for writing the film, and later admitted to being confused when the Writers Guild of America ruled that he should share credit with Turner, whose script Reitman claimed to have never read. He and Turner later appeared at a WGA event where both said they were happy to share credit, after Turner's contribution to the final product had been made clear.[8][9] At a press screening, Reitman also said that his father Ivan had written "the best line in the movie."[10]

Plot

Tonight most people will be welcomed home by jumping dogs and squealing kids. Their spouses will ask about their day. Tonight they'll sleep. The stars will wheel forth from their daytime hiding places, and one of those lights, slightly brighter than the rest, will be my wingtip passing over.

“
”
Ryan's speech at the end of the film

Ryan Bingham (George Clooney) makes his living traveling to workplaces around the United States and conducting layoffs for bosses too cowardly to do it themselves. Ryan also delivers motivational speeches, using the analogy "What's In Your Backpack?" to extol the virtues of a life free of relationships with people and things. Ryan relishes the comfort of anonymity during his perpetual travels. His personal goal for his life is to achieve ten million frequent flyer miles with American Airlines. While traveling, he meets another frequent flyer named Alex (Vera Farmiga) and they begin a casual relationship.

Ryan is called back to his company's offices in Omaha, Nebraska, where he finds out that an ambitious, freshly-graduated, young coworker, Natalie Keener (Anna Kendrick), is promoting a plan to cut costs by having employees stay grounded and conduct layoffs over the internet. Ryan argues that Natalie knows nothing about the process of firing people, and his boss (Jason Bateman) assigns him to take Natalie with him on his upcoming travels to show her what it's like. As they travel together and become better acquainted, Natalie questions Ryan's philosophy, but Ryan is happy to remain in his niche and continue avoiding serious relationships. While traveling, Natalie's boyfriend dumps her by text message, leaving her shattered. When Natalie talks to Ryan about his refusal to consider a commitment to Alex in spite of their obvious compatibility as a couple, she becomes infuriated; she apologizes later, but soon afterwards they are both called back to Omaha to begin using Natalie's remote-layoff program instead of firing people face-to-face.

Instead of returning to Omaha, Ryan invites Alex to accompany him to his sister's wedding. His sister's fiancé grows cold feet, and Ryan is requested to use his motivational skills to persuade him to go through with the wedding. Although this runs counter to all of Ryan's personal ideals, he successfully argues that the important moments in life are seldom alone and the wedding proceeds as planned.

Back in Omaha, Ryan is less than thrilled to learn more about the online firing program and its systematic precision. He goes to deliver his "What's In Your Backpack?" speech at a prestigious convention in Las Vegas, but is unable to continue and walks out shortly after taking the stage. He hurriedly flies to Alex's home in Chicago. When she opens the door, it's apparent that she's a married woman with young children; stunned, Ryan leaves without saying a word. She later tells him on the phone that her family is her real life and he is simply an escape. On the flight home, the crew announces that Ryan has just crossed his ten million miles mark and the airline's chief pilot (Sam Elliott) comes out of the cockpit to meet Ryan.

Back in his office, Ryan calls the airline to transfer half a million miles each to his sister and brother-in-law so that they'll be able to fly around the world, but this generous action is temporarily delayed by his boss, who comes in and tells Ryan that one of the employees he and Natalie fired has killed herself. Natalie has already quit in shock after hearing the news and the company has put the remote-layoff program on indefinite hold. Ryan writes a glowing letter of recommendation for Natalie that helps her get a new and much more prestigious job in San Francisco. Impressed by her qualifications, the interviewer ask her why she didn't apply to his firm right after college instead of accepting a shady job firing people from Omaha. She finally confesses: it was for her desire to be closer to a boyfriend. The film concludes with Ryan giving a speech via voice over to a backdrop of clouds.

Cast and characters

Main cast

George Clooney as Ryan Bingham, a "career transition counselor" who flies across the United States laying off employees on behalf of employers too cowardly to do so themselves.[11][12][13] Bingham enjoys the anonymity of business class air travel and harbors a lifetime ambition to earn 10 million airmiles. Bingham is described by Philip French in The Guardian as "a suave, smartly dressed businessman in his 40s".[14]

Vera Farmiga plays Alex Goran,[15] a "beguiling, mysterious fortysomething"[14] who lives a similar lifestyle to Bingham, with whom she develops a casual sexual relationship.

Anna Kendrick plays Natalie Keener,[14] an ambitious 23-year-old employee of Career Transition Counseling who devises a plan to save the company money by conducting layoffs over the internet but finds herself traveling across the US with Bingham.

Supporting cast

Themes

The film has a thematic connection to the children's book The Velveteen Rabbit, which appears in the film, before the wedding.[19]

Reitman noted that

"In one sense, it’s a movie about a man who fires people for a living. In another sense, it’s a movie about a man who collects air miles excessively. In another sense, it’s about a man who meets a woman who’s so similar to him that even though they both believe in the idea of living solo, they begin to fall in love." [20]

According to Reitman:

"The movie is about the examination of a philosophy. What if you decided to live hub to hub, with nothing, with nobody?" [21]

Production

Casting

Though Reitman has claimed in countless interviews that he wrote the parts specifically for George Clooney, Vera Farmiga, Anna Kendrick, Jason Bateman, Danny McBride, Melanie Lynskey, Amy Morton, Sam Elliott and Zach Galifianakis,[22][23] some of his actors have publicly stated their confusion in Reitman's assertion, if only because they knew he was meeting other actors all along including for his choice to fill his last lead role with Ellen Page (who starred in Reitman's previous film Juno) for the part that Kendrick ended up ultimately playing.[24] On the part played by Farmiga, he cited her ability to walk a fine line between aggressiveness and femininity. On Kendrick, Reitman cited that he was inspired by her performance in Rocket Science. On Clooney, he said, "If you're going to make a movie about a guy who fires people for a living and you still want to like him, that actor better be damn charming and I don't think there’s a more charming actor alive than George Clooney. I was very lucky he said yes."[16] Reitman said, on the B.S. Report with Bill Simmons, that he considered Steve Martin for Clooney's role if Clooney did not accept the role. Reitman said that he would have changed the movie with Martin and given Martin "his Lost in Translation."[25][26]

Approximately 4,600 people signed up for the chance to be an extra in the film during the open call on January 24, 2009 and January 25, 2009 at Crestwood Court in St. Louis, Missouri.[15] Up in the Air cast 2,000 extras[27] with 15 to 25 Missouri actors in minor speaking roles. About 250 extras were used from the Omaha, Nebraska, area. They were used for filming inside and outside the terminal at Eppley Airfield, while Clooney shot most of his scenes inside the terminal.[28]

While shooting the film in St. Louis and Detroit, Reitman placed an ad in the paper asking if people who recently lost their job wanted to be in a documentary about job loss. He specified "documentary" in the ad so actors who wanted to be in the production would not answer the ad. Reitman was amazed by how many people of different age, race, and gender were willing to speak frankly about what happened and what a cathartic experience it was for these people.[29] They received a startling amount of responses with 100 responses; 60 people on camera (30 in Detroit and 30 in St. Louis).[30] Twenty-two made it into the film.[11] They interviewed them for about ten minutes on what it is like to lose their job in this kind of economy, and after that they would "fire" them on camera and ask them to either respond the way they did the day they lost their job or, if they preferred, the way they wished they had responded.[5][31][32]

Filming

Filming was mostly done in the St. Louis area. Several scenes were also filmed at the Berry and McNamara Terminals at Detroit Metro Airport in late February 2009[33][34][35] with minimal filming in Omaha, Nebraska, in Las Vegas, Nevada[36] and in Miami, Florida.[37]

Missouri and St. Louis leaders provided about $4 million in tax credits for the $25 million film. Producers set up a St. Louis, Missouri production office January 5, 2009.[38] Filming began in St. Louis on March 3, 2009 and continued through the end of April.[15] The film includes 80 different sets at 50 locations throughout the St. Louis area, including Lambert-St. Louis International Airport Concourse C and Concourse D[38][39] (which played the part of several airports around the country), the Mansion House apartments in downtown St. Louis,[27] Hilton St. Louis at the Ballpark, Hilton St. Louis Airport,[40] the Cheshire Inn, the GenAmerica building, Renaissance Grand Hotel, Maplewood United Methodist Church and Affton High School.[41] The film was shot at Lambert-St. Louis International Airport for five days, twenty hours each day.[42]

In October 2008 Production Services of Omaha scouted locations in Omaha, Nebraska[43] for three days of filming in late April with Clooney.[44][45] Some of the scenes were shot inside the Visitor's Bureau and in a condo in the Old Market area of downtown Omaha[46] and at the south end of the main terminal at Eppley Airfield.[28]

Reitman needed fifty days to film Up in the Air, eight of which were devoted to aerial shooting. The aerial shots turned out to be more difficult than he had expected. He was unable to use three days of the aerial filming. Many of the aerial shots, such as the crop circle on fire, are featured in the trailer but are not used in the film. The pilot who flies the Boeing 747 that carries the space shuttle flew the aircraft used for the aerial shots.[22][23]

The film features heavy product placement, with American Airlines,[47] Chrysler, Hertz, Travelpro, and Hilton Hotels[47] all featured prominently.[48][49] Competing brands are displayed only as blurs in scene backgrounds or are replaced with pseudonyms in dialogue. However, the brands did not pay for the exposure; rather, they exchanged shooting locations, such as AA's airport areas and Hilton hotels.[50] Reitman expressed his desire to to use real brands as he finds them less distracting. [50]

Editing

The post-production schedule for Up in the Air was shorter than Jason Reitman's previous two films. The editing team only had a 16 or 17 week post schedule, whereas the normal post schedule is anywhere from 22 to 26 weeks. Reitman was involved in post-production during shooting. The film was shot entirely on location and Glauberman stayed in L.A. to cut. She would send him scenes every day or every other day as she finished them, and he would look at them. He flew home every weekend to work with her for a few hours on Saturdays or Sundays. That was the only way they were able to stay on schedule.[51]

Editing helped determine how nonverbal moments shape the first meeting between Ryan and Alex, who become lovers. "In a scene like that, there is a sort of playfulness that goes on," editor, Dana E. Glauberman said. "There were little looks that they gave each other. Sometimes I stayed a beat longer on a take to get that little sparkle in their eyes. ... You can see a lot of playfulness in the quick cuts back and forth when they are teasing each other, but then there are also certain moments that Vera would give a little raise of an eyebrow, or George would give the same thing. Those tiny nuances are really helpful to show their character and show what they are after."[52]

Release

Strategy

Anna Kendrick at the 2009 Toronto International Film Festival for a panel on the film

Jason Reitman has heavily promoted Up in the Air with personal appearances during film festivals and other showings. He indicated that he could relate to that lifestyle of the lead character, Ryan Bingham, and he enjoys it himself. "Yesterday [October 28, 2009] I took my 10th flight in 10 days so I live that life myself and I kinda enjoy it," Reitman said, "I think when you're in an airplane it's the last refuge for the people who enjoy being alone and reading a book."[53]

Reitman documented his experiences promoting the film. He took photos of everyone who interviewed him and recorded videos in each and every city he visited. He edited these images together into a short video titled "Lost In The Air: The Jason Reitman Press Tour Simulator".[54]

Up in the Air was screened as a "sneak preview" at the Telluride Film Festival on September 6, 2009, before its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 12.[55][56][57][58] The film was initially not scheduled to be completed for another three months, but Reitman rushed production in order to maintain a streak of debuting his films at TIFF.[59]

During October and November 2009, Up in the Air screened at festivals including the Aspen Filmfest,[60] the Woodstock Film Festival,[61] the Hamptons International Film Festival,[62] the Mill Valley Film Festival,[63] the Austin Film Festival,[53] the London Film Festival,[64] the St. Louis International Film Festival,[65][66] the Starz Denver Film Festival,[67] and the Stockholm International Film Festival.[68] It was the only American film to compete for the Golden Marc'Aurelio Audience Award for Best Film at the International Rome Film Festival.[69][70] On November 6, New York Times film critic Janet Maslin interviewed Reitman and Kirn at the Jacob Burns Film Center following a screening of the film.[71]

Following the positive response the film received at the Telluride Film Festival, Paramount intended to move Up in the Air from its original release date of December 4, 2009, planning for a November 13 limited release going wide before the Thanksgiving holiday.[72][73] However, this schedule conflicted with the release of The Men Who Stare at Goats, another Clooney film.[74][75] The film was eventually released on December 4 in fifteen theaters spanning twelve markets, broadening in the next week to 72 theaters and going into wide release on December 23, 2009.[76][77][78] It was released in other countries beginning in early 2010.[79]

September 2009

Up in the Air was shown at a sneak preview on September 5, 2009 and September 6, 2009 at the Telluride Film Festival.[80][81] Reitman had fueled speculation that he would give a sneak preview at that festival.[57] He posted pictures from Telluride on his Twitter account.[82] Prior to the first showing, people waited for two hours to get into Up in the Air and hundreds were turned away.[83]

The world premiere for Up in the Air occurred at this year's Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) which ran from September 10 to 19, 2009.[84][85] The press showing was on Friday September 11, 2009.[86][87] Public screenings were on September 12, 13 and 19.[88] Reitman originally did not plan to debut the film at TIFF, since it was not scheduled to be ready for another three months. He rushed production so he could keep his Toronto debut streak going.[59]

The first clip of the film debuted on Apple Inc. website on September 8, 2009.[89] The first trailer became available on iTunes on September 10, 2009 and on September 18, 2009 it screened before the new movies The Informant! and Love Happens.[90] The second trailer became available on October 1, 2009.[91][92]

October 2009

Reitman received Aspen Film's first New Directions Award and participated in a question and answer session following a screening of Up in the Air on Friday October 2, 2009 at the Wheeler Opera House. The Aspen Filmfest runs from September 30, 2009 through October 4, 2009.[93][94][60] It was shown twice at the Tinker Street Cinema on the closing day of the Tenth Annual Woodstock Film Festival 2009 on October 4, 2009. Vera Farmiga and Lucy Liu participated in a question and answer session moderated by entertainment journalist Martha Frankel after the film and in the Sunday noontime WFF Actor’s Dialogue panel.[61][95][96][97] The 2009 Hamptons International Film Festival showed Up in the Air on October 10, 2009 during its run at Long Island, New York’s east end October 8–12, 2009.[98][62]

The Spotlight Tribute held during the 32nd edition of Mill Valley Film Festival hosted an interview with Reitman and a screening of Up in the Air on Wednesday October 14, 2009 in the Smith Rafael Film Center, San Rafael, California. The Mill Valley Film Festival ran from October 8–18, 2009.[63] It was also shown four times at the 53rd London Film Festival which was held from October 14–19, 2009.[64][99] Up in the Air was the only American film to compete for the Golden Marc'Aurelio Audience Award for Best Film at the fourth annual International Rome Film Festival which ran October 15–23, 2009. It was shown three times October 17–19, 2009.[69][70][100][101] Reitman showed Up in the Air at ShowEast in Orlando, Florida on October 26–27, 2009 and asked for the movie theater owners and managers to support the picture as fervently as they did his film Juno two years ago. Reitman also held a Q & A and pep talk with film students at the University of Central Florida.[102][103]

The first St. Louis press screening happened on October 28, 2009 at the Tivoli Theater.[104] Up in the Air closed the Austin Film Festival on October 29, 2009 at the Paramount. Reitman attended the screening. The Austin Film Festival ran from October 22–29, 2009.[53][105][106] The Palm Springs International Film Society showed Up in the Air on Thursday, October 29, 2009 at the Regal Cinemas in Palm Springs, California. Anna Kendrick was present at the showing.[107][108]

November 2009

Vera Farmiga and Anna Kendrick hosted a screening of Up in the Air at the Paris theatre, New York, New York on Thursday, November 5, 2009.[109][110] On November 6, 2009 the New York City Apple Store in SoHo hosted a conversation with director Jason Reitman.[111] On November 6, 2009 New York Times critic Janet Maslin interviewed Reitman and Kirn during a question and answer session which was held at the Jacob Burns Film Center after a screening of Up in the Air. The question and answer session was followed by a reception in the Jane Peck gallery.[71] The Boston Sunday Night Film Club had a free screening on Sunday, November 8, 2009 with a Q&A session with Reitman following the screening.[112]

Up in the Air was the centerpiece for the 18th Annual St. Louis International Film Festival, which was held November 12–22, 2009. It was shown November 14, 2009 at the Tivoli Theater in University City, Missouri with Jason Reitman and Michael Beugg in attendance.[113][114][115] Kevin Renick, a St. Louis musician who wrote the song Up in the Air, performed half an hour prior to the screening.[65] Yukon Jake, who performed during the wedding scene in Up in the Air, provided entertainment during the party held prior to the screening. The party took place at the St. Louis Ballpark Hilton and the Airport Hilton. Both are featured in the film.[66][116]

On November 14, 2009, Paramount flew 50 members of the press to New York with Anna Kendrick, Sad Brad Smith and representatives of American Airlines to promote Up in the Air. The film was shown on the aircraft's video monitors during the flight from New York to Los Angeles. American Airlines provided the Boeing 767 gratis. Smith performed a few songs including Help Yourself in the aisle of the aircraft.[117][118][119] On November 18, 2009 Back Stage and Paramount Pictures had a special screening of Up in the Air for Screen Actors Guild and Back Stage members at The Paramount Theatre (on the Paramount Lot), Los Angeles, California. The screening of the film was followed by a conversation with the cast members Vera Farmiga and Anna Kendrick.[120] The Starz Denver Film Festival closed on November 22, 2009 with a screening of Up in the Air with an introduction by J.K. Simmons, who was in town to accept the fest's Cassavetes award earlier that afternoon.[67] The 20th Stockholm International Film Festival which ran November 18–29, 2009 closed with a screening of Up in the Air on November 29, 2009.[68]

Box office

The film was first released in only 15 theaters in the U.S. and ranked No. 13. It took in $1,181,450, with $78,763 per theater. After three days it expanded to 72 theaters and took in $2,394,344—$33,255 per theater, during the second weekend.[121] During its third weekend, it broke into the top 10 as it widened to 175 theaters ahead of its nationwide expansion on December 23, 2009. It came in at No. 8 with $3,210,132—$18,344 per theater.[122] The film expanded to 1,895 theaters on December 23. It completed its domestic run on April 8, 2010 with a total domestic gross of $83,823,381, and completed its worldwide run in Lithuania on July 25, 2010 with a worldwide gross of $163,220,494.[4]

Home media

The film was released in both DVD and Blu-ray Disc formats on March 9, 2010.[123]

Critical reception

The film received generally positive reviews from film critics. Review aggregate Rotten Tomatoes reports that 90% of critics have given the film a positive review based on 241 reviews, with a rating average of 8.1 out of 10. The critical consensus is: "Led by charismatic performances by its three leads, director Jason Reitman delivers a smart blend of humor and emotion with just enough edge for mainstream audiences."[124] Among Rotten Tomatoes' "Top Critics", which consists of popular and notable critics from the top newspapers, websites, television and radio programs, the film holds an overall approval rating of 92%, based on a sample of 37 reviews.[125] Metacritic, which assigns a weighted mean rating out of 100 to reviews from film critics, has a rating score of 83 based on 36 reviews.[126] The sneak preview of Up in the Air was the highest profile hit during the Telluride film festival.[127] Reviews have been generally positive.[128] The film also tied for third place in the Toronto International Film Festival indieWire poll.[129]

Kenneth Turan of the Los Angeles Times wrote, "Up in the Air makes it look easy. Not just in its casual and apparently effortless excellence, but in its ability to blend entertainment and insight, comedy and poignancy, even drama and reality, things that are difficult by themselves but a whole lot harder in combination. This film does all that and never seems to break a sweat."[130] Entertainment Weekly's Owen Gleiberman agreed, rating the film an A as a "rare and sparkling gem of a movie, directed by Jason Reitman with the polish of a master."[131]

Claudia Puig of USA Today praised the film's sense of timeliness, writing, "It's tough to capture an era while it's still happening, yet Up in the Air does so brilliantly, with wit and humanity...Reitman emerges as a modern-day Frank Capra, capturing the nation's anxieties and culture of resilience."[132] Stephen Saito of IFC.com wrote, "[I]t touches on larger themes of mass unemployment, cultural alienation and technology as a crutch. But ultimately, it's really an expertly done character study that's a dramatic change of pace from director Jason Reitman's previous two films."[133] Jonathan Romney of The Independent wrote "[I]ts cynical wit almost places it in the Billy Wilder bracket: Up In The Air is as eloquent about today's executive culture as The Apartment was about that of 1960. It is a brutal, desolate film – but also a superb existential rom-com, and the most entertaining lesson in contemporary socio-economics that you could hope for."[134] Roger Ebert gave the film four stars and wrote, "This isn't a comedy. If it were, it would be hard to laugh in these last days of 2009. Nor is it a tragedy. It's an observant look at how a man does a job."[135]

Calling the film "a slickly engaging piece of lightweight existentialism," Todd McCarthy wrote in Variety that "Clooney owns his role in the way first-rate film stars can, so infusing the character with his own persona that everything he does seems natural and right. The timing in the Clooney-Farmiga scenes is like splendid tennis."[13] The New York Times' Manohla Dargis especially appreciated the film's strong female roles, noting that "[t]he ferocious Ms. Kendrick, her ponytail swinging like an ax, grabs every scene she's in," but wrote that the film "is an assertively, and unapologetically, tidy package, from its use of romance to instill some drama...and the mope-rock tunes that Mr. Reitman needlessly overuses."[136]

The Chicago Tribune's Michael Phillips wrote, "Up in the Air is a slickly crafted disappointment. [It] feels tailor-made for George Clooney, who is very good. But the stakes remain frustratingly low and it's one of those contemporary middlebrow projects that asks us to root for a genial, shallow individual as he learns to be a little less the man he was."[137] Julian Sancton of Vanity Fair wrote, "There are two movies in Up in the Air: one about a guy who's flying around the country firing people, and one about a commitment-phobe who's flying away from responsibility and a shot at true love, as embodied by Farmiga. There is no attempt to braid these two threads together, and that's where the movie feels unsatisfying."[138] J. Hoberman of The Village Voice wrote, "Like Juno, Up in the Air conjures a troubling reality and then wishes it away. The filmmakers have peeked into the abyss and averted their eyes...[the film] warns that you can't go home again—and then, full of false cheer and false consciousness, pretends you can."[139]

Shave Magazine's Jake Tomlinson wrote that "There is a very strong sense of humor as well as emotional depth, yet the scope of the film sometimes limits these sentiments. As a moviegoer, this film provides a satisfying experience where one can take a step back to ponder some of the finer points in our daily lives, but don't expect to find all the answers here. 4 out of 5 stars."[140]

Soundtrack

The score to Up in the Air was composed by Rolfe Kent, who recorded his score with a 55-piece ensemble of the Hollywood Studio Symphony at the Sony Scoring Stage.[141] The soundtrack was released by Warner Music in November 2009.[142]

Accolades

Up in the Air earned various awards and nominations, with the nominations in categories ranging from recognition of the film itself to its screenplay, direction and editing, to the performance of the three primary actors—George Clooney, Vera Farmiga, and Anna Kendrick. The film received six Academy Award nominations and Farmiga and Kendrick both received nominations for best supporting actress, though the film failed to win any of the awards. At the 63rd British Academy Film Awards, Up in the Air won one award—best adapted screenplay, awarded to Reitman and Turner—out of the five for which it was nominated. The Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association named Up in the Air Best Picture and awarded Reitman Best Director and Best Screenplay with Turner. Clooney was given the award for Best Actor. The film also received five nominations at the 67th Golden Globe Awards, with Reitman and Turner taking the award for Best Screenplay. Reitman and Turner also received recognition for the film's screenplay from the Writers Guild of America, where they won the Best Adapted Screenplay award. They received a subsequent twenty more awards and twenty-four nominations overall.

The film garnered five nominations from the Satellite Awards, with Rolfe Kent, the film's score composer, winning the Best Original Score award. Clooney, Farmiga and Kendrick were each nominated for an award at the 16th Screen Actors Guild Awards, but ultimately lost out. Kendrick earned an MTV Movie Award for Best Breakthrough Performance and the Rising Star Award from Palm Springs International Film Festival for her role in the film. Up in the Air won Best Film from eleven awards ceremonies, including the Florida Film Critics Circle, Iowa Film Critics, Southeastern Film Critics, and Vancouver Film Critics Circle. The film earned four nominations for the Best Cast from the Broadcast Film Critics Association, Central Ohio Film Critics, Denver Film Critics Society, and the Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association respectively. At the Kansas City Film Critics Circle and the National Board of Review, Up in the Air won each of the awards for which it was nominated. Costume designer Danny Glicker was nominated for his work by the Costume Designers Guild in the Contemporary Film category. In addition, the film was included on lists of the ten best films of 2009 by Roger Ebert, the American Film Institute, and The New York Times.[143][144][145]

References

  1. ↑ "Up in the Air: Credits". Paramount. http://www.theupintheairmovie.com/credits.html. Retrieved September 5, 2009. 
  2. ↑ Abramowitz, Rachel (November 29, 2009). "Jason Reitman firmly at the controls in 'Up in the Air'". Los Angeles Times. http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/la-ca-reitman29-2009nov29,0,3566742.story. Retrieved November 29, 2009. 
  3. ↑ Schuker, Lauren A.E. (November 27, 2009). "Director Jason Reitman on 'Up in the Air'". Wall Street Journal. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703499404574558200619748462.html#articleTabs%3Darticle. Retrieved November 29, 2009. 
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 "Up in the Air (2009) Box Office". Box Office Mojo. http://boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=upintheair.htm. Retrieved August 6, 2010. 
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Nemiroff, Perri (November 5, 2009). "Interview: Up In The Air's Jason Reitman, Vera Farmiga, Anna Kendrick and Walter Kirn". Cinema Blend. http://www.cinemablend.com/new/Interview-Up-In-The-Air-s-Jason-Reitman-Vera-Farmiga-Anna-Kendrick-and-Walter-Kirn-15568.html. Retrieved November 7, 2009. 
  6. ↑ Pond, Steve (January 25, 2010). "'Up in the Air' Holds a Damage-Control Screening". The Wrap. http://www.thewrap.com/deal-central/column-post/air-holds-damage-control-screening-13493. Retrieved August 3, 2010. 
  7. ↑ D'Alessandro, Anthony (December 9, 2009). "Reitman on origins of 'Air': Pic inspired by Buckley quote in book". Variety (magazine). http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118012459.html?categoryId=3537&cs=1. Retrieved December 9, 2009. 
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 Pond, Steve (January 25, 2010). "'Up in the Air' Holds a Damage-Control Screening". The Wrap. http://www.thewrap.com/ind-column/air-holds-damage-control-screening-13493. Retrieved January 29, 2010. 
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 Zeitchik, Steven (January 15, 2010). "Screenwriting credits, floating up in the air". Los Angeles Times. http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/movies/2010/01/james-cameron-jason-reitman-anthony-minghella-avatar.html. Retrieved January 16, 2010. 
  10. ↑ Olsen, Mark (September 12, 2009). "Smooth Landing: "Up In The Air"". Los Angeles Times. http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/awards/2009/09/smooth-landing-up-in-the-air.html. Retrieved September 13, 2009. 
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 ""Up in the Air" End Title Credits". Paramount. http://www.paramount.com/webmaster/assets/synopsis/30/UITA%20Final%20End%20Credits.pdf. Retrieved December 11, 2009. 
  12. ↑ Rubin, Ann (December 12, 2008). "George Clooney to film next movie in St. Louis". KSDK. http://www.ksdk.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=163164. Retrieved December 29, 2008. 
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 McCarthy, Todd (September 6, 2009). "Up in the Air". Variety (magazine). http://www.variety.com/review/VE1117940965.html?categoryid=3222&cs=1. Retrieved September 6, 2009. 
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 14.2 14.3 French, Philip (January 17, 2010). "Up in the Air". The Guardian (London: Guardian Media Group). http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/2010/jan/17/up-in-the-air-review. Retrieved August 1, 2010. 
  15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 15.2 "Official information for the St. Louis film "Up in the Air"". Missouri Film Commission Project Hotline. January 15, 2009. http://www.missouribusiness.net/film/hotline.asp. Retrieved January 18, 2009. 
  16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 16.2 Elfman, Mali (October 21, 2009). "LFF: Up in the Air Press Conference – Reitman, Farminga, Kendrick". Screen Crave. http://screencrave.com/2009-10-21/lff-up-in-the-air-press-conference-reitman-farminga-kendrick/. Retrieved November 1, 2009. 
  17. ↑ Brevet, Brad (October 19, 2009). "New 'Up In the Air' Clip Focuses on Anna Kendrick". Rope of Silicon. http://www.ropeofsilicon.com/article/new-up-in-the-air-clip-focuses-on-anna-kendrick. Retrieved October 30, 2009. 
  18. ↑ Morales, Wilson (December 3, 2009). "Tamala Jones: "Playing With The Big Boys" In 'Up In The Air'". Black Voice. http://www.bvonmovies.com/2009/12/03/tamala-jones-up-in-the-air-interview/. Retrieved March 28, 2010. 
  19. ↑ Harper, J. M. (December 28, 2009). "The Velveteen Man". Wunderkammer Magazine. http://wunderkammermag.com/movie-reviews/jason-reitman-up-in-the-air. Retrieved March 29, 2010. 
  20. ↑ Karger, Dave (September 9, 2009). "Toronto preview: All eyes on 'Up in the Air'". Entertainment Weekly. http://oscar-watch.ew.com/2009/09/09/toronto-preview-all-eyes-on-up-in-the-air/. Retrieved September 9, 2009. 
  21. ↑ Schuker, Lauren A. E. (September 3, 2009). "Hollywood Hits the Books: Mr. Fox, Sherlock Holmes and a crew of wild things leap to the screen". Wall Street Journal. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204731804574390600167135462.html?mod=googlenews_wsj. Retrieved September 4, 2009. 
  22. ↑ 22.0 22.1 Sciretta, Peter (September 16, 2009). "Must Watch Interview: Up in the Air’s Jason Reitman on the Telluride Gondola". /Film. http://www.slashfilm.com/2009/09/16/interview-jason-reitman-up-in-the-air-telluride/. Retrieved September 27, 2009. 
  23. ↑ 23.0 23.1 Billington, Alex (September 16, 2009). "Interview: Up in the Air's Jason Reitman on the Telluride Gondola". Firstshowing.net. http://www.firstshowing.net/2009/09/16/interview-up-in-the-airs-jason-reitman-on-the-telluride-gondola/#comment-188118. Retrieved September 27, 2009. 
  24. ↑ Buchanan, Kyle (January 18, 2010). "The Jason Reitman Takedown Begins". movieline.com. http://www.movieline.com/2010/01/the-jason-reitman-takedown-begins.php. Retrieved January 18, 2010. 
  25. ↑ Simmons, Bill (January 21, 2010). "Podcast: Interview with Jason Reitman". B.S. Report with Bill Simmons. http://a.espnradio.com/podcenter/sportsguy/simmons100121.mp3. Retrieved February 6, 2010.  Duration: 1:04:34
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  27. ↑ 27.0 27.1 "Clooney's 'Up in the Air' Filming in St. Louis". KPLR. http://www.kplr11.com/news/cloonys-up-in-the-air,0,2876609.story. Retrieved September 4, 2009. 
  28. ↑ 28.0 28.1 McIntire, Ann (April 28, 2009). "George Clooney Filming In Omaha: Eppley Airfield transformed into movie set". WOWT. http://www.wowt.com/news/headlines/43873987.html. Retrieved September 4, 2009. 
  29. ↑ McCollum, Charlie (December 3, 2009). "Jason Reitman flies high with 'Up In the Air'". San Jose Mercury News. http://www.mercurynews.com/entertainment/ci_13903281?source=rss&nclick_check=1. Retrieved December 6, 2009. 
  30. ↑ Roberts, Sheila (November 27, 2009). "Jason Reitman Interview, Up in the Air". Movies on Line. http://www.moviesonline.ca/movienews_17517.html. Retrieved November 29, 2009. 
  31. ↑ Zeitchik, Steven (September 12, 2009). "'Up in the Air's' recession-themed flight plan". Hollywood Reporter. http://riskybusiness.blogs.thr.com/2009/09/12/jason-reitman-toronto-up-in-the-air/. Retrieved September 13, 2009. 
  32. ↑ Kaufman, Anthony (September 13, 2009). "Toronto Film Festival: George Clooney’s "Up In the Air" Spotlights Economic Trouble". Wall Street Journal. http://blogs.wsj.com/speakeasy/2009/09/13/toronto-film-festival-george-clooneys-up-in-the-air-spotlights-economic-trouble/. Retrieved September 13, 2009. 
  33. ↑ "George Clooney To Shoot Movie At Detroit Metro Airport". Motorcityflicks.com. February 5, 2009. http://www.motorcityflicks.com/2009/02/george-clooney-shoot-movie-detroit-metro-airport.htm. Retrieved February 5, 2009. 
  34. ↑ "Clooney, Swank movies planned for Michigan sites". Chicago Tribune. Associated Press. February 5, 2009. http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-ap-mi-people-clooney-sw,0,2760777.story. Retrieved February 5, 2009. 
  35. ↑ Smith, Alicia (March 5, 2009). "George Clooney Filming at Metro Airport". WXYZ-TV. http://www.wxyz.com/news/local/story/George-Clooney-Filming-at-Metro-Airport/JebTtJAufk-iPwlN55r8eQ.cspx. Retrieved November 1, 2009. 
  36. ↑ Billington, Alex (November 24, 2008). "Vera Farmiga Also Joins Jason Reitman's Up in the Air". First Showing. http://www.firstshowing.net/2008/11/24/vera-farmiga-also-joins-jason-reitmans-up-in-the-air/. Retrieved November 11, 2009. 
  37. ↑ Abravanel, Lesley (April 30, 2009). "George Clooney @ Delano". The Miami Herald. http://blogs.herald.com/scene_in_the_tropics/2009/04/george-clooney-delano.html. Retrieved October 30, 2009. 
  38. ↑ 38.0 38.1 Volkmann, Kelsey (January 2, 2009). "Movie to create 500 jobs, $50 million for St. Louis". St. Louis Business Journal. http://stlouis.bizjournals.com/stlouis/stories/2009/01/05/story4.html. Retrieved September 26, 2009. 
  39. ↑ "St. Louis Airport Commission Meeting". St. Louis Airport Commission. May 6, 2009. http://www.flystl.com/flystl/about-lambert/commission/PDF/2009/5-6-09.pdf. Retrieved September 4, 2009. 
  40. ↑ "St. Louis Hotel Guide". St. Louis Hotel Guide. Moore Design Group. http://www.hotels-stl.com/News042609.htm. Retrieved September 4, 2009. 
  41. ↑ Williams, Joe (December 11, 2009). "Clooney was here: St. Louis locations in 'Up in the Air'". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/entertainment/stories.nsf/moviereviews/story/3E8BDC74070D543A862576870066BEE2?OpenDocument. Retrieved December 11, 2009. 
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  43. ↑ Fischbach, Bob (March 28, 2010). "Omaha gets more exposure on 'Up in the Air' DVD". Omaha World-Herald. http://www.omaha.com/article/20100328/ENTERTAINMENT/703289975. Retrieved April 3, 2010. 
  44. ↑ "Actor George Clooney coming to Omaha". KHAS-TV. January 29, 2009. http://new.khastv.com/modules/news/article.php?storyid=16045&storytopic=4. Retrieved February 3, 2009. 
  45. ↑ ""Up In the Air" Looking for Extras". Nebraska Independent Film Projects. March 31, 2009. http://www.nifp.org/node/758. Retrieved November 8, 2009. 
  46. ↑ Kelley, Matt (February 7, 2009). "Actor George Clooney to make a film in Omaha-Council Bluffs". Radio Iowa News. http://www.radioiowa.com/gestalt/go.cfm?objectid=4D51FF9A-5056-B82A-374758B21C8FEA06. Retrieved February 7, 2009. 
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  48. ↑ Hampp, Andrew (December 14, 2009). "How American Airlines Got a Free Ride in 'Up in the Air': Airline, Hilton Hotels Trade Production Savings for Product Integrations in George Clooney's Latest Movie". Advertising Age. http://adage.com/madisonandvine/article?article_id=141059. Retrieved December 14, 2009. 
  49. ↑ Hoad, Phil (January 7, 2010). "Know your film product placement: A vanguard of brands on the frontline of product placement are exposing themselves to negative associations". London: The Guardian. http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/2010/jan/07/negative-product-placement. Retrieved January 8, 2010. 
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  55. ↑ Willman, Chris (September 6, 2009). "Clooney's "Up in the Air" Premieres at Telluride". Huffington Post. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/chris-willman/clooneys-up-in-the-air-pr_b_278466.html. Retrieved December 31, 2009. 
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  58. ↑ Wloszczyna, Susan (September 11, 2009). "The 'Juno' midwives return to Toronto with new films". USA Today. http://www.usatoday.com/life/movies/news/2009-09-09-toronto-reitman-cody-page_N.htm. Retrieved December 31, 2009. 
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  99. ↑ "Up in the Air". British Film Institute. http://www.bfi.org.uk/lff/node/521. Retrieved September 23, 2009. 
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  106. ↑ "Opening and Closing Night Films Announced!". Austin Film Festival. September 28, 2009. http://www.austinfilmfestival.com/new/. Retrieved September 29, 2009. 
  107. ↑ Fessier, Bruce (October 9, 2009). "Acclaimed Toronto Film Festival entries get local previews". The Desert Sun. http://www.mydesert.com/article/20091009/LIFESTYLES01/91009019/Acclaimed+Toronto+Film+Festival+entries+get+local+previews. Retrieved October 10, 2009. 
  108. ↑ "Events Special Member Screenings". Palm Springs International Film Society. http://www.psfilmfest.org/society/events/detail.aspx?FID=32. Retrieved October 10, 2009. 
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  113. ↑ "Lineup announced for St. Louis International Film Festival in November". Associated Press. October 8, 2009. http://www.fox2now.com/news/sns-ap-mo--stlouis-filmfestival,0,3915227.story. Retrieved October 10, 2009. 
  114. ↑ "Clooney Film Shot In St. Louis Generating Oscar Buzz: Major Coup For St. Louis As STL International Film Festival Features Clooney Movie". KTVI. October 9, 2009. http://www.fox2now.com/news/ktvi-clooney-movie-kim-tucci-100909,0,804919.story. Retrieved October 10, 2009. 
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  118. ↑ Ellwood, Gregory (November 15, 2009). "20,000 ft. 'Up in the Air' with 'New Moon's' Anna Kendrick". Hit Fix. http://www.hitfix.com/blogs/2008-12-11-awards-campaign-2009/posts/20-000-ft-up-in-the-air-with-new-moon-s-anna-kendrick. Retrieved November 15, 2009. 
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  121. ↑ "Weekend Box Office: 'Up in the Air'". Box Office Mojo. http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?page=weekend&id=upintheair.htm. Retrieved December 20, 2009. 
  122. ↑ Germain, David (December 20, 2009). "'Avatar' blasts off with $232.2 million worldwide". Associated Press. http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5ia1FPSxXY_CtWNU2djwNxRbGiU3wD9CN6VQ01. Retrieved December 20, 2009. 
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  127. ↑ McCarthy, Todd (September 7, 2009). "Telluride fest puts best foot forward: Event served up winning slate despite problems". Variety (magazine). http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118008210.html?categoryId=3221&cs=1. Retrieved September 7, 2009. 
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  138. ↑ Sancton, Julian (September 22, 2009). "Is Up In The Air Rising on Hot Air?". Vanity Fair. http://www.vanityfair.com/online/oscars/2009/09/is-up-in-the-air-rising-on-hot-air.html. Retrieved September 28, 2009. 
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  142. ↑ "Up In the Air (Music from the Motion Picture)". iTunes. Apple Inc.. http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/up-in-air-music-from-motion/id340220551. Retrieved August 2, 2010. 
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External links

The films of Jason Reitman
Films
Thank You for Smoking (2006) • Juno (2007) • Up in the Air (2009) • Young Adult (2011)
Productions
Jennifer's Body (2009) • Up in the Air (2009) • Chloe (2010)
Television work
The Office (2005–present): "Local Ad" • "Frame Toby"